Links Camborne Scala Camborne Kings Launceston Tower Newquay Pavilion Newquay Victoria Penzance Savoy Penzance Regal Plymouth Mayflower Redruth Gem Redruth Regal Shirehampton Savoy Truro Plaza
	Albert Jackson Withers Cornwall Circuit Ltd
		Albert Jackson Withers of the Pavilion, Abertillery, was a major player in cinemas in Wales and the South West of England.  His expansion was chiefly through the takeover of key circuits such as Sound & Movement Cinemas in Cornwall, South Wales Cinemas, Cardiff Cinemas and Gwent & West of England Cinemas.  In total he managed 16 different cinema companies and over 50 cinemas. This was all financed by Sir Julian Hodge, well known South Wales Businessman and philanthropist who was born in Camberwell on 15.10.1904 and died 18.07.2004 aged 99 in Jersey.  He was Managing Director of all the Jackson Withers companies who he first established in 1937 as Hodge Group of Companies and financed through Carlyle Trust Group.  With this expansion Albert Jackson Withers had soon moved to 17 Park Place, Cardiff.  Cardiff was the centre for film booking for the region. The Cornwall Circuit Ltd comprised the Cornish cinemas of Sound & Movement Cinemas Ltd: Camborne, Scala & Kings, Newquay Pavilion & Victoria, Penzance Savoy & Regal, Redruth Gem & Regal and Truro Plaza.  Early closures came in the form for Gem Redruth and Regal Penzance both 1955 and Camborne Scala about 1959.  The only cinema to be added was Launceston Tower, which was on bingo with the Kings Camborne and Victoria Newquay when at the end of 1976 the Rank Organisation bought all of the Jackson Withers cinemas in a landmark deal.  This may have been the only notable takeover by the Rank Organisation of a competitor since the war. The deal comprised the following buildings: Bingo Halls, former cinemas: Gaiety, Regent and Ninian, Cardiff Pavilion Pontypool Palace Abertillery Kings Camborne Victoria Newquay Mayflower Plymouth Tower Launceston Savoy Shirehampton Maxime Blackwood - with two cinema screens Hanbury Bargoed - cine/bingo Olympia Tredegar - cine/bingo Cinemas operating: Monico Cardiff Albert Hall & Carlton Swansea Windsor Neath Savoy Penzance Plaza Truro Regal Redruth Camelot Newquay Palace Bargoed It would seem this takeover by Rank was not for contol of the cinemas but the bingo halls as the cinemas were very soon sold or leased on to other operators. Further reading: www.julianhodgebank.com/group/sirjulianhodge.asp Do you know more about this operator?  Let me know

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