Past News

BRADFORD: NEC Group pulls out of Bradford Live project 'with immediate effect'
The NEC Group has pulled out of the multi-million pound Bradford Live project with "immediate effect", it has been confirmed this afternoon.
Bradford Live and Bradford Council have said a process is now underway to appoint a new operator for the former Odeon cinema.
Critics say they hope the termination of the contract won't result in Bradford residents "paying a hefty bill".

CATTERICK: Savoy Cinemas opening date of Catterick Garrison site
Savoy Cinemas, who have resurrected the old Empire venue on Princes Gate Shopping Park on Richmond Road have said that film lovers won't have long to wait after revealing an opening date of September 27.

DEVIZES: Palace Cinema reopening date still unknown
A firm date has still not been set for the long-awaited reopening of a Wiltshire town's art deco cinema, its manager has said.
Hundreds of people visited the Palace Cinema in Devizes when it held an open day on Saturday.
The building closed four years ago for renovation works that would see the capacity of the single-screen cinema increased.

GLASGOW (Govan): 'This Glasgow cinema brought stars, music and colour into our lives, we must save it'
Glasgow's old picture houses hold a special place in the memories of many.
One of the most revered is the Govan Lyceum, currently lying empty as campaigners try to breathe new life into the building in the hope it can be saved for future generatio

SAFFRON WALDEN: Cinema hopes to offer subtitle 'smart glasses'
A cinema is hoping to become one of the first in the country to offer "smart glasses" to filmgoers with impaired hearing.
Paul Willmott, the chair of Saffron Screen, said: "It's a brand new system and we'll be one of the first in the country to use it."
"It will enable people who are hard of hearing to see subtitles on a pair of glasses that they wear and means they'll be able to come and watch almost any film and get subtitles."

SALISBURY: 'A Cinematic Gem': Odeon celebrates 60th anniversary
One of Salisbury’s most iconic buildings is celebrating a milestone anniversary this year.
The Odeon on New Canal Street reopened its doors to cinemagoers in 1964 after The Rank Organisation took control, with the cinema having previously been operated by The Gaumont Group as the Gaumont Palace Theatre since 1931.

SWINDON: Cineworld: Fate of cinema facing closure to be decided
If all goes as planned, the Swindon Regent Circus cinema will be closed, as would other sites in Glasgow Parkhead, Bedford, Hinckley, Loughborough, and Yate.
The company had been trying to find a buyer for some or all of its multiplexes but, after failing to do so, announced plans to close the six locations that it deemed “commercially unviable”.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
AUSTRALIA - BALLARAT: Historic Regent Cinemas to reopen after sale to Palace Cinemas
The near-century-old Regent Cinemas in Ballarat have been saved from closure after Australia's largest independent movie theatre group Palace Cinemas purchased the historic business for an undisclosed sum.
Rebranded as the Palace Regent Ballarat, the cinema will open its doors on October 3 and showcase international film festivals, upmarket movies and big blockbusters.
{Visited by CTA members on their Australia visit in 2006}

BIRMINGHAM: 13 old photos of cinemas shut down or demolished over the years
Here are some nostalgic photos of now-closed Birmingham cinemas

DUNFERMLINE: Former Robins Cinema in to go up for auction
A new story could begin for a former Dunfermline cinema with the premises set to go under the hammer next week.
The old Robins Cinema building on East Port will go up for auction with the opening bid set to start at £225,000.
The historic property first opened up in 1913 and was a unique 'reverse cinema' with the audience entering from the side of the screen.

EDINBURGH: Exclusive look inside Filmhouse as work underway for huge refurbishment
While the theatre will modernise, Filmhouse will stay true to its mission of championing film within the community, and will not be transformed into a multiplex.
Construction plans include new seating and redecorating. Seating capacity in Cinema 1 will be reduced from 450 to 350, making room for more comfortable chairs with added legroom.
Filmhouse Ltd hopes to begin refurbishment in later October and reopen in early March 2025.

GLASGOW (Possilpark): Owner of historic cinema building appeals against decision to stop demolition
The decision to grant a historic cinema in Possilpark listed status after demolition had already begun has been challenge by its owners.
Allied Vehicles began demolishing the Vogue cinema in December last year – the day they were granted permission by Glasgow City Council – in order to turn it into a car showroom.
The local authority ordered a last-minute Building Preservation Notice in January and requested Historic Environment Scotland (HES) consider it for listing.

HERTFORD: Bennetts Associates completes £30m theatre revamp
Renamed Beam, the former Hertford Theatre on the banks of the river Lea includes a 547-seat theatre, three cinema screens and a second theatre space due to open next year.
Retaining the shell of the previous venue and its stage and backstage areas, the remodelled complex includes new brick-clad spaces enclosing a covered triangular courtyard, forming the main foyer.
The main theatre was a 400-seat flat-floor room with a large retractable seating unit before becoming a 547-seat auditorium with shallow-raked stalls, a balcony and a fully accessible technical grid.

HULL: Cinema bombed in WWII being restored - 80 years on from blitz
Workmen have embarked on the remarkable restoration of a Grade II listed cinema 80 years after it almost destroyed during the blitz of WW2.

PRESTWICK: Senior pupils come on board to work with Broadway cinema
The Academy Board of Directors are taken from Prestwick Academy, and is a partnership between the community cinema project and the school.
For each new school year, the captains and vice-captains of the school's sixth year will form an 'Academy Board'.
The pupil committee will collaborate with the charity extensively on all aspects of the project, playing a crucial role in the Broadway's re-development.

