Queen's Hall Cinema
5 S Burns,
Chester-le-Street,
DH3 3EZ
5 S Burns,
Chester-le-Street,
DH3 3EZ
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Essoldo Circuit (Contol) Ltd.
Architects: Albert H. Fennel
Nearby Theaters
Located in Chester-Le-Street, County Durham. The Queen’s Hall Cinema was built on the site of a brewery by Cestrian Entertainments and opened 13th May 1931. It was designed by architect Albert H. Fennel of Newcastle upon Tyne and had a 39ft wide proscenium. It was equipped with a Western Electric(WE) sound system.
In 1958 it was taken over by the Essoldo chain. They closed the Queen’s Hall Cinema in September 1967 and they converted the building into an Essoldo Bingo Club which opened on 5th October 1967. The building was gutted by a fire on 28th February 1994 and has since been demolished. A YMCA now stands on the site.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
From the Chester – le – Street Heritage Group:–
http://www.chesterlestreetheritage.org/page26.html
2 photos added.
This was the last cinema building to survive in Chester Le Street prior to its destruction by fire (see photos section for more details).
No doubt Bingo, as in the case of many former cinemas, would have run its course here but it would have made a fine Wetherspoon’s Pub. The latter organisation did establish themselves in the town within new purpose built premises known as ‘The Wicket Gate’ – but how I wish they were at the Queens!
The Great Fire of Chester Le Street at the Queen’s:–
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fredspoonphotos/6192562297/in/album-1365205/
Photo uploaded: The Queens on a Market Day in the late 1960’s when the venue would only recently have seen its change of use to Bingo. As can be seen , the town was still vibrant and bustling back then. In relative terms, I suppose it still is fairly busy when compared with nearby market towns of similar size such as Bishop Auckland.
At least Bishop Auckland retains one building (the Hippodrome) which could be restored to theatrical use whereas Chester Le Street lost its very last when the Queens was destroyed in the inferno of 1994.
Photo uploaded.