Former 1930's Moderne cinema opens up as new Life Centre theatre (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Former 1930's Moderne cinema opens up as new Life Centre theatre
3:00pm Sunday 3rd February 2013 in News By Melanie Vass
OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Life Centre operations and events manager Greg Rawlings in the newly refurbished cinema
A DOUBLE bill of nostalgia and memories will be on offer when Bournemouth’s former Moderne cinema reopens its doors to film fans.
A full fifty years since the last film showing, the landmark building in Moordown has been given a new lease of life and is once again preparing to welcome audiences.
Now known as the Life Centre, the Wimborne Road venue has a restored 1,000-seater auditorium and will launch with showings of the Hobbit on Wednesday, February 20 and Saturday, February 23. Tickets will cost just £2.50 each, to be bought on the door.
The film showings will be another milestone for the much-loved building, which was a superb art deco style cinema when it opened in October 1935. It could accommodate an audience of 1,500 and was a hugely popular haunt for youngsters and adults alike until 1963, when it became a bingo hall.
In 2008, it closed down again and faced an uncertain future until it was bought by Bournemouth Community Church. They have spent the past three years sympathetically renovating the building and reopening it as the Life Centre – a community and events venue.
Greg Rawlings, operations and events manager, said renovating the building had taken three years, a year of which had been focused on the auditorium.
“It‘s great to have got to this stage,” he said. “We know that it will be good for the local community. So many people have got memories of the cinema, it has a place in a lot of people’s hearts.
“Word is now getting around and people are really excited. It’s exciting for us too because we want to see this building used by as many people as possible.
“As long as we can get the volunteers, we hope to show one film a month. They will be family orientated and the prices are in keeping with that. We might also look to do evening sessions or special themed nights.”
The auditorium, now known as the Harbour Theatre, boasts a 9m by 5.5m screen and a state of the art projector and the balcony still contains all the original cinema seats.
For information about forthcoming films, visit www.lifecentre.biz.
The most beautiful building
The Moderne was designed by Edward G. De Wilde Holding in the art modern style and featured curves, columns, chrome and unique illuminated brickwork. The original carpets and seating were fake leopard skin, which was then dyed green in the 1950s. It also had a cafe and an ice cream parlour with chrome furniture. The principal film in its opening week was ‘Barnacle Bill’ and its star Denis O’Neil appeared on stage at the launch, telling audiences “I think the Moderne is the most comfortable and the most beautiful theatre I have ever been in.”
Within two years, it had been bought by Portsmouth Town Cinemas, who also owned the nearby Ritz cinema. Both cinemas shared the same newsreel and the film would be shown in one venue first before the rewind boy would run across the road and deliver the newsreel to the other.
It also staged local talent contests and skiffle competitions and several big names got their first breaks at the Moderne.
The last film to be shown there was Peter Sellers’ ‘Wrong Arm of the Law’ in 1963.
Comments(38)
oversixty
says...
3:39pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Fond childhood memories of Saturday visits for me! Then a visit to the cake shop on the corner of Ensbury Park Road!
muscliffman
says...
3:51pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Another long closed (1959) late 1920's 700 seat cinema, The Victoria, also still stands in Moordown on Wimborne Road - opposite and south of the Moderne. The original awning remains above several small shops in Victoria Parade as a roadside clue.
muscliffman
says...
4:02pm Sun 3 Feb 13
oversixty
says...
4:06pm Sun 3 Feb 13
muscliffman wrote:Not up the the Moderne standards though!
Further to last post, on checking it is evident that 'The Victoria' Cinema Mooordown in it's last few years became 'The Ritz' - which is indeed mentioned in this article.
Lord Spring
says...
4:17pm Sun 3 Feb 13
oversixty wrote:Geralds was the cake shop
Great news!
Fond childhood memories of Saturday visits for me! Then a visit to the cake shop on the corner of Ensbury Park Road!
oversixty
says...
4:20pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Lord Spring wrote:Thanks! How could I forget! (Old age?)
oversixty wrote:Geralds was the cake shop
Great news!
Fond childhood memories of Saturday visits for me! Then a visit to the cake shop on the corner of Ensbury Park Road!
Stale cakes on a Saturday morning!
saynomore
says...
4:23pm Sun 3 Feb 13
John T
says...
4:39pm Sun 3 Feb 13
saynomore wrote:saynomore...careless talk costs lives :0)
As a child we used to get "stales" from the kiosk at the side of Geralds then we got sneaked in for free at the Moderne by a mates Mum who was an usherette.
colmoor12
says...
