Curtain to rise at Freeman Street cinema
THE film is ready to roll on Freeman Street once more.
New owners at the former Odeon site hope to call lights, camera, action on Friday, and are already advertising their first four films in the Grimsby Telegraph.
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SAVIOUR: Anthony Harris gets ready to open the Regal cinema in Freeman Street.
The three-screen, 700-seat theatre, which has been unused for nearly five years, will re-open under its original name, The Regal, with a touch of cinemagic from the latest Harry Potter film injecting some fresh hope for the future of what was once Grimsby's busiest shopping street.
Anthony Harris gets ready to open the Regal cinema in Freeman Street
North East Lincolnshire Council has granted Shropshire-based businessman Trevor Harris, 70, and his son Anthony, 42, a licence to thrill movie-goers.
It follows much speculation about the site, which first opened as a cinema in 1937.
Mr Harris said: "We've been working behind the scenes for weeks. The building has been extensively refurbished and renovated.
"Both my son and I have been involved in the cinema industry for a long time.
"The ticket prices have been set low at £4 for under 12s and £5 for over 12s, on purpose and we are also going to be selling our sweets at very reasonable prices.
"Unlike many empty cinemas, it was fully equipped, and the work we had to do was simply finishing touches.
And Mr Harris hopes that the new cinema will make a difference to the area, which has suffered in the last two decades, since the loss of High Street chains such as Marks and Spencer and Woolworths.
"I certainly think that it will help the area," he said.
"A cinema is a good focal point and can certainly help to bring people into the area."
And he is hoping that investment to improve security at the council-run Garibaldi Street car park behind the cinema will help to make it a successful venture.
NELC has installed two CCTV cameras in the public car park, which also benefits from a security attendant.
Mr Harris said:"I'm looking into the parking situation. I understand that this was a problem and I am in touch with the council.
"I want to make sure that our customers can be confident that their vehicle will be safe while they are in the cinema."
Duncan Willey, a partner at PPH Commercial the agents who are dealing with the site, said: "We are very close to closing a deal on the lease. The cinema will then be able to open as soon as that is complete."
The 700-seat capacity cinema was formerly called The Regal.
It first opened in 1937 with 1,966-seats, and was renamed the ABC in 1961
The former stalls were then converted into a supermarket, with the cinema occupying the original balcony area.
By 1980, there were three screens, with 300 seats in Screen One, 225 in Screen Two and 125 in Screen Three, and it went through a number of operators following that, including Cannon, Classic, and MGM, and was then known again as ABC, before becoming an Odeon in 2001, following a £100,000 re-branding scheme.
It closed in November, 2004.
Keep reading your Grimsby Telegraph for updates on the opening.
38 Comments
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by Jamie Lenthall, Habrough
Monday, August 24 2009, 10:10PM
“i am very excited about the prospect of visiting this cinema again. as a child this was the cinema i went to with my grandparents and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. i have a lot of memories there and was devasted when in closed in 2004. my future, i hope, is in the film industry, and this cinema is one of my inspirations. i can only hope that one daypeople will enjoy my films in a cinema like this, it will bring great business to the area and you can expect many visits from me in the future. Congratulations, The Regal!”
by Paul, gy
Saturday, August 15 2009, 11:42AM
“Hey, if your worried about having your car nicked, why don't you just walk?! No-one will steal your feet! Not everybody wants to sit on their backside driving to a cinema, to sit on their backside in a cinema, and then sit on their backside for the ride home! Not everybody lives right next door to the Parkway, but there is a lot of housing within a 10 minute walk of Freeman street...
And anyway, if it stops people cueing out the doors at the parkway, and meaning all you important people get the seats you want, then what the hell are you complaining about!?”
by kyleigh fisher, willows
Friday, August 14 2009, 9:38AM
“am a realy big fan of the cinema and cant wait to get there on a friday nite am reli wanting to wotch ice age 3 at the minute ... i think its great .. am so happy”
by maria, grimsby
Saturday, August 08 2009, 11:01AM
“i am glad that freman street cinema is open no as it oppened yesterday wich was friday i hope it does well as it is easy to gte to and cheaper then parkway i hope it does well.”
by gy lad, grimsby
Tuesday, August 04 2009, 12:56PM
“does anyone know when it re-opens I am glad that it is finally opening again as the prices at parkway cinema are extortion.”
by richard, grims
Tuesday, August 04 2009, 9:52AM
“great news this somthing positive for the street and i see form some that negative vibes are being commented well as for cars broken into you get that enywhere , i hope there venture is good and it will work if they a manage it right , maybe the menicous film festival audence will get in on the act aswell so we can have more local film or even arthouse films played here , it would save me a trip to the cornerhouse in manchester”
by velinda, grimsby
Tuesday, August 04 2009, 12:26AM
“i myself cannot wait for this cinema to re-open,i frequenlty used this cinema before it closed,cleethorpes cinema is too far for me to go as i dont drive and im not taking my 3 kidsa on the bus.we all cant wait and back you 100 pecent,.”
by paul, cleethorpes
Monday, August 03 2009, 9:42PM
“I am very pleased the cinema is about to re-open...I suggest they get a big sign outside saying coming soon as it clearly looks derelict at the moment! I do hope the projection and sound will be managed better than the last days as an Odeon( bad focus/ sound and very very lazy projectionistswho did not keep an eye on things..the Regal name is great..hopefully screen 3 can be a little bigger and have dolby sound too...even the Parkway can suffer from bad sound and no intermission music..wishing you all the best..”
by daz, dn333hf
Monday, August 03 2009, 9:30PM
“great news lets hope the council help them out and keep the rates down !!!”
by Gary, Grimsby
Monday, August 03 2009, 7:53PM
“I don't like having to travel to the back end of Cleethorpes to watch a movie so I'm glad that this cinema is reopening. It's closer and cheaper and it keeps part of Grimsby's history alive. If it was left to the council we know the building would have been torn down sooner or later, listed or not!”