Atherstone Regal Cinema
The Atherstone Regal Cinema was opened on 28th September 1937. The cinema replaced the former Atherstone Workhouse which was demolished earlier in the decade.
The building was designed by architect Harold S. Scott. Unfortunately we do not have any reference to what the building actually looked like, we can only assumed it was similar in appearance to other cinemas of the time. The architect Harold S. Scott was responsible for designing cinemas all over the country, including Birmingham and London. His work was often grand, art deco in style and considered typical of the time.
Upon opening the Atherstone Regal Cinema featured 744 seats and admission prices ranged from 9d. to 1s. 6d. The cinemas Proscenium was 40ft wide.
A Proscenium theater is a theater space whose primary feature is a large archway (the proscenium arch) at or near the front of the stage, through which the audience views the play. The audience directly faces the stage, which is typically raised several feet above front row audience level. The main stage is the space behind the proscenium arch, often marked by a curtain which can be lowered or drawn closed.
Prices ranged from 9d. to 1s. 6d. and films were shown every evening. Matinees took place on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 7.30pm.
Mayfair Circuit/ABC purchased the cinema in 1943 and held onto it until 1960, when it was sold on to an independent. The cinema was finally closed for business in 1987 and was subsequently demolished. Regal Court, a several story building containing retirement flats was erected in 1989 and now stands in its place.
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July 9th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Iam the newest member———hallo everyone.
I also ‘belong’ to Warwickshire on line, which for some reason is offline at present.
Iwas an evacuee from 1939-1945 in Atherstone and was familiar with almost every blade of grass.Well not every blade of grass but you will understand what I mean.
Icannot believe that no-one has a photo of the Regal–it was everyones life blood during the war–especially when the Yanks came to town. It had an electriclal shop built in on the left had side which had a television set in the window all the time Ilived there.We marvelled at it, even as it got dustier and more grimy with time .The shop was closed ”for the duration” said a notice on the door. The set was probably 4foot high and the screen was about7″x6″
Iremember it well —we queued outside it about 3 times a week and more if we had the money and of course there was a Saturday morning club which terrified me at first–a 6 year old from a shelterd home in Coventry, but I soon learned to scuffle, and push and yell as loudly as the rest. The queues were enormous and sometimes we drifted to the Picturedrome which was nicknamed the ‘cornick’. Ifound out some years later that it had been the old corn exchange. The fist film Isaw there was ‘The maid of the mountains’ it was in sepia.
Anyone remember the ‘Atherstone News’newspaper?. When did it close.
September 27th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
My late grandfather (Sidney Barnes) was a keen photographer who photographed and collected many pictures of Atherstone.
Some of these were displayed at the Atherstone Gala show a few years back.
I believe I have a picture of the Regal Cinema if you would like to see it.
September 29th, 2007 at 6:12 am
Have you by any chance any photos of The White Lion Pub, which was on Long Street/Station Street, Atherstone in c1817. My 9xGreat Grandad owned the pub at this time. He also owned a Bakery which I assume was adjacent to the Pub. This information being taken from the Will of my Ancestor, George Biddle b.1740/d.28.03.1818. Any information would be very much appreciated.
October 8th, 2007 at 10:59 am
Iam still hoping to hear whether anyone remembers ‘THE ATHERSTONE NEWS’ and when it closed
It was also used as headquarters for the billiting officer for evacuees during the war.
October 25th, 2007 at 9:45 am
cathidaw:
The closest I can get to finding the close of the Atherstone News is 27th Match, 1959. The following week the paper was the Atherstone News and Herald, the last edition of which appears to have been 1st April, 1966.
December 14th, 2007 at 6:31 am
I have a set of drawings by Harold S Scott for a Regal Cinema in Bradford on Avon(Wilts)for thwe Regal Bradford on Avon Ltd which was never built, dated 1936. If any one is interested I could get a copy to forward.
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:27 am
I am trying to find the name of the man who used to advertise cinema spares in the 60’s and 70’s and used the regal atherstone as his address
August 17th, 2008 at 2:30 am
can anyone in atherstone remember the building oppersite the regal cinema whitch
used to sell 16mm films if so can you tell
me what happened to all the films
thank you
michael
January 20th, 2009 at 3:42 am
In answer to Malcolm Crow’s query, the small ads which appeared in Kine Weekly which he refers to said “Sankey, Regal, Atherstone” as his business address. He was quite well known in the trade I gather.
