Cineworld Cinema - Loughborough

Although I now live in Southend-on-Sea, Loughborough is my home town and, on visits to see my father, I was able to periodically document the construction of the Cineworld. I have numbered these “Construction photographs” as “1 of 22”, etc. The first ones were taken in February 2015, when the foundations were being dug out.

I well remember the former General Hospital (though thankfully I had little need of its services!). It had been built in 1863, with many additions over the years, especially in the 1930s, but had become very outdated. It had closed in March 2003 and was eventually demolished in 2012.

The question now is whether a medium-sized town such as Loughborough can support two multi-screen cinemas. When I made my first visit to the Cineworld, in December 2016 to see “Allied”, starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, there was clearly a price war, with seats for standard 2D films, all day every day, being just £5.00, to counteract the Odeon’s £4.00. As a new, purpose-built multiplex the Cineworld clearly has the advantage, but it would be a shame if the historic Odeon was forced to close.