Pavilion Cinema

The village of Rhosneigr is situated some six miles south-east of Holyhead, on Anglesey.

The Pavilion Cinema opened in 1920 in what would today be called a multi-purpose hall. Films were shown in the summer, with dances and variety during the winter months, the latter utilising a modest 9ft deep stage, with a 21ft wide proscenium, and the two dressing rooms.

According to the 1923 Kinematograph Year Book, by that year the proprietor and resident manager was T. R. Evans. There were two changes of programme weekly.

When the talkies arrived, a BTH [British Thomson-Houston] sound system was installed, but the Pavilion Cinema closed in 1936.

In 1945 the hall was acquired by local businessman C. W. Beretta. It must have fallen into some disrepair, as he had to undertake a full restoration and refurbishment programme.

It is not known precisely when the Pavilion Cinema re-opened. (It did not re-appear in the Kinematograph Year Books until 1951, but must surely have re-opened before then.) An RCA sound system had been installed. The original seating capacity is not known; there were now just 284 seats.

In 1956 CinemaScope was installed, utilising a new 20ft wide screen.

However, the Pavilion Cinema closed in 1960.

Mr Beretta sold the building to Rhosneigr Village Hall Committee and it moved into community use.

At some time the building was demolished, and replaced (on the site at the junction of High Street and Awel-y-mor) with a new-build Village Hall. That had been partly financed by public subscription as part of a programme of regeneration in this area of the village (which also included a new library and a toilet block).

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