Tivoli Theatre

St. Teilo Street,
Pontardulais, SA4

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Streamlite
Streamlite on January 1, 2019 at 10:47 am

This cinema was run at one time by Lyn Thomas who also was involved with the Tivoli ( ex. Electra, Gorseinon) the Tivoli Gowerton and the Studio Cinemas in a converted church on St Helens Road, Swansea and many more in South Wales.

In the 1960s it was called :–
“The Pontardulais Memorial and Welfare Hall”

lewis9265
lewis9265 on September 12, 2014 at 6:32 am

hi i worked in this cinema in pontarddulais for 3 years with the last owner and his wife witch i enjoyed i still can remember going up the steps seeing the posters on the right and left of the steps walking throe the big doors and seeing the kiosk in front of you with the smile of a old lady welcoming you in not many teeth left tho she made me smile tho just on the left of the kiosk there was some concrete spiral steers going up to the balcony with beautiful red and brown seats and a huge beautiful sealing up there you cold see all the other people down on the bottom floor just on the other side was the projection room i remember the big projectors up there and a big man in there cant remember his name. down the bottom of the steps just by two small brown doors you went into the main room it was huge with all the red and brown seats there and right down the bottom of the room was the stage and the big screen it was fantastic and on the right of the seats was the fire exit it was a shame that a young boy broke in and set fire to it and he was only 9. i remember when it burnt down i was opposite in a pub called the sheaf i have lived in pontarddulais for 49 years i went there with my dad as a young boy and went there with my mum to play bingo so sad to see old buildings going to waste and being puled down to make room for spar shops and flats after the cinema went there was nothing left to go to for the children of pontarddulais like now everything is going so sad yours peter lewis

RHScottSpencer
RHScottSpencer on March 15, 2013 at 1:38 pm

“thinkitsayit” You are right the theatre/cinema/bingo hall was owned by the Saunders family for many years. Before it was sold/handed over to the committee to run. “Exciterlamp” You are also right about the projector bases.But you missed the wooden block that were also used. The projector were Weststar 2001’s with 4000ft spools. The sound system was built by Clark and Co. I enjoyed my time running the place, but when the council open it’s own place a few miles away it killed the theatre/cinema and I had no choose but to closed it down for good. I would like to thank those people who did use the theatre/cinema while I ran it.

richard3849
richard3849 on July 18, 2010 at 9:17 am

.uk

richard3849
richard3849 on July 18, 2010 at 9:17 am

hi boner59
i have 2 pictures and a video of gordon and nancy togather.
I am gordons great nephew. im from mansels children.

bonner59
bonner59 on November 11, 2007 at 2:36 pm

Does anyone have any pictures of the Tivoli Picture Theatre? I am in contact with the last remaining member of the Saunders family who ran the cinema. I am sure that Nancy would be most appreciative if you could any supply any.

thinkitsayit
thinkitsayit on August 8, 2007 at 6:19 am

Wasnt The Tivoli In Pontarddullias Owned My The Saunders Family?

AdoraKiaOra
AdoraKiaOra on April 15, 2007 at 6:31 am

The Tivoli Mumbles is still standing in pretty good condition. It is, unfortunatly an amusement arcade now and has been for decades

exciterlamp
exciterlamp on May 23, 2006 at 8:59 am

When I visited the Tivoli many years ago after closure by the “committee” I was intrigued to see two sets of four concrete blocks on the floor of the projection room, where the projectors had once stood – a dead give-away that they ran Western Electric Universal Bases!

RHScottSpencer
RHScottSpencer on January 4, 2005 at 4:24 am

KenRoe;
The Tivoli was the former Memorial and Welfare Hall. The “committee” gave up running it as they could not make it pay it’s way, you will know what “committees” of this type are like. They closed and more or else abandoned the building. Dont ask me why I did it but I managed to get hold of building. Gave it a good cleaning, fix the heating and replaced the projectors and fitted a new sound system and moved the stage lighting console to the projection box and reopened it and ran it as hobby. Will I was running it it did not make a profit, not that it was meant to. I seat prices for the films was £1, more for live performances. I did recover the cost of reopening it

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on January 3, 2005 at 7:04 am

RHSottSpencer;
I stand corrected by your superior local knowledge.

Just for the record I have several Kinematograph Yearbooks. Listing for Pontardulais (Glam) is given; Tivoli (no further details in the Yearbooks for 1937 and 1944). The 1947 Yearbook gives the Tivoli, prices 9d to 2/3d.

In the Kine. Yearbooks for 1963 and 1966 the cinema listed for Pontardulais is; Memorial and Welfare Hall, (Western Electric Sound) Phone 372. Two changes weekly. 500 seats. Prices 1s. to 3s. Cinemascope. One show daily. Booked at hall. Proscenium width 30ft. Screen 28ft by 14ft. Station: Pontardulais

Is the Memorial and Welfare Hall the former Tivoli?

RHScottSpencer
RHScottSpencer on January 3, 2005 at 4:46 am

I hope you do not mind me correcting you, but the as the last owner/operator of the Tivoli Threatre Pontarddullias, which I ran as a hobby on bussiness lines in my retirement for many years. The Tivoli Theatre Pontarddullias and the Tivoli Mumbles which as been used as an amusement centre for many years now are not one in the same. The name Tivoli was used by a good many cinemas/threatres in that area at the same time, so it is easy to make a mistake. As I have said I was the last owner/operator of this theatre and kept it running on a combination of, second run films, live performances, bingo and lettings of the rehearsal rooms. This threatre was subject to a three way cross bar on first ran films, between Swansea, Llanelli and Carmarthen. I closed the threatre down after the local council opened a brand new 500 threatre just two miles away.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on December 26, 2004 at 1:15 pm

The Tivoli Picture Theatre is located in the Mumbles district of Swansea.

It should not be confused with the Tivoli, Carmarthen Road, Swansea. The opening date of this Tivoli is not known, but it had closed by 1938.