4:46pm Sun 3 Feb 13
John T wrote:yes i used to go on a saturday morning kids shows when i was 9 or 10 and geralds when there after school. winton boys sec. fond memories
saynomore wrote:saynomore...careless talk costs lives :0)
As a child we used to get "stales" from the kiosk at the side of Geralds then we got sneaked in for free at the Moderne by a mates Mum who was an usherette.
oversixty
says...
5:04pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Arjay
says...
5:08pm Sun 3 Feb 13
colmoor12 wrote:Those of us in the junior school in Oswald Rd used to hope there weren't too many of the 'big boys' from Coronation Ave in Gerald's Bakery...
John T wrote:yes i used to go on a saturday morning kids shows when i was 9 or 10 and geralds when there after school. winton boys sec. fond memories
saynomore wrote:saynomore...careless talk costs lives :0)
As a child we used to get "stales" from the kiosk at the side of Geralds then we got sneaked in for free at the Moderne by a mates Mum who was an usherette.
The Winton boys weren't known for their 'queuing' ability, and we'd get shoved out the way so they could get at the stale cakes first....
I remember the 'rich kids' upstairs in the Moderne on Saturdays... they used to pelt us with mint imperials.....
As you say, happy days....
saynomore
says...
5:23pm Sun 3 Feb 13
John T wrote:Its OK I think she died of old age rather than a hit man from the Moderne :o)
saynomore wrote:saynomore...careless talk costs lives :0)
As a child we used to get "stales" from the kiosk at the side of Geralds then we got sneaked in for free at the Moderne by a mates Mum who was an usherette.
oversixty
says...
5:58pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Linguist
says...
6:21pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Arjay wrote:I think i was one of those "big boys" Arjay. LOL.
colmoor12 wrote:Those of us in the junior school in Oswald Rd used to hope there weren't too many of the 'big boys' from Coronation Ave in Gerald's Bakery...
John T wrote:yes i used to go on a saturday morning kids shows when i was 9 or 10 and geralds when there after school. winton boys sec. fond memories
saynomore wrote:saynomore...careless talk costs lives :0)
As a child we used to get "stales" from the kiosk at the side of Geralds then we got sneaked in for free at the Moderne by a mates Mum who was an usherette.
The Winton boys weren't known for their 'queuing' ability, and we'd get shoved out the way so they could get at the stale cakes first....
I remember the 'rich kids' upstairs in the Moderne on Saturdays... they used to pelt us with mint imperials.....
As you say, happy days....
High Treason
says...
6:37pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Hazel Thorby
says...
6:47pm Sun 3 Feb 13
lionheart
says...
6:55pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Great memories.
I was walking past the other day for the first time in years and noticed it had been revamped.
I poked my head around the door to the reception and some guy kindly showed me around.
Cosmic Crusader
says...
11:07pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Morrigan
says...
12:31am Mon 4 Feb 13
Well done Moderne! I think it will truly be an asset to the community :o)
ps - did that building become a VW car dealership in the late 70/early 80's? If so, I worked there are a Receptionist for a while when I left school :)
Routers
says...
12:48am Mon 4 Feb 13
oversixty wrote:That was Gerralds the bakery
Great news!
Fond childhood memories of Saturday visits for me! Then a visit to the cake shop on the corner of Ensbury Park Road!
muscliffman
says...
1:39am Mon 4 Feb 13
Morrigan wrote:No, I think you must have worked in the unusual drive through/up/down multi-storey car garage/Dealership next door to the Moderne. This was also a very modernistic design for it's time and suited this newly expanding leafy part of Bournemouth 1920/30s suburbia.
What a lovely story - and what is even nicer is that everyone is reminiscing and not **** at each other.
Well done Moderne! I think it will truly be an asset to the community :o)
ps - did that building become a VW car dealership in the late 70/early 80's? If so, I worked there are a Receptionist for a while when I left school :)
It does also survive, but is split into smaller units and is a shadow of what it once was. For a time I recall it was a part of local car/van dealer and coachbuilder 'Lee Motors'. It had pavement petrol pumps until the late 1950s - at least. (Lee Motors other (main) premises remain as well - nearer Winton).
This particular garage building must be a rare survivor ot it's kind, normally only seen today in vintage wooden toy form. Perhaps another Moordown treasure of historic value that would be worthy of restoration to it's heyday condition?
Baywolf
says...
6:39am Mon 4 Feb 13
Lord Spring
says...
8:06am Mon 4 Feb 13
Flea Pit well did they go around with the Spray when it was the Plaza before The Continental
Morrigan
says...
8:41am Mon 4 Feb 13
muscliffman wrote:Thank you. I haven't been that way for a long time, but I loved working there - the shops were good and always interesting. Many a happy lunch break spent in spending my wages lol
Morrigan wrote:No, I think you must have worked in the unusual drive through/up/down multi-storey car garage/Dealership next door to the Moderne. This was also a very modernistic design for it's time and suited this newly expanding leafy part of Bournemouth 1920/30s suburbia.
