Work has now started on refurbishment of the building, although sadly for pub use rather than the cinema/community plan. It is not clear whether the few original features surviving inside will be retained.
Various archive and current photos can be found here:
This cinema is better known by it’s original name of Green’s Playhouse. A more detailed history, including extensive galleries of the interior after closure and during demolition, can be found here:
A gallery of photographs of the surviving atmospheric interior just prior to demolition has been posted on the local Member of Parliament’s website here:
I should also add that the spell of dereliction in the 1980s before becoming bingo meant that even the 1960s Cinerama interior had to be replaced, with new splay walls and a simpler false ceiling.
Like Lilli, we recently surveyed the interior, and were dismayed to find that most of the Matcham plasterwork had not survived above the later alterations, as had previously been thought, although the shadow of some decoration is still visible on parts of the ceiling.
We were also unable to get access to the balcony staircase, where some original painted glass survives, as photographed by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments for Scotland website, here:
As well as the recent survey images, you will also find a 1911 programme, a photograph of the Cinerama interior and a link to a newsreel of the Cinerama opening on the British Pathe website. Keep checking back, as we have also recently been gifted a series of archive images showing the fairly heavy alterations in progress when County Bingo took over in the 80s, including the new walls, floors and ceilings in the auditorium, and the removal of the 1930s projection booth, and these will be added shortly.
Some slight clarification to the history of the building – it originally only had two balconies, not three. The alterations in 1931 also involved the building of an entirely new proscenium and projection box at the rear of the top balcony, and were carried out by W.R. Glen.
The 1963 Cinerama conversion involved the removal of the front half of the top balcony, the remains of which were hidden aboved a false ceiling. For Cinerama, therefore, only the stalls and first circle were used, with an entirely remodelled interior, mostly using curtained walls and a false ceiling.
Although now called the Carling Academy, Glasgow, the cinema is best known by it’s original name, the New Bedford. As mentioned, the cinema was built on the site of its predecessor, which was destroyed by fire in 1932. The first New Bedford had been a conversion of a church, and was still fairly recognisable as such externally. The New Bedford is right next door to the Coliseum, a conversion of a Frank Matcham music hall and theatre of 1905, originally opened as Moss’s Empire. The Coliseum was given major makeovers in 1931 and 1963, the latter being a total rebuild to become Glasgow’s Cinerama venue. After closure in 1980, and a spell on bingo, it now lies derelict, in sharp contrast to the newly restored Bedford next door.
This cinema closed on January 7th 2006. Current plans for the building involve the demolition of the interior behind the retained outer walls, for use as shops, restuarants and a nightclub. The main facade is supposedly to be restored to a closer version of the 1934 original than was done during the 1999 refurbishment.
The Picture House is actually the name for the housing development on this site, the cinema itself was never called this – it opened as The Ascot in 1939, designed by Charles McNair, with seating for 1,963 patrons. Over the years, it changed names to Gaumont, then Odeon. It closed in 1975 to become bingo, and lay derelict for a spell before the redevelopment.
Although award-winning, the redevelopment has actually left very little of the orginal cinema intact. Only the small, twin-towered foyer block remains, behind which lie a few flats. The rest of the flats were built in a seperate block just behind the facade, where the auditorium once was. No trace of the auditorium remains, which is truly a great loss, since it was an excellent example of a suburban super. In fact, so little of the original building remains that one has to wonder what the point of affording it statutory protection was – this destruction took place despite the cinema being Grade B listed by Historic Scotland.
For an idea of how the original cinema appeared, and photographs of the demoliton and redevelopment, go to:
Work has now started on refurbishment of the building, although sadly for pub use rather than the cinema/community plan. It is not clear whether the few original features surviving inside will be retained.
