# The Royalty Cinema, Birmingham - Jan 2017



## Landie_Man (Feb 19, 2017)

The Royalty Cinema, Birmingham - Jan 2017

So yet again, a very slight backlog going on here but nowhere near as bad as before! Mookster, two Newbie explorers (friends of mine) and myself visited The Royalty in Birmingham on the start of a big road trip of the midlands.

I had wanted to do this one for quite some time, so I made it the main spot for the day. We arrived around 7am, but it was far too dark, so off to a greasy spoon we went till it got a bit lighter!

This is a bit of a funny one really as it used to be occupied by a Hand Car Wash who used the old car park, and access was allegedly through various different ways. I once rocked up outside about two years ago, but never actually explored it then so it was good to finally see it!


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The Royalty was opened on 20th October 1930 with Maurice Chevalier's "The Love Parade".The cinema was built for and operated by the local independent Selly Oak Pictures Ltd.

Eventually the site was taken over by the Associated British Cinemas(ABC) chain in March 1935. 

The site was closed by ABC on the 2nd November 1963 with Cliff Robertson in "P.T.109". 

It was later converted into an Alpha Bingo Club (operated by ABC) and later a Mecca Bingo Club. By 2010 it was operated as a Gala Bingo Club which closed around 2012.

In the summer of 2011, the Royalty Cinema was designated a Grade II Listed building by English Heritage. 

in 2012, police raided the site when a large scale weed farm was found in the attic. 

In 2017 the site stands derelict but there is hope on the horizon with local rumours of it reopening as a cinema.

What a beauty she is as well.

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More At:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/landie_man/albums/72157680388004465


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## Sam Haltin (Feb 20, 2017)

Lovely art deco in this place. The building is in not bad condition either. I like the stain glass windows.


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## jsp77 (Feb 21, 2017)

very nice Landie man, loving the colours, may have to do a midlands trips too.


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## HughieD (Feb 21, 2017)

Fab stuff. Shame the crap graff merchants have found their way in though...


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## Landie_Man (Feb 23, 2017)

Thanks everybody. Yeah the graff is shite!


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## prettyvacant71 (Feb 24, 2017)

Fantastic pics as its rather dark in parts, love them leaded windows and art deco features, I do hope it is redev and the developers don't accidently set it on fire, as they do.


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## King Al (Feb 26, 2017)

Really like the look of this one! The colour scheme is superb! Great pics LM


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## flyboys90 (Feb 26, 2017)

Splendid Art Deco features.Let's hope it survives!


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## LuluBinks (Mar 1, 2017)

This is stunning. I'm loving the sets of yours that I've seen so far on here!


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