ABC Carlton Boscombe
677 Christchurch Road,
Boscombe,
Bournemouth,
BH7 6AA
677 Christchurch Road,
Boscombe,
Bournemouth,
BH7 6AA
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The front still stands, All of the auditorium was demolished. Using the pictures from the photo section and Google maps the auditorium ran parallel to the entrance. The photo that shows what could be the remains of the fly tower are possibly part of the entrance to the auditorium.
NOT Demolished!!!
Lucky 7 Bingo & Social Club was a trading name of Ladbroke’s.
There seems to be some doubt as to whether the Wetherspoon pub occupies any of the former cinema space. The cinema entrance was to the left of the pub (where Mello Mello Bar is in my photo) and the auditorium presumably stood behind all these street-fronting buildings. So what part of the cinema does the pub occupy? Interestingly, at the rear, there’s what seems to be a derelict backstage area (see my photos), sitting all alone! Was this part of the cinema?? Any thoughts and comments would be most welcome!
I got photos from 1988 when it closed, took some of the projection box, rewind room and dimmer cables that went in the roof. i know some guy who lived in christchurch that showed me what it was like then. that was 23 years ago.
I think this cinema should be reallocated under Bournemouth….. Boscombe is just a suburb and the Astoria and Classic are further out east of the town centre then the Carlton.
The auditorium was demolished during the summer and autumn of 2002. Many were glad to see the back of it as it was an “eyesore”. It was a sad state of affairs that what was at one time a grand building had been allowed to fall into such a sorry state. It had become a shelter for rough sleepers and a safety hazard. I saw some pictures of how it was on the inside before the demolishion men moved in and gutted it prior to knocking it down. In the former circle there was still rows of seats in place and its unique Oriental style decor was still very much in evidence albeit with peeling paint around the proscenium and walls. Sadly the screen had long since gone but the guy who took the photographs said that there was several pulleys behind the stage, which probably worked the screen tabs – no trace of those either I am sorry to say!
The ABC, photographed in July 1972:
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