The Royalty Cinema, Feb'17

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prettyvacant71

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The Royalty Cinema


A little history…

This wonderful example on an Art Deco cinema opened in 1930. It was built and operated by the local independent Selly Oak Pictures Ltd and taken over by Associated British Cinemas, the ABC chain in 1935. In 1963 ABC closed the cinema and converted it into an Alpha Bingo Club and later a Mecca Bingo, before finally changing over to a Gala Bingo Club in 2010 before closing down in 2012.

Fortunately in 2011 English Heritage designated the building with its Grade II Listed status.

From reading a recent article in the Birmingham Post, The Royalty Harborne Trust has drawn up plans showing how the buildings future use can be preserved, so one day it maybe be showing films again, lets hope this is the case. The Trust has been having talks with the Heritage Lottery Fund to help finance the scheme.

In 2016 the developer True Pearl had intended plans to partially demolish the derelict cinema and builds flats, but thankfully this was condemned by the panel and is unlikely to win planning permission.

If The Royalty Harborne Trust can make use of any of these images in there appeal for funding and preservation please feel free to contact me for a free set of higher resolution photographs [email protected]




The explore…

Early on a very chilly, dark, foggy February morning I literally wandered into the building, no scaling palisade or dropping down from skylights, it was fantastic. There was a hole in the wall, rectangular is shape, it had a wooden frame, a door, yes that’s it a fookin door. I navigated myself through it, rather uneasily at first, as I wasn’t too sure if it were a cupboard. But no it was the real thing, so I skipped my way up the stairs trying to click my heels in mid air as I jumped for joy. Thus not wanting to have any more accidents I put a stop to that kind of behavior and tried to proceed like a normal person.
At the top of the stairs I could barely see inside the main auditorium as it was still dark and the fog was clinging to the walls and hanging in the air inside. I saw the flash of a torchlight from below, I called out something, I can’t remember what exactly, probably something ridiculous, there was a reply from the dark, a short conversation happened, we were both a little uneasy at first so it was somewhat funny, anyway it was Chris, a very decent chap indeed!



So on with some pics…:)



34000321255_a751ffe5c3_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TNuwXr by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



34000321775_ac7a11cfb2_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TNux7p by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33870525661_424a896bbf_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TB2ifn by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



34000319975_1254395744_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TNuwzn by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33614757680_e5c548177a_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TdqqkA by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33614757290_52cbf4eb9d_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TdqqdS by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



34000318375_a9ddba9413_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TNuw6M by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33614756180_825ab63334_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TdqpTJ by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Love the classic Art Deco window.



34000317235_08f89427ae_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TNuvL8 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



34000315965_909437241f_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TNuvoe by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



34000314945_8a9e8266e3_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TNuv5D by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



34000313905_1e91cbd12e_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TNuuLH by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

There are 3 different lovely windows at the front of the building.



33958778556_528b95773f_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TJPBL1 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33156935324_95456a8470_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/SvXXGG by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

A chilled pigeon.



33842629192_53d82fea85_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TyyjAL by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



34000309045_8c1fca57dd_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TNutjV by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33842628522_974dd467aa_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/Tyyjpd by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33842627492_94dd417ac3_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/Tyyj6s by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33156938874_05db7def0d_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/SvXYKU by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33614747950_aaae2e157a_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TdqnrQ by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33156937874_e697d80712_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/SvXYsE by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33614747300_89390edae5_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TdqnfC by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33614746590_3d8f6b3935_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/Tdqn3o by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33156940154_0ef6c9b121_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/SvXZ8Y by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



33614746000_6b6e9091f3_b.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/TdqmSd by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


Hope you enjoyed the little look around this lovely building...

Be lucky folks:)

















































































 
That's a beautiful cinema. I hope they do save it because of the stained glass windows, the pair of stained glass doors and the art-deco features in the auditorium. Its in not bad condition, just a little patience with a paint brush.
 
Looks like I need to give this another go. When I did try it once, I got shouted at by the local car washers (I hear they are gone now)?

Great pics :)
 

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