BEGINNINGS

The Regal Cinema, Tenbury Wells, monkey banner

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COMPARISON REJECTED
23 February 2010
Regal Cinema Tenbury and Electric Picture House Wotton compared and other letters to Ludlow Advertiser

TRIP TO WOTTON OFFERED
04 February 2010
Hugh O'Neil of Boraston, Tenbury Wells, says this was not the way to run a good cinema.

Students put Tenbury town in the frame for £700k
17 January 2010
Heritage Lottery bid to develop the Regal and other community facilities.

HISTORY

BEGINNINGS

Based on interviews and newspaper reports with grateful thanks to Tenbury Museum. If you can add to or correct any of the history of the Regal Cinema please use the feedback page. LISTEN TO REGAL STORY
The Regal Cinema opened on Thursday July 29th 1937 but the building to which alterations were made in 1936 to construct the foyer, offices and projection room, had stood on the site for many years. The front of the building can be seen in an early photo taken in 1898.
In this picture of 1904 the building looks very much like it does today. If you look closely you can see the awning outside one of the shops.
	The cinema retained its Victorian front with its columns until 1969 when it started to fall down and was rendered over and lost much of its character. It was probably about this time that the regal neon sign was removed.
W A B Ashley who sold 47 and 49 Teme Street to Mr. N J Robson of Craven Cinemas Ltd. is shown as head of the household on the 1911 census aged 39. His father William Ashley was living there in 1881 when WHB (William Henry Barnard) was eight.

	Ernest Robinson of Birmingham, a specialist cinema architect designed the building, his 1936 plans shows a basement and a single pitched roof to replace the double pitched roof over the original building. The single roof was never built as can be seen from the 1939 aerial photo below; the inside of the attics above the foyer still contains old rafters and is in a very poor state of repair.

The pictures above show the old roof supported on the pre-cast concrete construction of 1936. There are some decaying pole beams.

NEW CINEMA.
Mr. Winny, of the firm of Messrs Medlicott and Winny, solicitors for the Craven Arms Cinema Co., addressed the magistrates regarding the proposed cinema to be erected on the site of the present shops, Nos. 47 and 49, Teme Street, Tenbury, belonging to Mr. W. H. B. Ashley. It was proposed to make structural alterations to the existing premises to provide a cinema accommodating 316 persons, the cinema to have a twelve feet entrance, with a booking office, etc., and two lock-up shops. Mr. Roberts, of Birmingham, a specialist in cinema architecture, had drawn up plans which were submitted to the bench for approval. The roof of the cinema was to be covered with sheet asbestos, similar to the cinema at Craven Arms. An exit would be made into Church Walk, and two exits on ground at the rear of the building. Mr. Winny pointed out that the erection of the cinema would not create opposition with the present cinema because this would be closed down, and Mr. A. J. Smith would be the resident manager, and Mr. Robson, who was also the proprietor of the Craven Arms cinema, would be the proprietor. Everything would be done to secure proper safety to patrons, and ample exits supplied.
Supt, Gregory considered the plans were very good, and so long as they compared with the provisions of the Act, the police would approve of them. The exits and entrance appeared to be quite in order.
The magistrates granted provisional approval of the plans. Subject to the approval of the county architect.

Tenbury Advertiser 17th October 1936

The auditorium was purpose built as a cinema, the murals were imaginatively lit by coloured lights set in windows on each side. The red and gold proscenium arch with blue curtains was the focus point for the audience.

THE REGAL CINEMA.
Since the first day that the work of building a new cinema began in Tenbury the whole inhabitants of Tenbury and neighbourhood have watched with great interest the daily proceedings taking place.

On Thursday afternoon a complimentary performance was given before the magistrates of the local Petty Sessions, members of Rural District Council, Parish Council, Police and employees engaged in the building of the Regal.

In the evening there was a queue at opening time and a "full house" witnessed a splendid projection of the announced programme " Everybody Dance " Them Thar Hills" and "Good Little Monkeys." There was a five minutes interval, and with full lighting effect the whole auditorium could be seen and the brilliant work of the artist, Mr. George Legge, appreciated.

Tenbury Advertiser 31st July 1937

The Regal closed as a cinema in 1966; over the next few years several schemes were put forward for use of the site, including demolition to turn it into a car park.
In 1970 The Parish Council held a public meeting to seek consent to purchase the cinema on behalf of the community, work began on plans to use the land behind the cinema for a community centre, to satisfy planning regulations it was necessary to clad a wooden building with brick. The community centre opened on the 7th December 1972.
Other alterations were made to the Regal, the stage was extended forward to make the cinema useable as a theatre and work was necessary to the roof, particularly the part pre-dating 1900.
In 1977 the murals were repainted under the supervision of a local artist and with the help of youngsters sponsored by the Manpower Services Commission, a Government body that made funds available for the wages of young unemployed.

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