Cosy Cinema

In Brynmawr, a market town in Blaenau Gwent, the Picture Palace opened in 1913.

It was not listed in the 1923 edition of the Kinematograph Year Book but, by the time of the 1928 edition, it had been renamed the Cosy Cinema. It was operated by Principality Electric Theatres Ltd. of Pontypridd. The resident manager was Mr E. White and shows were once nightly, with two on Saturdays.

By the 1932 edition, an Edibell sound system (later replaced by a British Thomson Houston [BTH] system) had been installed, and the Cosy Cinema was being operated by R. W. Phillips and Son. The proscenium was shown as being 25ft wide. There were 500 seats (which had reduced to 440 by 1954).

Risca Cinemas Ltd. took over in 1958, and CinemaScope was installed, using a screen that was 27ft by 23ft (so presumably stood proud of the proscenium). The seating capacity was still given as 442.

Regrettable, even this could not save the Cosy Cinema, which closed around 1960.

The building was demolished, and three blocks of one and two-bed flats arose on the site.

In a nice touch, these were called Cosy Place, although they sadly deteriorated and became anything but ‘cosy’. Eventually, in partnership with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Tai Calon Community Housing secured Homelessness Capital funding from the Welsh Government to refurbish Cosy Place and bring the building back to life.

In December 2021 Cosy Place was officially re-opened by Alan Davies, MS for Blaenau Gwent.

In another nice touch, Mr Davies presented Brynmawr Historical Society with a plaque containing an engraved image of the original Cosy Cinema. This is on display on the front of the ‘new’ Cosy Place.

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