Glory Days

Today, a derelict building in the town center that anyone under the age of 16 will never have known as anything else, but here, I have restored it to its former glory circa 1958. 

A brief history of this iconic building.

The 1,892 seat Savoy Cinema opened on George Street (a main town centre thoroughfare) on 17 October 1938. It was designed by Associated British Cinemas(ABC) in-house architect William R. Glen and immediately assummed the leading position in the ABC cinemas in town (the Empire Cinema closed two days earlier, but the Alma Cinema and Union Cinema continued for many years).
It closed in April 1971 for tripling and emerged as a three screen complex in September 1971. There were 632 seats in Screen 1 (former circle) and 458 and 272 in screens 2 & 3 (former stalls).
It was renamed Cannon in April 1986. When a new 10-screen Cineworld multiplex opened just a short walk down the street in 1998, the Cannon continued for another two years, finally closing in November 2000. It has lain empty since, despite several plans to establish an arts centre / theatre in the building.

Luke had his first date there. I remember waiting in the lobby for him and his young ladyfriend to come out after the film. They were grinning ear to ear ... it must have been a good film.

At present, it is shrouded in tarpaulin and there seems to be activity of some sort. Will it reopen as some sort of entertainment/leisure venue? I suspect not. As someone who spent 10 years of their life trying to achieve just that said , 'our town likes the idea of culture  but our town doesn't support culture'.