March 20th, 2009 at 5:50 am
The Regal was indeed built on the site of the old workhouse. In 1928, due to carer problems an aunt of mune was temporarily incarcerated in the Infirmary department. The ward was bleak and almost inhumane,- it needed to be closed. Mr Richards (a kind man) was Workhouse Master. I attended with his son at the Boys’ school in Arden Hill, Headmaster Mr W Essam.The earlier cinema (The “Cornic”) was in the Corn Rxchange at
the corner of “Dog Lane” and Long Street owner Mr John Briggs; silent films, wooden benches,monkey nut shells,smell of oranges, rising seats at sides of projection box, known as the Chicken Run -all very dusty and basic. We saw Tom Mix, Jack Oxey and Charlie Chaplin. Admission for Saturday kids 2d, reduced to 1d in the 1926 strike. In the strike the Cornic got a rival in the shape of Holloway’s Travelling Theatre (The Blood Tub)erected near the New Bridge and the Park gates, accessed via the cattle arch. They showed much the same, but for 1d one got a free strip of liqorice. The Blood Tub did not survive the depression and Mr Teddy Holloway spent his last days chopping up the timber and hawking it around the town as firewood. Mr Ernest Hallam, local wit, who wrote as “Will o’ the Wisp” in the Atherstone News (Published by Baxters, Long Stret) lamented that the “smellies” would be invented before Atherstone got the “talkies” However in 1928/9 Johnson’s coaches ran to the Hippodrome, Nuneaton where I saw Al Jolson in “The Singing Fool” I attended the firat showing at the Regal.It was a Saturday Matinee, free admission with a cup of tea and a cake. Normal lowest admission fee was 6d. It did great business at once, and during and after the war but succumbed to the “Tele”. The Cornic was refurbished and survived for some time as “The Picturedrome”
September 12th, 2009 at 4:04 am
I only remember the Cornic during the war. The wooden seats had gone, and it was quite comfortable. The projectionists could be reached from the main street up some steep twisted steps. We kids often crept up the steps-the doors were open as it must have been hot in that small space-to have a peep but got shouted at to ‘gerraaht’ which of course made us worse, and clattered up the steps more often.It was a bit more expensive than the Regal.Ibelonged to the Saturday morning club at the Regal. It was ‘Threppunse’–remember the hexagonal 3d -bits.
My sister an I were the last evacuees to leave Atherstone, and also the longest ’serving’. 1939-45
I loved it there after a bad start although I always knew from a little child that if I had been indigenous there would be no future-career wise -for us-only the hat factories or perhaps if extremely lucky -a job in a shop there. One of my friend’s sister got a job in a dress shop called Kinghorns very grand( ‘gowns and mantles’ it said on the shop front) and it was the talk of the area.She had to wear black and all the neighbours rallied round. Later of course came the shoe factory-hooray!
Ihad so much freedom to roam the countryside -which was beautiful then, and was very unhappy when I went back home to Coventry to a very different stricter life.
The war was bad -yes- but being evacuated and having that experience has made me who I am now.
I- and my sister-often wonder what kind of people we would have become if it had been otherwise. Not worse as people of course ,but we were ambitious.
One day I shall finish my book about some of my experiences.
December 28th, 2009 at 6:57 am
I have no memories of Atherstone myself,having never been there.But I do have family connections with Atherstone.I am a decendant of Teddy Holloway.Teddy was the brother of Horace Holloway who owned the Prince of wales portable theatre.The family can be traced back to the early 19th century in the theatre business and Horace Holloways was the last of them.The theatre finally closed its doors at atherstone in 1935.It was a sad time for the family.Money was tight but Horace was a true fighter and would of continued in his family profession had it not been for the local council.
