When I visited this building in September 2006 the owner showed me inside but would not let me take interior photos, citing “security”. He tried to kid me that the ventilation grilled were some sort of early stereo sound system. [in 1914?] As surf_digby says, the building looked in good condition.
When I took the attached photo in February 2005 it was cordoned off and preparatory work prior to demolition looked to have started. I imagine it was demolished later that year. The former swimming baths on the left was converted into an ASDA supermarket and the cinema site is the store’s car park.
I visited this theatre in the 70s with the then manager of the Regal Leamington Spa to see a demonstration film of the Dolby sound system [mono in those days]. I think it was called “The Quiet Revolution”.
I visited the box in the 60s. I remember the chief was a very nice lady called, I think, Florence Barton. The throw was very long and (again if my memory is correct) the backing lenses for ‘scope were 9". As a previous correspondent has said, the proscenium was so narrow they had to halve the height for scope. The chief said it was such a popular cinema that you could run a roll of tickets through the projector and still take money.
I visited the box once. The only thing I can remember is that to get the masking from WideScreen to CinemaScope, you had to go out to 70mm first then come back in! I saw mamy 70mm films there when I lived in the area, along with the Regal Leamington.
Have adjusted the StreetView but the map is wrong. It points to the former Regent which – like the Palace – has now been demolished. Google got there first!
There are some excellent pictures of the abandoned cinema on the www.oblivionstate.com website at tinyurl.com/oxzx6qv dated September 2015.
It was still standing in July 2011 but had been demolished by May 2015. Homes could be built on the site
High Street was renumbered at some time so the street number for the cinema given in some sources is not relevant to the street numbers today.
The bingo closed in 2013 and the building is now vacant.
When I visited this building in September 2006 the owner showed me inside but would not let me take interior photos, citing “security”. He tried to kid me that the ventilation grilled were some sort of early stereo sound system. [in 1914?] As surf_digby says, the building looked in good condition.
When I took the attached photo in February 2005 it was cordoned off and preparatory work prior to demolition looked to have started. I imagine it was demolished later that year. The former swimming baths on the left was converted into an ASDA supermarket and the cinema site is the store’s car park.
I visited this theatre in the 70s with the then manager of the Regal Leamington Spa to see a demonstration film of the Dolby sound system [mono in those days]. I think it was called “The Quiet Revolution”.
I visited the box in the 60s. I remember the chief was a very nice lady called, I think, Florence Barton. The throw was very long and (again if my memory is correct) the backing lenses for ‘scope were 9". As a previous correspondent has said, the proscenium was so narrow they had to halve the height for scope. The chief said it was such a popular cinema that you could run a roll of tickets through the projector and still take money.
I visited the box once. The only thing I can remember is that to get the masking from WideScreen to CinemaScope, you had to go out to 70mm first then come back in! I saw mamy 70mm films there when I lived in the area, along with the Regal Leamington.
According to the North West Evening Mail, bingo ceased in January 2012. The CTA visited in June 2008.
Photos at http://www.thorne-moorends.gov.uk/history/pictorial_history_03.html
Have adjusted the StreetView but the map is wrong. It points to the former Regent which – like the Palace – has now been demolished. Google got there first!
Placement on map is way out. Street View adjusted to 53°48.750'N, 3°03.031'W
it is in a pedestrian area so Street View can’t get there. it is the building past the white buiding in the view I have set it to.
placement on map is over 2 miles out. Street view adjusted to SD 559 305 or 53°46.156'N, 2°40.180'W
map placement is way out
Map location way out. Google Streetview adjusted to 53°48.521'N, 1°39.359'W & 5005 photo uploaded.