Taylor

Mr Philip Taylor starts to operate cinemas in 1935 with the Town Hall St Columb Major and
expands his operations in September 1937 by first taking over the long established Palace
in Hayle and in the same month St Agnes Regal and St Mawes Rosefield Hall. It is known
that the Town Hall St Columb was a non-flam cinema, and so most likely running on 16mm.
It is believed that both St Agnes and St Mawes were being run part time and so may also
have been run at this time on 16mm.

In December 1937 Cornwall Cinemas (Newquay) Ltd is formed. With the outbreak of war,
Mr Taylor's company gradually builds up additional cinemas during the war years. It would
seem that struggling operators passed cinemas to Mr Taylors company to operate during
the war.

These cinemas were Delabole Regal from J H Wills, Mevagissey Town Hall and St Dennis
Plaza from Frank Elgar, Cinedrome's Padstow and Wadebridge, Perranporth Palace from
W Dowling and Torpoint Regal from Bertha Strutt. By 1945 Mevagissey, St Columb Major
and St Mawes were closed, all three probably 16mm part time cinemas.

On 20th December 1945 the licences of the remaining cinemas were passed to the
individual cinema managers suggesting either the end of the company or its arrangements
to operate the cinemas. These would gradually be taken by other operators.

The Palace Hayle was taken by John E Taylor of Taylor Enterprises Ltd in the 1950s but no
known connection with Philip Taylor. Philip Taylor continues to operate St Agnes Regal
under the name Roseland Halls Ltd, perhaps obtained during his days running St Mawes
Roseland Hall cinema and also the Regal Torpoint.

The Torpoint cinema was passed from a Phil Taylor to Robert Ainsworth on 2.10.1973 and
there ended Mr Taylor's involvement with cinemas in Cornwall.

Geoffrey Charles Gibbs Taylor born 1912 in Dorset, set up Cornwall Cinemas (Newquay)
Ltd with his brother. They also toured during the war with a mobile cinema entertaining the
troops. In the 1960s Geoff moved to London then to Milton Keynes where he was active in
the local community. After his death in May 1991 the Geoff Taylor Educational Trust was
formed in his memory and still runs in Milton Keynes today.

Cornwall Cinemas (Newquay) Ltd head had the following directors: GCG Taylor (MD), LR
Taylor, PEG Taylor, MHW Mitchell, GFG Pollard.

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