A newspaper article of the time recalls how nine months previous ‘Holloway’s Travelling theatre and the six trim caravans which housed members of the family arrived at Atherstone.The theatre was erected and the caravans were parked on a plot of land adjoining the Kings Head Inn at Grendon,on the outskirts of the town.Horace Holloway paid a weekly rental for the plot of land and the family settled down for the season’.It appears that all went well for quite a while.The theatre and caravans had become something of a local landmark with brightly painted woodwork and gleaming brass.It came as a bit of a surprise to the Holloways and the locals that the Atherstone Rural council had decided the theatre must go.The reason being that Horace was summoned by the complaint of Samuel Beck,the Sanitary inspector of the Atherstone Council,who applied for an order under the Public Health Act.The order was made which only gave the Holloways until October of face eviction.The argument was that the six caravans had no drainage or lavatories.The fact was that the plot of land where the Holloways had camped had two drains on it.Water was Provided at the Inn.There was no problems between the Holloways or the Locals,and they were very much respected by the local people.There had not been any previous complaints and even the sanitary inspectors remarked on the caravans being ‘beautifully clean’.But dispite a valliant fight from Horace Holloway the council had decided that the Holloways must go,and they were determined to get rid of them.Horace said that’You might as well put me up against a wall and shoot me’ when what emounted to the order of eviction was made against him.The last performance in the Prince of Wales Theatre was on the 14th of May 1935 of the play,Her only child.After all the problems the family faced the Warwickshire council now also refused to renew the licence for the travelling theatre which ment that it could not be relocated,or used as a theatre again.It deprived the family of any means of a livelihood.The Holloways decided to battle on.Two of Horaces daughters took jobs as domestic servants and a son gained employment at Atherstone.Parts of their wages were sent home.Horace eventually went into business as a chopped wood merchant.Felled trees were brought into the theatre where they were chopped up.Horace who had once gracefully paced the stage now paced the streets of Atherstone selling fire wood which had been sawn and chopped in his theatre.A representative of the John Ball(I assume a local paper),’visited the Holloways found the caravans in perfect order,everthing that the sanitary inspector had been forced to admit was beautifully clean.There was nothing to indicate the supposed ‘nuisance’ on account of which the Holloways were being banished from Atherstone’.Horace Holloway spoke to the John Bull representative telling him in a voice something of the ring of henry Irving’s,’I shall stay on my pitch with my portable theatre,my family and my caravans around me untill they eject me’.He went on to say ‘We have committed no nuisance,and we live in conditions which are more healthy and sanitary than are many houses in this town.Yet they have decided to hound us out of the town.This is a travesty of justice.’
The people of Atherstone sided with the Holloways and were loud in expressing their sympathy with the family.Local feeling was that if the magistrates had themselves made a personal inspection the origonal order would of never been made.A local M.P ,Mr Alfred Denville also took up on the case on the Holloways behalf,and the showmans guild of great britain was also investigating the case.The local paper even said that ‘There is certainly evidence that the Holloways are the victims of cruel circumstances,That is why we now appeal most urgently to the local magistrates to review the whole facts of the case,and end this injustice without further delay’.It appears that the Holoways lost and the theatre never opened its doors again.Written in pencil on the photo copy of the newspaper I have it is clearly written’What do you think about this.Not bad for a lad?What a life for a bit of bread and cheese’.I assume this was written by Horace himself.Horace Holloways wife ,Annie died a year later in 1936 at Atherstone and was buried there.Teddy(Edward)Holloway mentioned in another post died with his brother Horace at his side in 1940,he was buried at Chasetown.Horace himself eventually died in 1946 at Chase Terrace,but he was buried at Atherstone.I assume he was buried with his wife,but deep down I feel he had much respect for the people of Atherstone who had stood by his side and wished to remain there.A stone was erected for Horace and his wife,but I have not had the chance to visit it.I would be grateful if anyone could help with any more information on Horace Holloway and his family,and even the Prince of Wales theatre.
January 9th, 2010 at 3:34 am
For Anthony Lee.
How wonderful to have such a full account from a member of the family. Thank you.
There is a photo of members of the theatre in a book called ‘ Atherstone through the Lens’ published some years ago and now out of print. If we can get in contact I can tell you how to get a copy of the photo.
For other researchers- In the same book there are photos of some of the Yards. Also photos of the yards on the website of the Nuneaton & North Warwickshire Family History Society.
January 10th, 2010 at 11:34 am
I am also a decendant of the Holloways and would love to know a bit more about them. I believe that my branch of the Holloways had the Empire travelling theatre, but I understand that they were probably from the same family originally. If anyone has information about the Holloways, please let me know. My email address is louise_anne_jones@yahoo.co.uk
I would be particularly interested to hear from Anthony Lee if you read this!