Empire Picture Palace
19 Church Street,
Blaenau Ffestiniog,
LL41 3HB
19 Church Street,
Blaenau Ffestiniog,
LL41 3HB
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A very good view of this building can be found on Google Earth street view, without the projecting projection box but with doors and Co-op stone date of erection sign sill visible.
When I visited in March 2017, a local resident told me the former cinema had been used as a squash club until its recent closure.
Post Script. That is how I ended up with most of the pics… I have put on here.. plus ABc’s Head office visits :o)
Was In Birmingham. Capitol and Plaza Stockand Green.. and the last one.. Savoy Theatre Monmouth… Monmouth I retired 2007 Family had Theatre – Cinema Interests from 1890’s onwards.. Based in Walsall..
I saw a news item on Welsh tv when there was local interest in trying to reopen it, but nothing came of that, I was told by our service engineer that equipment had been installed, as I beleive Moore had inquired to him about parts. Whereabouts are your cinemas Mike ?
I seen the interior of Cinema After the Arrest of Peter Moore.. I had the Job of retrieving all the Film Prints for the film renters from all of MOORES cinemas. All it need was a Westrex Tower and it could have opened.. But I think it would have been a total waste of time doing so… I had considered Holyhead but this was to g=far from my other Cinema Interests
Pity we cannot make out the films displayed on the posters.
Thanks for the picture Mike, I’ve never been inside the building but I did know of the overhanging projection box.I had wondered if it may have been the extension on the right (although it’s not in the centre) I had no idea of the length ot the auditorium and although the slate roof comes down the other end it has to be longer than that. I’d like to go inside, but Blaenau is not a town I often visit,because it’s not a place you have to go near when travelling from Pwllheli to other places. if you know what I mean,I’m sure it’s still unused.
I have loaded a picture of the Empire showing the overhanging Projection Box
Guys, Enough is enough of this personal squabble. The last 10 comments have nothing to do with the Empire Picture Palace, so please get back onto subject.
Then why do you seek to tell people your version as though it has to be believed as you are telling it? and if you are not on the site to throw insults why do you? I went out of my way to pleasantly tell you of your mistake over the projection box only to get insulted! And this by someone who had never been to the cinema!
We went to the archives in Caernarfon when we celebrated the cinema’s 75th aniversary in 1986, I was also there for the 50th in 1961. Why so hostile with words such as ‘pontifcating'I’m sure you will want to answer this again, so I’ll let you have the last word as I will not be carrying on with this matter.I’m not on this site to throw insults at people we’re all here to help each other,correcting contributor’s is fine but not through belittling people.It’s also supposed to be against the sites rules
You really should do more research before you pontificate! Try looking back at old issues of the Caernarfon & Denbigh Herald as I have done for the TRUE facts instead of imagining what you think you heard in the dim distant past! Also lots of cinemas only registered under the act long after they had opened.
Also one surely cannot class halls as being cinemas just because of the odd travelling film show,any hall could have held these,& as I stated before Pwllheli is celebrating it’s centenery as a fully registered cinema this year.
I Was not writing about any Neuadd Goffa, but Neuadd Dwyfor Pwllheli,which you yourself stated quite rightly on the appropriate page opened in 1902.I worked longer in this building than any person living or now dead, and please no quips that I must have been there in 1902 ! !.
Afraid you have your facts wrong! Neuadd Goffa opened in 1900 and played host to several travelling Fil shows prior to having permanent lessees, cinema wise.
Neuadd Goffa was the host to several travelling film shows prior to 1910, prior to it permanently hosting film shows!
Neuadd dwyfor did not start until 1911, It will be celebrating it’s centenary as a cinema this year.
The 1909 act dealt only with the need to isolate the box from the audience so that any fire could not spread from the inflammable film into the auditorium, it did not specify the size of the box. Because of the problem of building ‘new'boxes in existing venues owners took advantage of this. Remember that Neuadd Dwyfor preceeded that act as a cinema!
Being a projectionist I of course know all about the old fire regulations, which were still enforced for many years after the demise of the highly inflammable nitrate fims, and yet the present isolated box at Neuadd Dwyfor Pwllheli was not built until 1930, to accomodate the advent of sound equipment (2 projectors etc)
The strange thing is that the projection booth during the silent days was at the back of the stalls under the balcony, it looks no bigger than a telephone kiosk and certainly not as high as one. I’ve often wondered how this was legal.
The original projection box had nothing to do with the length of throw, but the 1909 cinematograph act that required the projection box to be seperated from the audience in case of fire! One of the Wrexham cinemas had a similar overhanging box, I can’t remember which offhand.
I wasn’t disputing Capelmawr’s comment’s, I was just explaining that I thought it could have been the projection booth, as I did not know the length of the building from the road to the back.
It would be nice if he could send the picture on to this site, although I’m myself am having difficulty inserting them since the Cinema Treasures changed it’s format.
If Mr Evans lets me have his e-mail address I will send him a copy of my photo with the box in place so he can see for himself!
Like I said I was only wondering, and from the picture the building looks long enough,It’s not possible to see the length from the road to the back without visiting the site, which Capelmawr has done.
There are cinemas with the main doors on the side of the buildng, such as the former Luxor Menai Bridge.
Mr Evans is mistaken, the overhanging projection box was , as stated at the front of the building “overhanging the street” not at the side of the building. If it was the latter it would be the only cinema where films were shown sideways to the audience.