Faded glory in Conway ………….. the Palace Cinema

Now I  like it when you get a chance to get a look inside a cinema which closed its doors ages ago.

It’s that mix of getting to see what has been hidden from view, with the chance of discovering a cinematic gem.

I have never been to the Palace Cinema in Conway, but lots of people will have, and will remember with fondness sitting in the darkened auditorium watching a film or playing Bingo.

So, this is for all those who on a wet Monday afternoon in Conway spent a few hours in the company of Ginger Rogers, and James Bond or despaired as Mrs. Trellis got a full bingo card for the third time, before anyone else.

The place has featured on the blog, which included one of Any Robertson’s pictures, and a bit of its history.*

It opened in 1936, closed in the 1980s and for a while doubled as a Bingo Hall before going dark in 2012.

And yesterday Andy sent over a collection of new pictures, this time of the interior, taken by his sister in law.

I await the full story of how she got in and what if any plans there are for the cinema.

Leaving me just to reflect on the faded glory of the Palace, and a link to another short history of the place, which offers up some snippets on the buildings which wee lost wen the picture house was built.**

Location; Conway,

Pictures; inside the Palace Cinema, Conway, courtesy of  Gwen Roberts and Eunice Long

*A little bit of cinema history …….. in Conway, where they do it well, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-little-bit-of-cinema-history-in.html

**Former Palace Cinema, Conwy, https://historypoints.org/index.php?page=former-palace-cinema-conwy

A little bit of cinema history …….. in Conway, where they do it well

One of the great bonuses of my friendship with Andy Robertson is the wonderful collection of pictures he has stored away in the collection.

Yesterday we were having a conversation about his love affair with Stockport, and then out of the blue he remembered the Palace cinema in Conway, and with an hour of him leaving he sent over this image of the place, with the comment that it had opened in 1936 and closed in the 1980s.

And not wanting to shortchange the picture I went looking in that wonderful cinema resource which is cinema Treasures.*

It is a site I often go to for information and which I have never been disappointed.

Nor was I this time, because according to Ken Roe, the picture palace of dreams and adventures, opened in 1936 with Hugh Williams in "Lieutenant Daring R.N.".

And “of all the cinemas that were built in the U.K. in 1936, the Palace Cinema received the title ‘Cinema of the Year’ and the architect was given a special design award.”

And I can see why because “inside the auditorium was rather plain, but there was a reason for this. The lighting was by Holophane, which was able bathe the auditorium in over 400 tints and hues of colour. There are six silvered columns on each side of the proscenium opening which reflected the lighting. Across the top of the proscenium were panels in silver, which showed the faces of leading film stars of the 1930’s. The ceiling was a plain ‘dome’ which had the Holophane lighting ‘played’ onto it”.  

Now I could go on, but that would be to snaffle Mr. Roe’s research, so instead I shall just leave you with the link and advise you to go and look up the full story of the Palace for yourself.**

Leaving me as ever just to thank Andy, who I notice has now inspired over 500 stories which have used his images.***

Location; High Street, Conway, LL32 8DB

Picture; the Palace cinema, Conway, 2019, from the collection of Andy Robertson

* cinema Treasures, http://cinematreasures.org/

**Palace Cinema, Conway, Ken Roe, cinema Treasures, http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/22947

***Andy Robertson, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search?q=Andy+Robertson&max-results=20&by-date=true