The Royalty Cinema
A little history…
This wonderful example on an Art Deco cinema opened in 1930. It was built and operated by the local independent Selly Oak Pictures Ltd and taken over by Associated British Cinemas, the ABC chain in 1935. In 1963 ABC closed the cinema and converted it into an Alpha Bingo Club and later a Mecca Bingo, before finally changing over to a Gala Bingo Club in 2010 before closing down in 2012.
Fortunately in 2011 English Heritage designated the building with its Grade II Listed status.
From reading a recent article in the Birmingham Post, The Royalty Harborne Trust has drawn up plans showing how the buildings future use can be preserved, so one day it maybe be showing films again, lets hope this is the case. The Trust has been having talks with the Heritage Lottery Fund to help finance the scheme.
In 2016 the developer True Pearl had intended plans to partially demolish the derelict cinema and builds flats, but thankfully this was condemned by the panel and is unlikely to win planning permission.
If The Royalty Harborne Trust can make use of any of these images in there appeal for funding and preservation please feel free to contact me for a free set of higher resolution photographs [email protected]
The explore…
Early on a very chilly, dark, foggy February morning I literally wandered into the building, no scaling palisade or dropping down from skylights, it was fantastic. There was a hole in the wall, rectangular is shape, it had a wooden frame, a door, yes that’s it a fookin door. I navigated myself through it, rather uneasily at first, as I wasn’t too sure if it were a cupboard. But no it was the real thing, so I skipped my way up the stairs trying to click my heels in mid air as I jumped for joy. Thus not wanting to have any more accidents I put a stop to that kind of behavior and tried to proceed like a normal person.
At the top of the stairs I could barely see inside the main auditorium as it was still dark and the fog was clinging to the walls and hanging in the air inside. I saw the flash of a torchlight from below, I called out something, I can’t remember what exactly, probably something ridiculous, there was a reply from the dark, a short conversation happened, we were both a little uneasy at first so it was somewhat funny, anyway it was Chris, a very decent chap indeed!
So on with some pics…
https://flic.kr/p/TNuwXr by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TNux7p by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TB2ifn by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TNuwzn by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TdqqkA by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TdqqdS by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TNuw6M by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TdqpTJ by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Love the classic Art Deco window.
https://flic.kr/p/TNuvL8 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TNuvoe by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TNuv5D by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TNuuLH by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
There are 3 different lovely windows at the front of the building.
https://flic.kr/p/TJPBL1 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/SvXXGG by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
A chilled pigeon.
https://flic.kr/p/TyyjAL by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TNutjV by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/Tyyjpd by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/Tyyj6s by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/SvXYKU by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TdqnrQ by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/SvXYsE by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TdqnfC by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/Tdqn3o by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/SvXZ8Y by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/TdqmSd by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr
Hope you enjoyed the little look around this lovely building...
Be lucky folks
A little history…
This wonderful example on an Art Deco cinema opened in 1930. It was built and operated by the local independent Selly Oak Pictures Ltd and taken over by Associated British Cinemas, the ABC chain in 1935. In 1963 ABC closed the cinema and converted it into an Alpha Bingo Club and later a Mecca Bingo, before finally changing over to a Gala Bingo Club in 2010 before closing down in 2012.
Fortunately in 2011 English Heritage designated the building with its Grade II Listed status.
From reading a recent article in the Birmingham Post, The Royalty Harborne Trust has drawn up plans showing how the buildings future use can be preserved, so one day it maybe be showing films again, lets hope this is the case. The Trust has been having talks with the Heritage Lottery Fund to help finance the scheme.
In 2016 the developer True Pearl had intended plans to partially demolish the derelict cinema and builds flats, but thankfully this was condemned by the panel and is unlikely to win planning permission.
If The Royalty Harborne Trust can make use of any of these images in there appeal for funding and preservation please feel free to contact me for a free set of higher resolution photographs [email protected]
The explore…
Early on a very chilly, dark, foggy February morning I literally wandered into the building, no scaling palisade or dropping down from skylights, it was fantastic. There was a hole in the wall, rectangular is shape, it had a wooden frame, a door, yes that’s it a fookin door. I navigated myself through it, rather uneasily at first, as I wasn’t too sure if it were a cupboard. But no it was the real thing, so I skipped my way up the stairs trying to click my heels in mid air as I jumped for joy. Thus not wanting to have any more accidents I put a stop to that kind of behavior and tried to proceed like a normal person.
At the top of the stairs I could barely see inside the main auditorium as it was still dark and the fog was clinging to the walls and hanging in the air inside. I saw the flash of a torchlight from below, I called out something, I can’t remember what exactly, probably something ridiculous, there was a reply from the dark, a short conversation happened, we were both a little uneasy at first so it was somewhat funny, anyway it was Chris, a very decent chap indeed!
So on with some pics…
https://flic.kr/p/TNuwXr by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TNux7p by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TB2ifn by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TNuwzn by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TdqqkA by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TdqqdS by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TNuw6M by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TdqpTJ by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrLove the classic Art Deco window.
https://flic.kr/p/TNuvL8 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TNuvoe by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TNuv5D by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TNuuLH by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrThere are 3 different lovely windows at the front of the building.
https://flic.kr/p/TJPBL1 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/SvXXGG by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrA chilled pigeon.
https://flic.kr/p/TyyjAL by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TNutjV by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/Tyyjpd by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/Tyyj6s by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/SvXYKU by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TdqnrQ by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/SvXYsE by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TdqnfC by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/Tdqn3o by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/SvXZ8Y by Pretty Vacant, on Flickrhttps://flic.kr/p/TdqmSd by Pretty Vacant, on FlickrHope you enjoyed the little look around this lovely building...
Be lucky folks
