I’ve uploaded a photo taken April 2011 when on holiday from Wales, I thought the entrance may have been a bank in it’s former life until I read the intoductory post. We saw the film Arthur starring Russell Brand.
Enjoyed our evening there, sorry the photo is a bit crooked.
Nice to see a picture of the Regal, the first one i’ve ever seen. I never got to see the cinema in the flesh so to speak, nice frontage pity so many of these places have now been demolished.
Me again David, I just looked up the details in my old Cinema Directory for 1958, all it states about the equipment is BA sound (British Acoustics) and that they had 320 seats. Did you ever go inside David ? Billy Kenny who sadly died this year once worked there for a week or two as a relief projectionist, he was then second at the Palladium before he started as the Chief at the Town Hall, (Pwllheli of course in case any one else is reading this)He was the Town Hall’s manager for the last 19 years until his retirement.
I think the equipment he worked on were Kalee 12s.
Just looked up the Regal, that’s not at all the building I saw, I was obviously given the wrong information. It’s quite an impressive looking cinema. I’ll have to go to Ratings Row again next time I visit, and see if someone can show me the correct site.
Hello David, No idea who owns the painting, I took a photo a few years ago of what I was told was the old Regal in Beaumaris. It was then a private dwelling, must say it did not look like a cinema, or a new house.
I’ve uploaded 8 photos from 2007, but in doing so the Google picture which was there has disappeared, shame really as it shows how nice the exterior looks now compared to my pictures. Is it possible to restore it?.
The former cafe has changed from Options to Photo Imaging,but the front of the cinema is getting to look a bit tatty,& the flat roofs need a bit of weeding.
I’ve uploaded 2 photos, but first time they were out of focus,so I tried again, and had a better result, but I’m unable to erase the blurry ones. Is it possible to do so ?
Bryn Mawr, a good Welsh name which means a Large Hill, for all I know there may not be a hill at all in the region, but it was of course named by Welsh immigrant miners, which came I assume from the village of the same name in Wales.
I’ve uploaded a photo from the early sixties of the Projection Room,it was given to the former manager of the Town Hall Cinema Pwllheli by the 2nd projectionist of the Odeon. Does anybody remember the hobby of tapesponding ? something similar to pen friends only instead of letters people used to send recording tapes. And this was before audio cassettes. Bill Kenny the Town Hall’s manager was also a projectionist in those days.He passed away this year, I don’t recall the name of the chap at the Odeon Accrington.Sorry about the condition of the photo, I just found it today.
I remember that in 1966 I went along to the Plaza with the 2nd projectionist from the Palladium Pwllheli who was deputising for a week. The film showing was Thunderball. The central heating was out of action and they had a huge fan heater in front of the stage, you could see a flame every now & then,it would never be allowed today, and probably was not supposed to be then either. I remember the fire officers who used to inspect our place (the Town Hall Cinema Pwllheli) were much more thorough that in my latter years before I retired.
I liked the Plaza it had no balcony, access to the projection room was from the outside only, I would have found this inconvenient as I quite often liked to pop into the auditorium to check the level of the sound. I think it carried on until 1984, as I beleive the family of Mr Baker decided to run all the cinemas for one year while on sale.
The Duke Of Edinburgh was stationed there,also an RAF training camp at Penyberth Penrhos, which was even nearer to town. All these servicemen & women meant excellent business for the 2 cinemas in town.
Just read the previous post from KennyCaglewhich was sent almost a year ago, I was in Liverpool England last weekend with the wife, and we went to the 14 screen Odeon Liverpool One.
I remember mentioning to her how remarkable it is that even though the sound is played at such a loud level (often probably to loud)it cannot be heard in the neighbouring screens,Don’t know have they do it. This multiplex is on 2 or three levels as it’s in the middle of the city.
I’ve uploaded a photo taken April 2011 when on holiday from Wales, I thought the entrance may have been a bank in it’s former life until I read the intoductory post. We saw the film Arthur starring Russell Brand. Enjoyed our evening there, sorry the photo is a bit crooked.
Have the redevelopment plans been abandoned? I see that it’s still operating in 2012.
Here’s another, from 1990 this time.
I’ve never been this far north, but having surfed the net I’ve discovered it’s now open again with a new name, The Thurso Cinema.
