Regal Cinema

Church Street,
Staveley, S43 3TL

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: S. Graham Circuit, Wedgewood Cinemas Ltd.

Architects: Reginald William Gaze Cooper

Styles: Art Deco

Previous Names: Wedgewood Cinema

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Regal Cinema

Located in Staveley, near Chesterfield, it is opposite Staveley parish church. The Regal Cinema opened on 10th April 1939 with Edward G. Robinson in “The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse”. It was built for and operated by the Nottingham based S. Graham Circuit. Seating was provided for 588 in the stalls and 220 in the circle. The exterior of the building is plain rustic brick, relieved only by three windows above the canopy, and originally there was a flagpole on each side. Originally there was red neon outlining the building and a ‘Regal’ name sign. A feature of the auditorium was the Art Deco style lighting.

The Regal Cinema was closed on 25th June 1966, the reason stated was ‘due to damage by vandals’. The final film being Sid James in “Carry On Cowboy”.

It remained closed for 13 months, and then was renovated in a blue and white ‘Wedgewood’ style when it was taken over by the Wedgewood Group, and re-opened as the Wedgewood Cinema on 4th September 1967 with Audrey Hepburn in “My Fair Lady”. Unfortunately, this was a short lived venture, and it was closed on 27th December 1969 with The Three Stooges in “Snow White and the Three Clowns”. It was converted into a bingo club which opened on 19th February 1970, operated by by Lucky Seven, then Ladbrokes in the late-1970’s. Finally operated by DeLuxe Bingo Clubs when it was closed in October 2007, due to the introduction of the ban on smoking in public places. The building was then boarded up.

After a refurbishment and being re-seated and re-equipped, it was re-opened on 30th July 2010 as the Regal Cinema, again screening films, the first being “Toy Story 3”. Sadly, audience numbers were poor, and the Regal Cinema was closed in early-January 2011 with “The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Trader”. The building sits vacant & unused in July 2018.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 1 comments)

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on August 13, 2010 at 7:35 pm

A November 2007 photograph of the then recently closed-down bingo club:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonymet/1949179148/

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