# Wakefield ABC Regal Cinema - July 08



## freebird (Sep 6, 2008)

This was the last explore on a list of 3 sites during a Wakefield area road trip. The Wakefield Regal Cinema first opened in Dec 1935 and was designed by William R Glen III, the architect employed by Associated British Cinemas. This was one of his first designs and is typical Art Deco style and seated 1,594 people. The Cinema is a proscenium theatre complete with its own arch and in the beginning held stage performances by the West Yorkshire Operatic Society amongst others as well as cinema showings! 
In 1962 the name changed to the Wakefield ABC and in Nov 1976 it became a three screened cinema: Screen 1 having 532 seats, screen 2 having 236 seats and screen 3 having 170 seats. The cinema later known as the cannon finally closed in 1997 a year after a large cinema complex opened its doors in Wakefield!

After making our way through the murky waters of the flooded ABC cinema we encountered strange noises such as footsteps in water, banging doors and creaking sounds and crept around the place in order to discover the cinemas delights. Here are some pics:-







The Main Foyer






Screen 1 from up in the balcony. The proscenium archway in its full glory!






Eerie on the top of the balcony!






From the central entrance up towards Screen1 projection booth.






original brass pipework!






Staircase to Screen 1 projection booth.






Screen 1 projection booth.






The view of the balcony seats from Screen 1 stage. Screen 2's seats can be seen peeping through the collapsed wall of screen 2! The back of screen 3 is on the right.






Hooks at the side of screen 1 stage.






The loft space 40ft above the proscenium. Making our way across this was fun!











From inside looking towards where screen 2 once was!






Looking up towards screen 3's side of the joint projection booth.






Screen 2 & 3's joint projection booth.






Out through a projection booth window.






Battery room.






Out in to the night!






Some night shots of the surrounding area from the roof.
















I thoroughly enjoyed this explore and hope you enjoyed my pics. Thanks for looking.


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## phill.d (Sep 6, 2008)

That lighting is superb. Probably the brightest, most even job i've seen in there. Top notch.
I'm glad you didn't get a shot of me asleep on the stage lol


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## freebird (Sep 6, 2008)

Thanks. No I didn't but I did have to make you disappear from one of the other shots though! LOL


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## the_grid (Sep 7, 2008)

Last time I saw the inside of that place was Toy Story when I was 10!!! Really good shots and nice bio. Noises sound a bit creepy though...


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## Cinema Dreamer (Jul 7, 2021)

Good report of a lovely place. Unfortunately this cinema has received its death warrant and the council seems to have gone deaf when ever the subject of alternative use is mentioned. A great shame as getting the old girl back to how she was would be relatively easy but apparently a car park would be much nicer, ahem!


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