I was the manager here from 1978 until I moved to The Futurist in Birmingham in 1984.
The Screen seating numbers changed in 1982 when the cinema had a complete refurbishment which included larger, more luxurious seating this resulted in reduced capacities of Screen 1- 270 seats with screens 2 & 3 having 135 each. Perhaps a forerunner of the reduced more luxurious developments we see today?
As a result of the refurbishment I pushed for a no smoking policy, which, as far as I’m aware, was the first cinema in the UK to do this.
The opening film for the refurbishment was ET, so we got off to a great start with queues around the block (pre computerised booking of course).
Operational staff included myself, Peter McFadden, Assistant Manager Anne Melvin and Paul Richards Chief Projectionist.
I believe at some point an application was made to demolish the cinema and replace it with a multiplex. However, it turned out to be impractical because the local council and the Cannon company couldn’t agree on who owned the land between the back of the cinema and the flyover behind the building so nothing ever happened. As a result the building continues to operate as a Wetherspoons to this day.
Anyone with further information please feel free to contact me.
I was the manager here from 1978 until I moved to The Futurist in Birmingham in 1984.
The Screen seating numbers changed in 1982 when the cinema had a complete refurbishment which included larger, more luxurious seating this resulted in reduced capacities of Screen 1- 270 seats with screens 2 & 3 having 135 each. Perhaps a forerunner of the reduced more luxurious developments we see today?
As a result of the refurbishment I pushed for a no smoking policy, which, as far as I’m aware, was the first cinema in the UK to do this.
The opening film for the refurbishment was ET, so we got off to a great start with queues around the block (pre computerised booking of course).
Operational staff included myself, Peter McFadden, Assistant Manager Anne Melvin and Paul Richards Chief Projectionist.
I believe at some point an application was made to demolish the cinema and replace it with a multiplex. However, it turned out to be impractical because the local council and the Cannon company couldn’t agree on who owned the land between the back of the cinema and the flyover behind the building so nothing ever happened. As a result the building continues to operate as a Wetherspoons to this day.
Anyone with further information please feel free to contact me.