Regent Cinema

The Cinema, in Newton Road, Mumbles near Swansea, which had opened in 1927, had some success and then closed on the outbreak of The Second World War,along with all other places of entertainment. Many soon reopened, when the properganda value of such places, which included Theatures, was appreciated. The former Regent Cinema was requisitioned, cleaned out and stripped bare and became it soon became the HQ of C’ Company, of 12th Battalion, Home Guard, initially called the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV). Postwar it reopened as The Casino Dance Hall, then after many years the building was rebuilt with a Arcade downstairs and a nightclub on a new floor, upstairs. became a well-known venue under a succession of different names, these included The Showboat, Tiffany’s, Nutz, Stud’s, Howard’s and Bentley’s. Later it was: Cafe Play by Night and after the lockdown, has reopened as CU Mumbles, Nightclub and Venue

I believe that MumblesMatters is mistaken, and may be confusing the New Cinema (later the Regent) with the Tivoli cinema which was nearer the seafront, with its facade still surviving as part of the Coop supermarket. The photo does indeed show the location of the Regent in what is now Castleton Arcade. The highly-decorated interior ceiling of the Regent is still visible in the CUs entertainment venue within the arcade (check CU’s website). After use as a cinema ended a floor was constructed at the level of the old circle to create two levels in the auditorium, and CUs occupies the top floor. There is a bar counter just where the old circle seats would have started.