# Ritz Cinema, Royal Tunbridge Wells - April 2009



## Maniac (Apr 29, 2009)

This cinema has changed hands more times than my car! It started life as a Ritz Cinema in 1934, and was billed as "Kent's most luxurious cinema" with 1600 seats. It then become the Essoldo in 1954 and it was subsequently split into two screens, although both the stalls and the circle were kept intact, leading to a surprisingly large Screen 1 in the original stalls, rather than 2 smaller screens downstairs with a bigger one upstairs as usually happens. In 1972 Classic acquired the cinema and added a third screen in the restaurant area where, as music folklore has it, David Bowie's parents met each other. This screen had the odd arrangement of a pirescope contraption in order to project the films, as there was no room for a projector room. It was also tiny for a cinema! 

Cannon took it over along with the Classic chain in 1982. Subsequently it became an MGM, briefly a Virgin and finally an ABC in 1996, becoming obsolete in 1999, when Odeon opened their multiplex outside the town. 

Sadly now the place is a total mess, it's due for demolition any week now once the planners sort out their dispute with Railtrack as a railway tunnel runs directly under the cinema, we could hear trains in the tunnel about every 20 minutes while we were there - a very eerie noise that is. Railtrack have haulted any work on site until the demolition company can garuntee that it won't affect the integrity of their tunnel. Bonus for us, because it was supposed to have gone by now!

(External shot and historical information from http://oldcinemas.webplex.co.uk/tunbridgewells/)







Foyer area 





Leading to the cinema screens, and what was formely the refreshments and snack shop.





Screen 1 looking forward





Looking Back





We were able to get under what would have been the stage area and there were all sorts of interesting bits and pieces stashed away










Ladies rest room, possiblly the most un-touched room in the place (apart from the drug needles in the sinks  )










We then ventured into the projector room for screen 1. This had all sorts of stuff scattered everywhere. Sadly no complete projectors - the local pikies would have had them by now anyway! Part of one did remain thou amongst all sorts of other bits and pieces.















Screen 2 upstairs in what would have been the circle area. 










Through the modern suspended ceiling the building reveils a glimse of it's former glory. 










Then we find Screen 3, which was the former restaurant. This was tiny for a cinema screen, and had a post in the middle. Doh! 




You can still see the remains of the piriscope projection device on the ceiling, which was very crudely made from steel bars bolted together. I didn't venture too far into this room, the floor didn't look good. 

Lastly we needed to find the second projection booth, very odd this as the only access was by venturing out onto the roof, there was no internal door linking it to the rest of the building. 

It was stripped totally, apart from this amazing pannel of swiches and dimmers, which must be origenal from the 1930's when the cinema opened. 





And finally, popcorn anyone?





Although it's trashed, I still liked it. 

Maniac.


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## iwaniwan (Apr 29, 2009)

some nice photos there  
i like that place, i think ill remember it to the end of my life (becouse of the most dogdy entrance ever


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## spikey (Apr 29, 2009)

great site m8, liking the pic's 

i really hope, they dont throw away the dimmer and the old arc projector would look great in my parents garage 

Being serious the old projector and dimmer are like rocking horse **** wish they could be saved but most probably end up in the demo companies skip


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## nemesis (Apr 29, 2009)

Liking the pictures!

Cinemas hold a charm for me too, something about the childhood memoeries they stir up.

Plus the darkness creates an atmosphere.

Good to see some old stuff just stuffed away into the non-public areas.


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