SCARBOROUGH: Cinema chain returning to town after absence of more than three decades
Scarborough Group International (SGI), a specialist in property regeneration and placemaking, has secured cinema chain ODEON as the anchor cinema operator for its redevelopment of the Brunswick Centre in Scarborough.

SCOTLAND: Last-ditch bid to save rural Scotland's mobile cinema as Screen Machine faces closure
A last-ditch attempt to save a vital rural amenity has been launched with the operators of The Screen Machine hoping to raise £100,000 to keep it on the road.
The mobile cinema has been bringing films to Scotland’s rural communities for more than 26 years and now it is looking to raise the money from the public as part of an effort to get £1.7 million to build a new mobile cinema.

WREXHAM: Stunning new 35k-seater stadium plan with cinema and casino imagined by AI
OLBG, using a combination of Chat GPT and the AI platform Midjourney, has designed a dazzling 35,000-seat stadium fit for Premier League matches in North Wales.
The modern, glass-fronted stadium comes with facilities that would grow the club's Hollywood reputation.
The AI-created stadium would see the club leave the Racecourse behind for a new location, featuring a cinema capable of hosting world premieres...

LONDON (Hammersmith): Curtains rise for a new theatre
The curtain is set to rise on an exciting new theatre space that has been carved out of the old Lilla Huset building on Talgarth Road, Hammersmith.
Nestled alongside the flyover in the space between the landmark Ark office block and the new Premier Inn hotel, the building is now home to SCRUM, a theatre cooperative and arts education charity.

BRISTOL: Cinema's transformation into 42-bed HMO sparks outrage in Bristol
The Bristol community is banding together in an effort to prevent the historic Redfield Cinema, also known as St George's Hall, from being converted into housing.
The cinema, which has been left abandoned since it shut its doors in 2021, holds a significant place in local heritage.
Constructed in 1912, the building has seen numerous changes over the years, having served as a bingo hall and later a Wetherspoon pub.
Despite its closure, the cinema still retains its original charm with features such as original seats, decor, and balcony remaining intact.

CHELMSFORD: Popular bar in listed building set for huge makeover
One of Chelmsford’s most popular bars is set to get a makeover as part of a "significant investment".
The plans for Bar and Beyond include changing large sections of the ground floor by replacing furniture and fittings, including the square-shaped and shaped booths.
Circular-shaped furniture is also set to be removed from the stage area.

MANCHESTER: 'Dark times' as Mancunians express shock after 'greatest bar in Manchester' suddenly closes
Mancunians have fondly looked back on their university days and nights dancing away on tables after the sudden closure of The Footage bar.
But now, the site - operated by Crafted Social, part of the Stonegate Group - has been listed as ‘permanently closed’ on its website.
The history of the Footage building dates back to 1915 when it first opened as the Grosvenor Picture Palace cinema.
Through various incarnations, the venue was last used as a cinema in 1968 before it was taken over as a bingo hall and then a Riley’s Snooker Club. It began a new life as a pub, under the name of the Flea and Firkin, in 1990.

ROTHERHAM: First Rotherham cinema since 1990 opens
Rotherham's first cinema since 1990 has opened its doors to the public.
The Arc Cinema forms the centrepiece of Rotherham's Forge Island regeneration project.
The new venue features eight screens, each equipped with luxury reclining seats, designed to give film lovers the ultimate viewing experience.
The cinema also features two HYPERSENSE screens. The two wall-to-wall cinema screens have been designed to provide the ultimate viewing experience and feature state-of-the-art 4K laser projection as well as boasting Dolby Atmos surround sound.

SCARBOROUGH: Hopes for historic cinema to survive after sale
Hollywood Plaza, in North Marine Road, Scarborough, is on the market for £150,000.
Originally opened as a silent cinema in 1914 the building was converted into a car garage in 1926 before being put back into use as a cinema in the 1980s, according to agent CPH Property,
Joe Walker, director at CPH Property, said he was fielding offers from three or four independent cinema operators to ideally keep its use the same

SHEFFIELD: Showroom cinema unveils ambitious plans to mark its 30th anniversary
As the Showroom prepares to mark its 30th anniversary, a cinema spokesperson has unveiled the ambitious plans in place to usher in its fourth decade in Sheffield.

SUNNINGHILL: Campaigners share preview of theatre designs
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) gave campaigners until the end of October to raise the £300,000 needed to buy the Novello Theatre in Sunninghill, Berkshire.
Save Novello Picture House said it was confident of raising the funds and has commissioned an architect to draw up the initial designs.

SWANSEA: Listed building set to reopen after £9 million facelift
The grand unveiling of an iconic Swansea building is due to take place this Thursday after a major restoration project costing nearly £9 million.
The Albert Hall is now a four-storey venue comprising a ground-floor food hall and bar, with private entertainment space, offices, studios, visitor accommodation, a gym and a rooftop garden above.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
AUSTRALIA - Melbourne: Regent Theatre sale proposed to fund new arts initiatives
Melbourne’s Regent Theatre, a historic former picture palace located on Collins Street, could soon be sold off to finance new arts and cultural projects if Nick Reece is re-elected as Melbourne’s lord mayor.
The proposal involves selling the City of Melbourne’s 51 percent stake in the theatre, which is valued between $40 million and $50 million, with the remaining share owned by the state government.
{Visited by CTA members on their Australia visit in 2006}

Week commencing Monday 26th August 2024