Various archive and current photos can be found here:
View link
Further information, including an extensive gallery of interior shots taken during demolition, can be found here:
View link
A photograph of the original atmospheric interior can also be found here:
View link
Further information, including some archive material contributed by Steve, can be found here:
View link
More information on the Glen, including a gallery of surviving interior features above the current false ceilings, can be found here:
View link
Further information and photographs can be found on our Largs page here:
View link
This cinema is better known by it’s original name of Green’s Playhouse. A more detailed history, including extensive galleries of the interior after closure and during demolition, can be found here:
View link
A gallery of photographs of the surviving atmospheric interior just prior to demolition has been posted on the local Member of Parliament’s website here:
http://www.tomharris.org.uk/Toledopics.php
Please note this link seems to only work properly in Internet Explorer, and produces wacky results in other browsers!
I should also add that the spell of dereliction in the 1980s before becoming bingo meant that even the 1960s Cinerama interior had to be replaced, with new splay walls and a simpler false ceiling.
Like Lilli, we recently surveyed the interior, and were dismayed to find that most of the Matcham plasterwork had not survived above the later alterations, as had previously been thought, although the shadow of some decoration is still visible on parts of the ceiling.
We were also unable to get access to the balcony staircase, where some original painted glass survives, as photographed by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments for Scotland website, here:
View link
The link to our webpage on this cinema, as posted by Lost Memory above, has changed, and you can now find our latest material here:
View link
As well as the recent survey images, you will also find a 1911 programme, a photograph of the Cinerama interior and a link to a newsreel of the Cinerama opening on the British Pathe website. Keep checking back, as we have also recently been gifted a series of archive images showing the fairly heavy alterations in progress when County Bingo took over in the 80s, including the new walls, floors and ceilings in the auditorium, and the removal of the 1930s projection booth, and these will be added shortly.
Some slight clarification to the history of the building – it originally only had two balconies, not three. The alterations in 1931 also involved the building of an entirely new proscenium and projection box at the rear of the top balcony, and were carried out by W.R. Glen.
The 1963 Cinerama conversion involved the removal of the front half of the top balcony, the remains of which were hidden aboved a false ceiling. For Cinerama, therefore, only the stalls and first circle were used, with an entirely remodelled interior, mostly using curtained walls and a false ceiling.
Although now called the Carling Academy, Glasgow, the cinema is best known by it’s original name, the New Bedford. As mentioned, the cinema was built on the site of its predecessor, which was destroyed by fire in 1932. The first New Bedford had been a conversion of a church, and was still fairly recognisable as such externally. The New Bedford is right next door to the Coliseum, a conversion of a Frank Matcham music hall and theatre of 1905, originally opened as Moss’s Empire. The Coliseum was given major makeovers in 1931 and 1963, the latter being a total rebuild to become Glasgow’s Cinerama venue. After closure in 1980, and a spell on bingo, it now lies derelict, in sharp contrast to the newly restored Bedford next door.
This cinema closed on January 7th 2006. Current plans for the building involve the demolition of the interior behind the retained outer walls, for use as shops, restuarants and a nightclub. The main facade is supposedly to be restored to a closer version of the 1934 original than was done during the 1999 refurbishment.
The Picture House is actually the name for the housing development on this site, the cinema itself was never called this – it opened as The Ascot in 1939, designed by Charles McNair, with seating for 1,963 patrons. Over the years, it changed names to Gaumont, then Odeon. It closed in 1975 to become bingo, and lay derelict for a spell before the redevelopment.
Although award-winning, the redevelopment has actually left very little of the orginal cinema intact. Only the small, twin-towered foyer block remains, behind which lie a few flats. The rest of the flats were built in a seperate block just behind the facade, where the auditorium once was. No trace of the auditorium remains, which is truly a great loss, since it was an excellent example of a suburban super. In fact, so little of the original building remains that one has to wonder what the point of affording it statutory protection was – this destruction took place despite the cinema being Grade B listed by Historic Scotland.
For an idea of how the original cinema appeared, and photographs of the demoliton and redevelopment, go to:
View link