Berkeley

Alan Mason who had worked on early travelling bioscope shows, purchased a portable building from Mr
Collins of Yate and erected it on an area of land called 'Stump's Yard' in 1928. This was Berkeley's first
cinema, taking its power from the hospital. The first film was The Winning of Barbara Worth. The cinema
closed 1932, when he moved the building to Frampton on Severn to become a cinema there.

In 1931 competition for Stump's Yard appeared when Mr & Mrs Barrett who lived in the High Street,
opened a cinema in a building behind their house. As the Barrett's had no experience of running cinemas
and were in competition with Mr Mason, the venture ran into difficulties and Mr Mason arranged to lease
the cinema, closing his existing cinema in 1932.

It was here that the first talking picture appeared in Berkeley, Hit the deck. Mr Mason would go on to buy
both the cinema and the Barrett's house. The cinema was closed in 1938 when Mr Mason opened his new
cinema.

The Berkeley was opened on 10.11.1938 with The Singing Marine.
It had 264 seats, British Acoustic sound and was built by local
builders E W Dimery of Wanswell. Mr Mason had purchased the
land from Alf Stinchcombe on Station Road and in total the
cinema cost £5000. At the front the entrance had a porch
supported on two columns. The stage had red velvet tabs with
the letter 'B' on them.

Mr Mason had been an officer in the First World War and
subsequently the Indian army, so at the outbreak of war was
called up. His wife continued to operate the cinema while he was
absent. Upon his return after the war as Lieutenant Colonel,
they divorced.

During the 1960s and 1970s bingo was added to the programme but the cinema closed in November 1976.
The cinema reopened in August 1977 as other local cinemas had closed at this stage and continued to
operate until August 1982 when its last show was Earthquake & Scared to Death. Mr Mason said at the
time that he had not wanted to close but the combination of video and a lack of family films had spelt the
end. At the time of closure films were shown on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays with bingo on the
other days. Mr Mason died on 25.12.1982 less than 6 months after his old cinema closed. The building
survived for many years as an antiques shop but was finally demolished and replaced with Mason Court, a
block of flats.