Roxy Cinema

In Barry Island, Glamorgan, in May 1931, the Trocadero Hall, which had been used, among other things, as a skating rink, applied for a Cinematograph Licence. After some [unspecified] structural alterations, the licence was granted. However, it is thought that the film shows only lasted for a year or two, before the hall went into other uses, including the spacious John’s Café.

That left the resort of Barry Island without a cinema - and it wasn’t going to get one until films returned to the Trocadero, in the shape of the Roxy Cinema, which is believed to have opened just after World War II, after the hall had been used as accommodation for troops. (Indeed, its first entry in the Kinematograph Year Books is in 1947.)

At that time, according to that entry (confusingly, under the neighbouring main town of Barry), the proprietors were Roxy (Barry Island) Ltd. of Cardiff. There were 596 seats, the proscenium was 30ft wide and a British Thomson-Houston (BTH) sound system was being used.

However, this new cinema did not last long either, with its final entry in the Kinematograph Year Books (with the same information as in 1947) being in 1951.

Now known as Esplanade Buildings, numerous businesses have used this very large building since then, with retail units at ground floor level and activities such as Adventure Island (kids' play area) on the upper floor.

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