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View Full Version : Archived: Glen Royal Cinema, Shipley April 2010



sqwasher
05-09-2010, 05:51 PM
History and timeline borrowed from this excellent article:
www.kingsdr.demon.co.uk/cinemas/shipley/ glenro.htm

Originally built during 1932 by The Shipley Picture House Company (later the Glenroyal Cinema Company) and opened on 5th September 1932. The building cost was £25,000 and was designed to seat 1200 people.
It was designed by the Manchester architect Ernest Dawson, LRIBA, FSI, AMSA. Externally the building had a front facade 130 feet long with a wrought iron and glass canopy along its full length. This massive frontage also housed five self contained small shop units.
The cinema internally had a rear balcony that seated 350 people including a number of two person seats for those wanting to sit that bit closer! The balcony was made of reinforced concrete and steel capable of withstanding 18 tons dead weight on its weakest point.
The stage had a 30-feet wide proscenium arch around the screen,with the remaining seats in the stalls being on a 1:12 gradient.

The projection 'suite' was infact a number of different rooms seperated from the main cinema by a 14 inch (35.5cm) thick wall for fire safety puposes due to the dangers of the nitrate film material used. This suite of rooms included the projection room, rewind room and rectifier room. The projectors were Kalee projectors made by A Kershaw and Son, Leeds.

The Glenroyal closed as a cinema on the 8th December 1962, it was then bought by Eckhart's Star Cinemas of Leeds who converted it into the Glen Casino (some of who's signs were in the roof areas) which opened on the 8th January 1963. The name later changed to EMI Bingo and Social Club in 1974 and lasted until the premises closed in 1982. .
After 8 years without use the building re-opened, under new ownership, as Walkers Bingo. Prior to the opening a suspended ceiling was put in at front circle level right across to the stage area. This suspended ceiling 'sealed off' the balcony and projection suite area of the building. Later the freehold building was bought by King's Leisure for use as King's Bingo and Social Club.Some of their old signs were found in the roofspace too!

The building closed once again in January 2005 and has remained closed since. Plans have been submitted to demolish the former cinema and build a £7m apartment complex by a Saltaire company.The building is the target of a project by Beckwith Design Associates who would demolish the present building & build a new complex including 78 flats, with shops or leisure facilities on the ground floor. A plan has been submitted to Bradford Council.
Much damage has occured inside the building with grafetti and vandalism throughtout the stalls area. Some of the false ceiling has been pulled down and there was evidence of flooding at some point. Luckily the idiots who have damaged this building have (so far) not reached the darker parts of the building which includes the balcony, projection suite and roof areas. These
parts are undoubtedly the highlights for any discerning explorer and certainly our highlights during our visit.

Streetside view
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4526300278_43e814de72.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4526300278/)

Foyer
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4525667307_5a8df191bd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4525667307/)

The main area
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2152/4510513377_0b454d3af0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4510513377/)

The original screen arch
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4526287770_78d7ee4f1d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4526287770/)

The original seating still intact on the balcony
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4526293324_4017b618b1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4526293324/)

Looking towards the rear of the balcony
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4525658707_be2510bfd0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4525658707/)

Moving behind the scenes-the projection room
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4510495623_6cd6b1d3fd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4510495623/)

No 1 projector
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2297/4511142898_d0f7215334.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4511142898/)

Spotlight
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2583/4511139350_d81636f1a2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4511139350/)

Film storage
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2690/4511138250_df51a474d0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4511138250/)

Mercury Valve Rectifier
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2025/4511146992_13268214a0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4511146992/)

Switching
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4511148420_626f6cdc53.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4511148420/)

Rewinding/editing room
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2269/4510486779_437e9c43fd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4510486779/)

Old signage
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/4511131886_d3ed05a8c8.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4511131886/)

Ice-cream anyone?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2720/4510489227_ddd734b15b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4510489227/)

Lovely decay
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2011/4510482115_53ec662cc2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4510482115/)

Ignoring the sign...it was time to leave
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2155/4510484489_eef76f82ef.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/4510484489/)

Even more pics on my Flickr pages....cheers for looking!:thumb

freebird
05-09-2010, 05:52 PM
I can't believe that we haven't posted this explore until now.:rolleyes: I think we must both be suffering from early onset dementia! :lol: As it happens it was an explore to remember too and I have a scar to prove it. At the beginning of the explore I managed to acquired a nice slash to my leg which could have easily seen me in A & E and took absolutely ages to heal! The place itself was trashed inside but amazingly the projection room was still in good nick so was by far the most interesting room in there. It was also nice to see some love seats still in situ. Here are my pics from the explore:-

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4570880412_c61f0a81b5_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4570880412/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4569456457_f824f14115_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4569456457/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4570093618_995936bbe8_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4570093618/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3516/4570093106_725fb673e8_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4570093106/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4569454351_1ef463123d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4569454351/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4570090104_1a062b83f0_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4570090104/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3451/4569450603_c6d6801e0a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4569450603/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4570086136_d8dc01635e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4570086136/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4569446103_329e93d974_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4569446103/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4570083790_8da4620710_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4570083790/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4569444607_cdb2fe146c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4569444607/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4570081782_190115e5e1_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4570081782/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4569441891_0e7695bfd7_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4569441891/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4569443221_c93ebc0217_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4569443221/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3422/4569446893_1b71d297d0_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4569446893/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/4570085758_dd0d187ce4_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4570085758/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4570076952_9490a138bd_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird_ubx/4570076952/)

Thanks for looking! :thumb