Cornwall Cinema Gazetteer

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WADEBRIDGE

Town Hall

Wadebridge Town Hall was erected in 1888 on The Platt.  The architect was C F Collins, and the Great Hall was 70' by 30' with a gallery.  There were two dressing rooms and an 18' deep stage.  The proscenium was 20' wide.  Films were shown throughout the 1920s.  The operation closed when the Cinedrome opened.  It was operated by J H Wills.

Cinedrome ~ Regal

The Cinedrome opened in January 1931 with 725 seats on one floor.  The operator was William Edgar Pope.  The sound system chosen was Morrison but was changed to Pareko by 1935.  The proscenium width was 30'.  Ownership changed to Cornwall Cinemas (Newquay) Ltd on 27th September 1943 and the name was changed to Regal on 14th February 1945.  Live shows were often put on as the Regal had good stage facilities and in the 1960s and 1970s the cinema had BTH - British Thomson Houston, magnetic sound capabilities.

The architect for the Cinedrome was O P Bevan FFAS of Bargoed, Glamorgan.  The plans for this building reveal that many of the exterior walls were already standing.  The facade was slightly art deco in inspiration.  There were 4 entrance doors at the centre with a decorative surround.  To either side were two small windows and a single door to the left accessed the projection box set on the ground floor.  On each corner of the facade were lamp standards.  The auditorium was rectangular and only had a slight rake.   The screen was set mid stage.  Entering the foyer the projection box was straight ahead so the foyer goes all around it.  Due to the river running down the right of the property a wrought iron gangway was fixed over the river to access the boiler room.  Alterations took place, plans dated January 1953 by Sydney Gregson FRIBA, were to widen the stage and insert dressing rooms on either side.  The stage and proscenium was brought forward by approximately 5'.  The screen was placed at the front of the stage, and an orchestra area added in the auditorium. On 30th January 1967 David Williams of WTW Cinemas took over and has operated the cinema ever since.   The cinema was twinned May 1986 a second screen being created in the old stage area.  Screen 1 has 224 seats and is equipped with Dolby Digital, DTS and SDDS.  Screen 2, seats 98 with Dolby SR.  Both screens are air-conditioned. This cinema, along with the Cinedrome at Padstow, also ran by WTW, serve a large rural population of North Cornwall, the only other cinema is at Bude.  The cinema is very well run and although modernised, has a traditional feel to it.

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