Regent Cinema

Situated in the small town of Rainworth, two miles to the east of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, it is not known when this cinema opened. There is no listing in the 1914 Kinematograph Year Book, but the Picture House was opened by 1920 and is shown in the 1923 edition, the next one I have access to. At that time, it was operated by Rainworth Picture House Co. Ltd. and the resident manager was A. E. Orton. There were two shows nightly, with two changes of programme weekly.

By the 1928 edition the resident manager was F. L. Roberts. Shows were once nightly on Monday, Thursday and Friday, with two shows on Saturday.

By the 1932 edition, the Picture House had been equipped for the talkies with, interestingly, a ‘sound on disc’ system. Shows had reverted to once nightly during the week, with two on Saturday.

By the 1934 edition, not too surprisingly, a Gyrotone sound system had been installed. A proscenium width of 24ft is shown.

On the 6th August 1934 in was renamed Palace Cinema and was operated by Sherwood Palaces Ltd. A BTP (British Talking Pictures) sound system had been installed and there were 550 seats.

By the 1936 edition the Palace Cinema was being operated by Rainworth Theatre Ltd. and the seating capacity had been reduced to 440. Shows were once nightly, with two on Saturday.

By the 1942 edition E. D. Williams had taken over as the operator. The proscenium had been reduced in width to 20ft. It had closed by 1948 when it was reopened by the Manchester based Blakeborough Ltd. and renamed Royal Cinema. but this was brief, as from 18th April 1948 Rainworth Theatre Ltd. was once again shown as the operator, but the following year Blakeborough Ltd. of Ramsbottom, Lancashire, had taken over and the cinema had been renamed the Regent Cinema.

However, the following year, 1950, the operator was shown as Sheffield & District Cinematograph Entertainments Ltd. Shows were continuous with three changes of programme weekly.

By the 1957 edition the seating capacity had been reduced to 396. Then, following a full entry in the 1958 edition, in 1959 the abbreviated entry shows the Regent as “Closed”.

According to on-line reminiscences, the building was left vacant for a while, then had a wide variety of uses, including by North Notts Farmers (possibly its first occupiers after closure) then by agricultural merchants Beard & Freeman and (about 1971) as the Catholic Club. At some time it was a bingo hall. By the early-1980’s it was Potters snooker club, which was followed by its current use as a pub called The Venue. This has a bar, lounge, pool and snooker tables and function rooms. It is open from 11am to 11pm seven days a week.

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