Author Topic: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay  (Read 218890 times)

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Offline Ian

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #180 on: July 12, 2015, 08:46:44 am »
In the 70s/80s there were two rather good cinemas in the area.  The Rhos playhouse was one and retained the capacity to show a good film brightly on a big screen.  But the best was in Colwyn Bay's West end, where the original cinema had been converted into a bingo hall downstairs and a cinema up.

That was an outstanding conversion. The colossal screen was set back from the front row of the steeply raked seating, and 16 channel sound was installed, ensuring not only an immersive experience for the patrons but with the best viewing angles of anywhere.  Naturally, it was too good to last and was sold for retirement flats.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline DVT

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #181 on: July 12, 2015, 09:29:45 am »
I stand corrected - it was the Rhos Playhouse I was referring to, not the Princess which was in Colwyn Bay where the petrol station is now on Princess Drive.

My reference to midnight horror films, and motor sport films, does refer to the Rhos Playhouse.  George Lee was a member of North Wales Car Club and his son often competed on rallies.

Thanks to SteveH for putting me right!


Offline Hugo

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #182 on: July 12, 2015, 11:08:23 am »
DVT,   I think that the Princess Cinema is now Wetherspoons in Princess Drive.   I'm not too familiar with the Bay so I don't know if there was a cinema where the garage is now.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #183 on: July 12, 2015, 11:32:39 am »
DVT,   I think that the Princess Cinema is now Wetherspoons in Princess Drive.   I'm not too familiar with the Bay so I don't know if there was a cinema where the garage is now.
Some info from the Civic Soc.
Former Princess Cinema, Princes Drive
This building, now a JD Wetherspoon pub, was built as a cinema in the 1920s. It was named the Princess Picture Theatre, later the Princess Cinema.
efore it was built, there was a small wood in the area to the right of the building. Several times each year, a travelling cinema would set up there, and films would be projected onto a temporary screen in the open air.

For over 40 years the Princess Cinema was owned and managed by Mr Kenyon and his son George. At one stage they owned this and the Cosy Cinema on Conway Road, and employed one projectionist who would run up and down Penrhyn Road changing the reels of film in both cinemas! During the Second World War, when the Ministry of Food was located in the town, the cinema was exceptionally busy. There were a matinee every Wednesday and Saturday and two performances each evening. It was closed every Sunday.

The Princess Cinema closed in 1981 and was converted into a bingo hall. There are no longer any cinemas in Colwyn Bay, but 30 years ago there were four in the town. The Odeon and Arcadia are both demolished, but the former Cosy Cinema is now home to Matthews' hardware store.
With thanks to Graham Roberts, of Colwyn Bay Civic Society

Offline Gwynant

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #184 on: July 12, 2015, 12:01:22 pm »
                      I think that the name of the cinema that DVT mentioned which was on the site of the petrol station in Princess Drive, Colwyn Bay was the Wedgewood (formerly the Arcadia), which is also remembered for Genesis playing there in 1971. I can remember that very close by in those days were two big garages, Chester Engineering, the Vauxhall/Bedford main dealers, and also Hollingdrakes, the Standard/Triumph and Jaguar main dealers of that time.

Offline DVT

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #185 on: July 12, 2015, 01:02:56 pm »
Thanks Gwynant - you're correct it was the Arcadia/Wedgwood and there was Hollindrakes Srandard/Triumph dealers in the 60's.  I worked in Zurich Insurance which was in Marine Road, opposite what was the Odeon from 1965 to 1969.

Offline DaveR

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #186 on: July 12, 2015, 05:46:07 pm »
My Dad worked in Chester Engineering back in the 1970s.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #187 on: July 12, 2015, 07:23:21 pm »
Two school pic's ........from the Secondary school , Colwyn Bay....