What a lovely story - and what is even nicer is that everyone is reminiscing and not **** at each other.
Well done Moderne! I think it will truly be an asset to the community :o)
ps - did that building become a VW car dealership in the late 70/early 80's? If so, I worked there are a Receptionist for a while when I left school :)
It does also survive, but is split into smaller units and is a shadow of what it once was. For a time I recall it was a part of local car/van dealer and coachbuilder 'Lee Motors'. It had pavement petrol pumps until the late 1950s - at least. (Lee Motors other (main) premises remain as well - nearer Winton).
This particular garage building must be a rare survivor ot it's kind, normally only seen today in vintage wooden toy form. Perhaps another Moordown treasure of historic value that would be worthy of restoration to it's heyday condition?
whataboutthat
says...
9:16am Mon 4 Feb 13
Life of Brian?
rarnold
says...
10:39am Mon 4 Feb 13
smoothhead
says...
12:03pm Mon 4 Feb 13
oversixty wrote:Hi Oversixty - thanks for all the positive comments about our item but just to clarify I'm not the son of Keith Rawlings.
Is Greg Rawlings the son of Keith Rawlings by any chance?
smoothhead
says...
12:07pm Mon 4 Feb 13
rarnold wrote:Thank you for the compliment "rarnold" on behalf of the whole team here..
I had the privilege of singing here just before Christmas and have seen the Life Centre at various stages of refurbishment. Greg and the team have truly done a fantastic job and it's a wonderful venue for the town! Congratulations on the project, and I hope you continue to go from strength to strength!
Greg
smoothhead
says...
12:09pm Mon 4 Feb 13
Hazel Thorby wrote:Hazel...nope I'm not their son...at least I'm pretty sure I'm not their son !!!!
If Gregg is Eileen & Keith's son which I I am sure he is, this will be a great success, my feelings are that they are doing it with Keith in mind, I had met Keith on a few occasions a nicer chap you could not meet, all I can say to Gregg and Eileen is brilliant news and its nice to see the "Old Modern" which I went to every Saturday morning being opened again. Hazel Thorby (Kinson School & Village Memories.
oversixty
says...
1:04pm Mon 4 Feb 13
smoothhead wrote:Thanks for letting us all know and all best wishes for the future of the project!
oversixty wrote:Hi Oversixty - thanks for all the positive comments about our item but just to clarify I'm not the son of Keith Rawlings.
Is Greg Rawlings the son of Keith Rawlings by any chance?
Routers
says...
2:39pm Mon 4 Feb 13
Lord Spring wrote:The Continental Cinema was at the Corner with Alma Road and Wimborne Road if I remember, near to the Fish Shop
Sweaters or seaters I presume either could apply,
Flea Pit well did they go around with the Spray when it was the Plaza before The Continental
oversixty
says...
3:13pm Mon 4 Feb 13
Routers wrote:Correct.
Lord Spring wrote:The Continental Cinema was at the Corner with Alma Road and Wimborne Road if I remember, near to the Fish Shop
Sweaters or seaters I presume either could apply,
Flea Pit well did they go around with the Spray when it was the Plaza before The Continental
Arjay
says...
5:31pm Mon 4 Feb 13
whataboutthat wrote:whataboutthat is not trying to wind you up.
"We might also look to do evening sessions or special themed nights.”
Life of Brian?
He's a very naughty boy!.....:-)
Lord Spring
says...
9:17pm Mon 4 Feb 13
oversixty wrote:But it was the Plaza before being renamed The Continental which was owned by Harry Mears. There was underground Public toilets alongside in Alma Road.
Routers wrote:Correct.
Lord Spring wrote:The Continental Cinema was at the Corner with Alma Road and Wimborne Road if I remember, near to the Fish Shop
Sweaters or seaters I presume either could apply,
Flea Pit well did they go around with the Spray when it was the Plaza before The Continental
oversixty
says...
9:33pm Mon 4 Feb 13
Lord Spring wrote:I can only remember it as the Continental.You must be a lot older than me!
oversixty wrote:But it was the Plaza before being renamed The Continental which was owned by Harry Mears. There was underground Public toilets alongside in Alma Road.
Routers wrote:Correct.
Lord Spring wrote:The Continental Cinema was at the Corner with Alma Road and Wimborne Road if I remember, near to the Fish Shop
Sweaters or seaters I presume either could apply,
Flea Pit well did they go around with the Spray when it was the Plaza before The Continental
Lol!
I do remember the toilets though!
yesitsmeagain
says...
5:57am Wed 6 Feb 13
Spaszyc
says...
7:30am Wed 6 Feb 13
spooki says...
3:23pm Sun 3 Feb 13