Regal Cinema
Rating Row,
Beaumaris,
LL58 8AF
Rating Row,
Beaumaris,
LL58 8AF
1 person
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Showing 11 comments
Just looked at the picture again, much to light to be blue.
My friend’s wife who was originally from Wrexham once mentioned that her dad was a projectionist in that town, and it had a corrugated roof and she told me about having to turn up the sound fader during rain and of course hailstorms ! Not the Odeon Wrexham, that’s for sure !!
Hello David,I’ve only just seen your postings, as this photo is my first view of the building I’ve no idea of the door’s colour.I think most of the Paramount Circuit’s doors & windows were blue. The late Bill Kenny worked there as a young relief projectionist in the early 50’s, he was at the time the 2nd at the Palladium,his hobby then was photography and although he took quite a few pictures of the locality none of the cinema. mind you he went there reluctantly & I guess you did not argue with your bosses in those days !
My mothers 1st cousin use to be the manager in the 50’s he was called Norman Jones and all the local kids use to call him Hawkeye,he was a bit of a Hitler and use to make all the girls sit on the right and the boys on the left and God help anyone that made a sound in there,he once barred my brother for a month for pushing the door open to sharply and caused it to slam.but have many happy days spent in there
Does Eric – or anyone – remember what colour the doors of the Regal Cinema were painted? My sister is doing a painting of the Regal – based on the photograph – and wants to get this detail right. From the photo the doors look possible white or cream. I can’t, for the life of me, remember! Anyone any ideas? Are there any other photos of the Regal anywhere?
I don’t recall the roof being a problem in the rain – and I certainly spent enough time there, rain or shine! I think the corrugated roof was made not of steel but asbestos cement – no risk for the patrons unless it cracks!
The sound was, as far as I remember ok – but, well, we didn’t know any better in those days. I think there was a problem with ventilation of the box and the side door was usually open when the projectors were running in the summer.
My sister tells me this picture was taken by a Mr Victor Hills whose son she met during one of her art classes (so I hope he doesn’t mind it being used on here). It was submitted to someone who was writing a book bnn Anglesey and she is now using it as the basis for a painting of the Regal.
I would still love to know who now owns that original picture of the Palladium though!
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.
Finally come across a photo of the Regal Cinema!
I believe that a Mr Rigby – a native of Beaumaris was also a partner in establishing the cinema. It became part of the North Wales Paramount Circuit. At Christmas live pantomimes were performed on the rather confined stage. I believe the current structure – illustrated in the Google photo – incorporates some of the original walls of the building. Entrance was via a foyer in the front of the building and patrons exited via this and emergency doors opening onto Post Office lane.