The Kinematograph Cinema Directory for 1958 states the Regal was equipped with BA (British Acoustics)sound system.
Not sure about the roof though, it’s not slate, is it one of those that required the projectionist to turn up the volume during hailstones etc !!
Nice to see a picture of the Regal, the first one i’ve ever seen. I never got to see the cinema in the flesh so to speak, nice frontage pity so many of these places have now been demolished.
Me again David, I just looked up the details in my old Cinema Directory for 1958, all it states about the equipment is BA sound (British Acoustics) and that they had 320 seats. Did you ever go inside David ? Billy Kenny who sadly died this year once worked there for a week or two as a relief projectionist, he was then second at the Palladium before he started as the Chief at the Town Hall, (Pwllheli of course in case any one else is reading this)He was the Town Hall’s manager for the last 19 years until his retirement.
I think the equipment he worked on were Kalee 12s.
Just looked up the Regal, that’s not at all the building I saw, I was obviously given the wrong information. It’s quite an impressive looking cinema. I’ll have to go to Ratings Row again next time I visit, and see if someone can show me the correct site.
Hello David, No idea who owns the painting, I took a photo a few years ago of what I was told was the old Regal in Beaumaris. It was then a private dwelling, must say it did not look like a cinema, or a new house.
I’ve uploaded 8 photos from 2007, but in doing so the Google picture which was there has disappeared, shame really as it shows how nice the exterior looks now compared to my pictures. Is it possible to restore it?.
Glad to see a photo of when it was still open as a cinema.
The former cafe has changed from Options to Photo Imaging,but the front of the cinema is getting to look a bit tatty,& the flat roofs need a bit of weeding.
I’ve uploaded 2 photos, but first time they were out of focus,so I tried again, and had a better result, but I’m unable to erase the blurry ones. Is it possible to do so ?
Bryn Mawr, a good Welsh name which means a Large Hill, for all I know there may not be a hill at all in the region, but it was of course named by Welsh immigrant miners, which came I assume from the village of the same name in Wales.
This was taken in the sixties, during the cinema’s Odeon years.
I’ve uploaded a photo from the early sixties of the Projection Room,it was given to the former manager of the Town Hall Cinema Pwllheli by the 2nd projectionist of the Odeon. Does anybody remember the hobby of tapesponding ? something similar to pen friends only instead of letters people used to send recording tapes. And this was before audio cassettes. Bill Kenny the Town Hall’s manager was also a projectionist in those days.He passed away this year, I don’t recall the name of the chap at the Odeon Accrington.Sorry about the condition of the photo, I just found it today.
Seems a bit mean that the general public are not allowed at the cinema, being loyal Brits and all that.
A Police Station is now on site, makes a change to a supermarket I suppose !
I remember that in 1966 I went along to the Plaza with the 2nd projectionist from the Palladium Pwllheli who was deputising for a week. The film showing was Thunderball. The central heating was out of action and they had a huge fan heater in front of the stage, you could see a flame every now & then,it would never be allowed today, and probably was not supposed to be then either. I remember the fire officers who used to inspect our place (the Town Hall Cinema Pwllheli) were much more thorough that in my latter years before I retired. I liked the Plaza it had no balcony, access to the projection room was from the outside only, I would have found this inconvenient as I quite often liked to pop into the auditorium to check the level of the sound. I think it carried on until 1984, as I beleive the family of Mr Baker decided to run all the cinemas for one year while on sale.
The Duke Of Edinburgh was stationed there,also an RAF training camp at Penyberth Penrhos, which was even nearer to town. All these servicemen & women meant excellent business for the 2 cinemas in town.
I’ve uploaded a picture depicting the Palladium during the war years, just click on photos.
It is now known as the Magic Lantern Cinema.
Just read the previous post from KennyCaglewhich was sent almost a year ago, I was in Liverpool England last weekend with the wife, and we went to the 14 screen Odeon Liverpool One. I remember mentioning to her how remarkable it is that even though the sound is played at such a loud level (often probably to loud)it cannot be heard in the neighbouring screens,Don’t know have they do it. This multiplex is on 2 or three levels as it’s in the middle of the city.
Hi David, I’ve just added a couple of comments under the photo.