The first one is approx 1934.......no details

The second is taken from the school magazine "The Colwynian"   summer 1937   The school gymnastic team.
There are lists of entrants in various competitions,........I can check if you are looking for family members, I have found my father in both photos.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #188 on: July 12, 2015, 07:28:40 pm »
Another earlier group photo from Rhos.....My Grt Grandfather and a very young grandmother on the left.


Offline DaveR

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #189 on: July 13, 2015, 01:01:27 pm »
Interesting documentary about the recent history of Colwyn Bay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1le5tXu4wY

Offline SteveH

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #190 on: July 13, 2015, 01:36:25 pm »
Interesting documentary about the recent history of Colwyn Bay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1le5tXu4wY
Very good find D. lots of lessons to be learned....and some good links from that site $good$

Offline Michael

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #191 on: July 13, 2015, 08:28:31 pm »
   Going back a dozen or more posts----double seats in the back row of the Princess Cinema. Later post corrected this.
    Lucky for the writer that Mr Kenyon the owner has long since died. He would have had your guts for garters. Never mind a cuddle in the back row, you didn't even get past Mr Kenyon's stare if you failed to be wearing a collar and tie. And the tie had to be straight. Otherwise you didn't get in at all. Full stop.

Offline DaveR

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #192 on: July 14, 2015, 09:33:39 am »
the best was in Colwyn Bay's West end, where the original cinema had been converted into a bingo hall downstairs and a cinema up. That was an outstanding conversion. The colossal screen was set back from the front row of the steeply raked seating, and 16 channel sound was installed, ensuring not only an immersive experience for the patrons but with the best viewing angles of anywhere.  Naturally, it was too good to last and was sold for retirement flats.
It was originally built as the ODEON by J. Arthur Rank, then sold off to Hutchinson Leisure Group in the late 60s, who renamed it the ASTRA. I remember how large the auditorium was, even through the original Stalls area had been converted into a Bingo Hall. Saw Star Wars and the Empire Strikes Back there.

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Offline DaveR

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #193 on: July 14, 2015, 09:35:50 am »
                      I think that the name of the cinema that DVT mentioned which was on the site of the petrol station in Princess Drive, Colwyn Bay was the Wedgewood (formerly the Arcadia), which is also remembered for Genesis playing there in 1971. I can remember that very close by in those days were two big garages, Chester Engineering, the Vauxhall/Bedford main dealers, and also Hollingdrakes, the Standard/Triumph and Jaguar main dealers of that time.
The Petrol Station occupies the site of Chester Engineering. The Wedgewood Cinema was where the one storey extension to the Post Office now is.

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Offline SteveH

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Re: Rhos On Sea & Colwyn Bay
« Reply #194 on: July 15, 2015, 02:26:07 pm »
I have a copy of "The Operatic Players" Pirates of Penzance 1928 production in the Pier Pavilion Colwyn Bay.
I am sorry you cannot see it, but it comes under the heading "they don't make them like they used to" it is 76 pages of info on the membership,photos, casts and officers not to mention the local advertisers of that year and cost 6p.
I have scanned some pages and once again if anyone wants further info please let me know, you might find your grandparents as I did, (there are other cast photos)

I did find out that one of the founder members, was the grandfather of Terry Jones ...Monty python fame
Born on 1st February in Colwyn Bay, Terry Jones is a patron of Theatr Colwyn, a historic theatre that has recently been re-furbished.
Terry’s grandparents used to run the Colwyn Bay Amateur Operatic Society, staging Gilbert and Sullivan concerts on the Pier every year and so Terry is stirring up a family tradition in being part of today’s Colwyn Bay entertainment scene.
Whilst at Oxford University, Terry met up with Michael Palin and formed an internationally known writing team that brought us such popular programmes as The Late Show and the Frost Review. From here, a coming together with John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman and Eric Idle occurred to produce a show that is still loved across the world.
A Writer, Director and Performer, he not only has a taste for the stage but is also a well acknowledged expert on medieval history.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2020, 02:49:53 pm by Ian »