# The Glen Royal cinema, Shipley



## phill.d (Apr 11, 2010)

*One night in the abandoned Glen Royal cinema...*







A real time capsule cinema hides away in the higher reaches of the Glen Royal building in Shipley. The Glen Royal closed as a cinema in 1962, It was to reopen as the Glen casino in 1963. Many alterations were made to the building over the years. Suspended ceilings were added, these effectively hid away the original features of this purpose built cinema. The upper circle and seats remain intact above the false ceilings. Dusty Art Deco seats remain untouched since 1962. Kalee projectors, reels of old films, 1960's paintwork, and other relics are to be found up high in the Glen Royal.






The Shipley Picture House Company opened this state ot the art 1200 seater cinema on the 5th September 1932. The front elevation was built of Rustic Brick and Cream Terra Cotta faience tiling which was illuminated with floodlights. The front facade 130 feet long with a wrought iron and glass canopy the full length. This massive frontage also housed five self contained small shop units plus a sweets/tobacco shop to the right of the cinema entrance.






*The V.I.P timecapsule cinema pass!*

An abandoned cinema always seem to have a ghost story associated with it. The Glen Royal didn't break with tradition. Apparently a lady ghost was frequently seen hurrying towards the front where the screen used to be. We didn't see a ghost that night, just a stray Tomcat who had found a sneaky way in to the building. His eyes lit up in the beam of the torch enough to make us jump. 
He seemed to have great hunting prowess too, many a headless pigeon littered the floor. 
With a flick of the tail, he was up and away behind the proscenium, never to be seen, or heard again that night.






This suspended ceiling was added in 1974 when the casino became the EMI Bingo, and Social Club. 
The Glen building finally closed it's doors as Kings Bingo on January 30th 2005.
The cinema has remained closed since then, sadly the vandals have been in at some point doing there worst. False ceilings have been pulled down, holes punched in walls, burst water pipes, tables and chairs tipped over, and grafitti in the bingo hall. The Bingo hall was trashed, I didn't take many pics in there, I found it too depressing!:icon_evil 






Cinemas are built with very few windows in them. Thankfully the Vandals have been limited to areas with natural light. this has kept the mindless idiots away from the pitch black old cinema, and projection room areas. The best bits remain virtually unscathed for the explorer with torch power 
This view is taken from the 1962 closed balcony area of the cinema. You can see the ripped down false ceiling seperating the Bingo hall area.











This was the best part of the cinema for me. Dusty Art Deco seats that hadn't been used since 1962. This Upper balcony seated 350 people in it's heyday. The luxury seats were upholstered in Firth's moquette from Trinity Chair Works of Scarborough. 






I thought these 1930's 'lovers seats' were great. The last time anyone sat in them to watch a film
(or possibly not watch the film.. oh hum ) 
Elvis Presley was number one in the charts with "Return to Sender" 
I really like the contrasts of the Burgandy, Mustard and Blue colours. The cracked, and peeling paint effect adds nicely to the shot. 






This rather grim looking stairway was an emergency exit from the upper balcony area.
It hasn't been painted since the cinema closed in 1962. 






Various old power boxes, and switches long since disconnected. These were in the projection room at the top of the cinema. There was no power supply, or light source in the cinema.






These old projectors have stood silent since the cinema closed in 1962. 






These Kalee rear shutter projectors were fitted with high intensity arcs to ensure a brilliantly illuminated picture. These latest projectors were fitted with Western Electric 'wide range' soundboxes. The operating box upstairs had a suite of rooms for rewind and rectifiers.











*The Private Psychedelic Reel*

These dusty old film reels date back to 1962. The final films to be shown on Saturday the 8th December 1962 were.
''The Loudest Whisper'' Starring Audrey Hepburn, Shirley Maclaine and James Garner.
And ''Gun Street'' Starring James Brown, Jean Willes and John Clarke.
I wonder if this film reel was one of them?






This rather spooky looking machine was situated in a small room next to the projection box. The glass tubes and valves, make it look like something from a Frankenstein movie. It is infact a mercury arc valve, these are a type of electrical rectifier which converts alternating current into direct current. Rectifiers of this type were used in electric motor power supplies for industry, in electric railways, streetcars and electric locomotives.
This would have been quiet a sight to see when it was working. The glass tube would glow very bright, flashes of electric would shoot around inside.






*Buzzzzzz!!!!*

A picture from the Internet showing a Mercury Arc valve in use.






This is up high in the roof space of the above the Proscenium area. The 1930's concrete structure is really quiet complex up here. Various items from the cinemas past history had been stored away. Lyons Maid Usherette's ice cream tray's, and old signanage from the Casino days gathered dust.






*Money won is twice as sweet as money earned!
*The colour of money**

I'm guessing this old Casino sign predates 1982. Glen Casino closed in 1982.
A new owner re-opened the premises in 1990 as Walkers Bingo hall in 1990.
The Glen first opened as a Casino in 1963, It proudly advertised Bingo and Fast, Exciting, Thrilling legalite Roulette direct from the Continent'






*And the band played believe it if you like!*

After spending three hours in the old cinema, we emerged into the deserted Shipley streets well after midnight. A cracking explore in the bag!






*The Glen Royal-A timeless classic*

I'm not quiet sure how a state of the art cinema managed to only stay open for 30 years. The early 60's seems an early era for it to close to me. It was well before the masses owned a T.V . 






Of all the places to explore, I think places of fun and leasure evoke the most memories. Places where people cherished there days away from the smoke filled Northern Cities. Holiday camps, funfairs and cinemas. Half a mile away from the Glen Royal cinema is the remains of the Edwardian Shipley Glen pleasure gardens. It was to be Britains first ever theme park. Today it's in a very sorry state indeed. This old 1930's Art Deco Dodgem ride stands overgrown, and slowly decaying away. 






Back in the day Shipley Glen was possibly *THE* tourist attraction in West Yorkshire. You wouldn't believe that from visiting nowadays because there's nothing left, but on a bank holiday weekend this place would be teeming with people. The once famous fairground used to have a Toboggan ride and a zoo.
Strawberry Cottage served tea and cake in a Garden Setting deep in the woods.






The last time these Dodgems were in use appears to be in September 2005. The funfair was closed, and dismantled amid some kind of wrangle with the council. There used to be an Aerial glide here. It was given a grade 2 listed structure status in 2003. So the owner chopped it down in 2004. Today only the Shipley Glen tramway is working. The Tramway is the oldest working cable tramway in Great Britain Dating from 1895.






*Closed!*

More info and pics about the parks closure can be seen here
http://www.joylandbooks.com/shipleyglen/lastweekendgallery.htm

And the Shipley Glen tramway here
http://www.glentramway.co.uk/

All in all it's still a pleasant place to visit!


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## Foxylady (Apr 11, 2010)

Superb explore and write-up, as always, Phill. The Art Deco part of the cinema is really interesting and I love the remains of the old fairground/pleasure gardens.


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## The_Revolution (Apr 12, 2010)

Excellent and well researched, as usual.


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## marshall10 (Apr 13, 2010)

Awesome report!


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## poshchick (Apr 16, 2010)

*very good report*

I really enjoyed reading that, thanks very much for sharing


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