How many of these old Parkstone cinemas did you know about?
Some of our readers still remember the Regal Cinema in Parkstone – but what about the area’s older picture houses?
Victory Palace Cinema – Ashley Road, Parkstone
The Victory Palace Cinema was situated at the intersection of Ashley Road and Jubilee Road when it first opened its doors in 1920.
Jack Devereaux starred in Grafters and Hazel Dawn in One of Our Girls when the picture theater first opened.
The final films shown at the Victory Palace Cinema before it closed on February 24, 1935, were Florence Desmond’s High Society and Joe E. Brown’s Tenderfoot.
Regal cinema – Ashley Road, Parkstone
On September 18, 1935, the Regal Cinema debuted at the intersection of Ashley Road and Jubilee Road, which had previously been the location of Victory Palace Cinema.
The first film screened there was Anna Neagle’s Peg of Old Drury.
At the time, the large cinema exuded opulence with its wood panel interiors and art deco architecture.
Impressive proscenium lighting and a café complemented this state-of-the-art theater that could stand up to the best.
“Saturday morning 6d to get in,” wrote Lynn Forster in a Facebook comment on the group We Grew Up in Bournemouth and Poole.
“Good old days, the younger generation of today doesn’t know what they missed,” she went on.
On October 12, 1963, Frank Sinatra’s Come Blow Your Horn heralded the closing of the Regal Cinema.
“My sister and I attended the Saturday morning children’s program at the Regal,” Lyn McDonald said.
“There are nine pence upstairs and six pence downstairs.”
The Regal closed and was demolished to make room for retail spaces that currently house the Iceland supermarket and Coral bookies, following a wave of disturbances caused by boisterous hooligans.
Wendy Good commented: “Watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers four times and Calamity Jane four time.”
“Loved those two films.”
Whitehall Premier Picture Palace – Ashley Road, Parkstone
The Whitehall Picture Palace was opened around 1910 at 51 Ashley Road.
Any trace of the old picture house has long gone and on the site is a house.
Plaza Cinema – Parkstone
This cinema, once located on Sandbanks Road, near the railway bridge, isn’t likely to be remembered by anyone still alive today.
The Bioscope Hall opened around 1909 and was soon renamed Plaza Cinema.
It was Parkstone’s first cinema but was soon closed when others began opening for business on Ashley Road.
Bijou Cinema – Ashley Road, Parkstone
The Parkstone Empire Cinema was opened around 1911, but, by 1914, at the beginning of The First World War, it had been re-named Bijou Cinema.
This small cinema closed during those war years and the space is now occupied by So Hair & Tanning salon.
I used to deliver the post to the Regal around 1964 I think long time ago now also the Co-op before that changed