O_D

It was a rare treat to host my middle brother, wife and his two younger children for lunch on their way up to Durham today. Earlier walking the dogs in Southwell passing the building above. 

Cinema History
The Ideal Cinema was built on the site of the former Westgate Brewery .The 600 seat cinema opened in 1932 with two nightly performances from Monday to Saturday, plus a matinee performance on Saturday. It was equipped with a British Acoustic(BA) sound system and in the mid 1950's with CinemaScope.
The building included a stage (with two dressing rooms) and plays were performed there at various times. A social club was established in a separate building at the rear of the auditorium. 

The cinema foyer was flanked by a flower shop and an electrical supplies shop. Dances and public meetings were held on the upper floor and the cinema closed on 6 February 1962. 

Subsequent uses included being the head office of Theatre and Display (John Griffin) Ltd, suppliers of stage scenery and lighting services for theatres;  for the assembly of telephones by Pressac. In 1992 the foyer was converted into a flower shop and greengrocers. It is now contains flats.