Pavilion Cinema

3 new photos added from 1936- Mickey Mouse Club membership card from 1936. The Mickey Mouse Club was County Cinemas children’s Saturday morning cinema club. Aldershot boasted 3 County Cinemas owned houses – Pavilion, Alexandra and Empire cinemas. The Empire was the grandest of the 3 and probably ran its own club.

New photo added.

Architect attributed to be Henry G Baker who also was the architect of the Alexandra Cinema in Aldershot

2 New photos uploaded – auditorium shots

Rare photo added of gala re-opening after the installation of sound 23/06/1930

Newspaper advert for the Pavilion along with the Alexandra Cinema both owned operated and built by County Cinemas

Ken, I’m not so sure about the closure date. I was born in 1956 and can clearly remember a long queue one evening for a performance and the red neon Pavilion sign glowing as I watched from my grandparents home in nearby Church Hill about 1960/61. Maybe it was closed by Rank about that time in 1956 but continued under another operator? I could be wrong but will try and visit Aldershot libraray to view old copies of the Aldershot News and scan the local cinema ads. I can remember going into the Pavilion when it was stripped out and being used by H.P Uglow veg wholesaler. I was given a guided tour and shown all parts of the then ex cinema including the projection box. The balcony front still had the deep red velvet covering in place with poilshed brass rails and the gas lighting was still working in the balcony area.The balcony front was decorated with swags of fibrous plaster decoration. The circle foyer was rather spacious and a flight of curved shallow steps lead to the circle entrance doors. The stalls area was rather long and and you could see that when the seating was in place there had been only 1 central aisle leading to the stage and screen. There was 1 dressing room back stage and the screen frame was still in place minus the screen. The proscenium was square and surrounded by decorative plaster work. The floor rake was quite pronounced from the back stalls but leveled out at the stage front. Built on a flat site the auditorium rake was achieved by building the entrance foyer about 6 feet above ground level and access to the foyer was by a flight of steps to the 4 sets of oak and glazed entrance doors.The paybox was to the left of the foyer together with the staircase to the circle and a door lead to another internal staircase that took you to the projection suite built above the circle foyer roof.