Lets go to the Pictures - TrustNews Sep 16
How many times have we said this in our younger days? Film buff Phil Yates remembers the cinemas of Winchester he attended in years gone by.
The Banqueting Hall of St John’s House on the Broadway was transformed in 1910 into The Palace where Winchester’s first commercial films were shown interspersed with variety acts (the films were very short!). The impresarios were John and James Simpkins who then in 1912 acquired the Market Hotel in Jewry Street which they converted two years later with many additions into the Theatre Royal. This opened on 24 August 1914 as a cine-variety theatre, in which, from 1924, films only were screened. After closure in 1974, the venue reopened in November 1978 as a ‘live’ theatre and has remained so ever since.
The first purpose-built cinema in the city opened on 14 April 1914, conveniently positioned in the High Street and called The Picture House, the building is now occupied by Jack Wills. It closed in March 1936.
The Corn Exchange (now part of the Discovery Centre) in Jewry Street was converted into a theatre in 1915 and after two years transformed into Regent Picture Theatre (again operated by the Simpkins brothers). This ran till September 1935 when the premises were acquired for conversion into the Public Library which opened a year later. Another entertainment centre, comprising of a corrugated-iron building at the Morn Hill army camp, was constructed at the beginning of World War 1 and after the war was transported down to Park Avenue where it opened in 1927 as the New Cinema Theatre.
In 1933 a 1200-seat cinema was built on the site now occupied by Richard Moss Retirement Homes on North Walls. It opened as the Regal but changed its name in 1935 to the Odeon – the only cinema in Winchester to contain a Compton organ. In 1972 the venue was converted into three studio screens with bingo, finally closing in 1989 and subsequently demolished.
The final cinema to open in the city centre was the Ritz in Middle Brook Street. This luxury 1470-seat venue was opened in 1940, but it only lasted 20 years and is now the home of Winchester Family Church.
From 1989 till 1996 Winchester was without a cinema, apart from the occasional screening of films at the Theatre Royal, until the Mainline Picture chain converted Garrison Church in Southgate Street. Built in 1850, the building had been vacant for several years and was tastefully converted into a two-studio cinema opening in February 1996 as The Screen at Winchester. In 2014 the Everyman chain acquired the premises which have recently been converted into two lounge studios.
Obviously I don’t remember The Palace (1910-14) but the others I do! Gone are the days when admission prices were 6d,1/-, 1/6d and 2/- with continuous performances and programmes consisting of the main feature, a second feature, the Gaumont-British or Pathe News and trailers with no adverts. Happy movie-going memories.
On Saturday 10 September, Phil and his team will be conducting free backstage tours of the Theatre Royal. For full details contact the Box office on (01962) 840440 or email theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk. Advance booking essential – limited to 20 per group.