Odeon Cheltenham

Winchcombe Street,
Cheltenham, GL52 2NE

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DavidSimpson
DavidSimpson on August 14, 2016 at 4:43 pm

‘The Celluloid Ladies’, relief sculptures that flanked the Odeon name on the cinema’s frontage, were saved during demolition. They were restored in August 2015 and have been relocated, with an information plaque, to an outside wall of the town’s Brewery Quarter, which contains the Cineworld and Screening Rooms cinemas. See my photos.

KOOKABURRA63
KOOKABURRA63 on December 30, 2014 at 7:47 pm

This beautiful old building is now sadly gone. I worked as part of the Cheltenham Odeon management team from 1991 – 2005 and when the building was starting to be demolished in the autumn, I managed to secure the old Odeon canopy sign (as seen nearest the camera in Ladygrey’s picture (28/11/10) from a local Bric-a-Brac/antiques shop. When you consider the history of this building (73yrs-old and the birth of ‘Beatlemania’), I feel I have a sentimental bargain

Ladygrey
Ladygrey on October 24, 2014 at 1:53 pm

Please check out my report on the demolition of The Odeon, in the Leisure site section of Derelict Places. www.derelictplaces.co.uk

Ladygrey
Ladygrey on September 17, 2014 at 1:15 pm

The Odeon is still standing – but only just. It is being demolished as we speak.

paulnelson
paulnelson on July 6, 2014 at 5:55 pm

A dramatic art moderne/art deco masterpiece. Tragedy it is gone. What a waste!

Cariad7
Cariad7 on July 6, 2014 at 1:45 pm

Sadly, workmen are currently demolishing this cinema. Originally called the Gaumont, it was a music venue as well a picture house. The Beatles played this venue in the early 1960s. In a couple of weeks it will be gone forever.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on October 31, 2012 at 11:45 am

A picture of the auditorium taken in 1933 can be seen here.

Ladygrey
Ladygrey on November 28, 2010 at 6:53 pm

Another photo of The Odeon, taken in April 1999.

Ladygrey
Ladygrey on November 27, 2010 at 1:33 pm

I have very fond memories of The Odeon, my Mother used to work there as an usherette in the 1970’s. My Brother and I spent many happy hours there watching films and roaming around the cinema – much to the annoyance of an audience that was watching a film that happened to be on at the time! It is a beautiful building and a much missed cinema, it still stands empty.

The following photos, were taken in My 2000 and 2001.
The last photo was taken in August 2010.

woody
woody on September 15, 2009 at 10:23 pm

photos i took in 1988 when it still had a central ODEON sign which made sense of the two figures
exterior
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/70182094/
close up
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/364916124/

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on September 15, 2009 at 3:48 pm

The Gaumont Palace Theatre, photographed in 1933 soon after opening:
View link

woody
woody on September 15, 2009 at 1:30 pm

depressing images here on 28 days later, the auditorium has been gutted, the ceiling gone except for the metal girders
View link

iwrotethis
iwrotethis on December 21, 2006 at 7:41 am

In the light of JMQ’s excellent website, I’m pleased to say I stand corrected: there seems to be much in the way of original features that could be preserved if the building were to be restored to its original state. Here’s hoping…

jmq
jmq on December 13, 2006 at 3:18 pm

Website about the Cheltenham odeon: View link

iwrotethis
iwrotethis on November 6, 2006 at 11:09 am

The Odeon Cheltenham closed down permanently on 5th November 2006. Odeon management cited competition from the nearby Cineworld multiplex as the main cause.

As the building is, architecturally, a shadow of its former self and furthermore has been messily subdivided, it seems inevitable that the land will be sold off and the building destroyed.