Regent Cinema

The script about the Regent i don’t think is quite correct. As s former employee at both Thirsk Cinemas and later also at Regent Bingo. The Regent no way held 400 people even in its hey day. The Ritz later Studio One was the biggest of the 3 Cinemas in Thirsk and even that only held 300 on a full day 121 in the circle and a max of 200 in the stalls so no way did the Regent hold 400 as it was half the size. After been converted to bingo it only held 150. Also who ever wrote about its layout is also wrong im afraid !! The balcony yes had 2 staircases 1 at either side both which led to a corridor than ran behind the cinema screen and stage. The corridor led to a set of double doors which you can see on the right of the building in th stalls exit doors . Also along the corridor was a small stairwell that went up to the ladies toilet and later also to the calling stage which was built on top of the stalls bottom exit doors after the stage and corridor were removed. The gents toilets were in the cellar entered from the right hand side of the stalls. Also on the right of the stalls was an additional double set of fire doors which were added after Star Cinemas sold it to an independent bingo club but these were later bricked back up when it was taken over by Clifton Bingo Clubs in a massive refurbishment of the club. This was when the left stairs corridor stage and screen were all removed which made the right hand exit stick out enabling the calling centre be built on top. The electronic boards and screens were all replaced on the rear outside wall which was behind the stage and corridor. Yes your right about the foyer been tiny. It housed the paybox which had a door in it to access the projector room 1 set of double doors and the staircase to the balcony which half way up had a door to the office which was over the projection room and paybox. The foyer was only big enough for the paybox the double door entrance to the stalls and 1 forthcoming quad frame. The projection box was tiny and only big enough for the 2 projectors it had a stone staircase down to the cellar where the films had to be made up stored and re wound. This later became the beer cellar for the bingo social club bar. To the right of the projection box used to be a raised area with about 3 rows of 4 seats knows as lovers corner. This later became the home of one armed bandits in the bingo days. The outside of the building always used to have a glass canopy the full length of the building. This was before the days of the by-pass and because the building was on a sharp corner and many hgv trucks used to come though the town the glass canopy was smashed more than stable and eventually taken away. Even in the end of the Clifton Bingo Clubs days and after the by-pass was built they had canopys over the doors at both ends of the buildings and even they were torn down by accident by trucks turning the sharp corner.

The 1937 edition of the Kinematograph Yearbook gives a seating capacity of the Regent Cinema as 400.