Deluxe Cinema

Deluxe Cinema
Full name	Deluxe Leisure Centre
Former names	Hippodrome Theatre (1907-1912); Royal Cinema Deluxe (1912-1965); Deluxe Bingo (1970-present)
Address	{{safesubst:#invoke:Separated entries\|br}}
Type	Amusements/Bingo
Genre(s)	Bingo/Snooker/Amusements
Capacity	Theatre - 1500
Construction
Opened	30 March 1899
Architect	Ernest Runtz
Builder	Peter Jenkins

The Empire Theatre of Varieties opened on the 30th March 1899 on the site vacated by the Marine Hotel. Designed by Ernest Runtz, a well known Theatre designer and built using 1.25 million bricks by local builder Peter Jenkins.

The outside of the building was clad with ornate terracotta tiles and topped with two copper clad domes. It also featured a balcony at first floor level. The interior was elaborately decorated with Ivory coloured walls, gilding, satin and velvet upholstery and plush green carpet. The building could accommodate 1,500 persons.^[1]

The theatre was renamed the 'Hippodrome Theatre' in 1907. Just 5 years later in 1912 it was converted into a cinema and renamed again this time as the 'Royal Cinema Deluxe' , it would keep this name (dropping the 'Royal' at some point) until 1965 when the cinema closed and was converted into a Bingo hall. At this point the original interior remained untouched but in 1970 the buildings interior was completely gutted and a floor build where the Circle once was. Any trace of its original fittings was burnt or dumped. At the same time the entrance and ground floor facade were also destroyed and Orange chipboard constructed over the terracotta tiles and an plastic canopy installed.^[1]

The ground floor became an Amusement arcade.

In 1978 further changes took place with the addition of snooker/pool halls and a restaurant.

Name changes by date

Name	From	To	Number of Seats
Empire Theatre of Varieties	1899	1907	1500
Hippodrome Theatre	1907	1912
(Royal) Cinema Deluxe	1912	1965
Deluxe Snooker and Bingo	1965

Images

Images
Deluxe Site Clearance
124a
Pelham Place c1903
Pelham-Place-and-the-Royal-Hippodrome-Theatre.-1903.
The-Parade-c1905.
Sandcastle-competition-Pelham-Beach.-1906.
The-ongoing-fascination-with-Sea-Shells.-1908.
Marine-parade-circa-1910
Pelham-Place-1910.
Pelham-Crescent-and-Parade-with-Beach-Terrace-to-where-the-car-park-occupies-today.-1923.
Children-doing-fitness-exercises-on-Pelham-Beach.-1925.
The-Sandringham-Hotel-Pelham-Crescent.-1937.
1946-3
Pelham Place c1952
Trolleybus outside Deluxe 1959
Dive 85 Pelham Place
Deluxe Cinema 2010