The Explore
SO this was a nice evening explore with Rincewind and Acid-Reflux, we even had an extra guest join us later on in the form of a very plucky rat (named Arthur after one of the patrons in our local) who proceeded to watch us light painting for a fair while, props if you spot him in a photo
The sight is currently a popular hang out for kids sneaking off for a joint and a chill, being fair to them they haven't trashed it (yet) and despite hearing them once and a while they were no harm or harassment to anyone (which we have found to be the case whenever we run into kids).
The cinema seems really strange without the seats, judging the depth of steps is very difficult in the pitch black and I nearly went boots over bra a few times, similarly I would recommend a good mask and solid boots as the nails from the old seats, vast quantity of poop and kamikaze pigeons make for an interesting if not a little tentative explore! Also couldn't get any shots in the projections room as I was too busy trying not to throw up chicken nuggets, props to the lads for setting foot in there!
History shamelessly stolen from Wikipedia
The ABC Cinema in Wakefield was an Art Deco building that was designed for Associated British Cinemas by in-house architect William R. Glen and opened as the Regal Cinema on 9 December 1935.
Not as large as some later ABC houses the Regal accommodated 1,594 but had a full stage 26 feet (7.9 m) deep behind the 43 feet (13 m) wide proscenium. The interior was rather plainer than many of Glen's cinemas with concealed lighting under the balcony and at the rear of the ceiling and pendant fittings casting light upwards towards the front of the cinema. It was renamed ABC in 1962. In 1976 it was divided into three screens with Screen 1 seating 532 in the balcony using the original screen and projection suite and Screen 2 (236 seats) and Screen 3 (170 seats) in the rear stalls area. In this form it reopened on 11 November 1976. In 1986 ABC's cinemas were sold to The Cannon Group. In December 1996 Cineworld opened a multiplex in Wakefield and in 1997 the ABC closed. In 2007 Blockbuster Entertainment sought planning permission to convert the building into 119 one- and two-bedroom flats, eight shops and a rooftop garden. In 2009 the City of Wakefield granted planning permission, but the project did not go ahead. In December 2013 a property company, PS & S Ltd, applied for planning permission to demolish the building and replace it with a modern apartment block.
Photo time
Couple of exteriors...
The remainders of old seats in the lower level, this is full of rather stinky, stagnant water (mmm tasty)
Couple of shots from the foyer/Lobby (it is my first time light painting so hope these are up to scratch )
Old toilets and the way up to the projection room (pigeon palace!)
And a few of the better ones of the actual screen/seating area of the cinema and the stuff left in there
Thanks for looking and a huge thank you to the lads for spending a small age teaching me how to do things on my camera!
Much Love
JaneEyre!
SO this was a nice evening explore with Rincewind and Acid-Reflux, we even had an extra guest join us later on in the form of a very plucky rat (named Arthur after one of the patrons in our local) who proceeded to watch us light painting for a fair while, props if you spot him in a photo
The sight is currently a popular hang out for kids sneaking off for a joint and a chill, being fair to them they haven't trashed it (yet) and despite hearing them once and a while they were no harm or harassment to anyone (which we have found to be the case whenever we run into kids).
The cinema seems really strange without the seats, judging the depth of steps is very difficult in the pitch black and I nearly went boots over bra a few times, similarly I would recommend a good mask and solid boots as the nails from the old seats, vast quantity of poop and kamikaze pigeons make for an interesting if not a little tentative explore! Also couldn't get any shots in the projections room as I was too busy trying not to throw up chicken nuggets, props to the lads for setting foot in there!
History shamelessly stolen from Wikipedia
The ABC Cinema in Wakefield was an Art Deco building that was designed for Associated British Cinemas by in-house architect William R. Glen and opened as the Regal Cinema on 9 December 1935.
Not as large as some later ABC houses the Regal accommodated 1,594 but had a full stage 26 feet (7.9 m) deep behind the 43 feet (13 m) wide proscenium. The interior was rather plainer than many of Glen's cinemas with concealed lighting under the balcony and at the rear of the ceiling and pendant fittings casting light upwards towards the front of the cinema. It was renamed ABC in 1962. In 1976 it was divided into three screens with Screen 1 seating 532 in the balcony using the original screen and projection suite and Screen 2 (236 seats) and Screen 3 (170 seats) in the rear stalls area. In this form it reopened on 11 November 1976. In 1986 ABC's cinemas were sold to The Cannon Group. In December 1996 Cineworld opened a multiplex in Wakefield and in 1997 the ABC closed. In 2007 Blockbuster Entertainment sought planning permission to convert the building into 119 one- and two-bedroom flats, eight shops and a rooftop garden. In 2009 the City of Wakefield granted planning permission, but the project did not go ahead. In December 2013 a property company, PS & S Ltd, applied for planning permission to demolish the building and replace it with a modern apartment block.
Photo time
Couple of exteriors...
The remainders of old seats in the lower level, this is full of rather stinky, stagnant water (mmm tasty)
Couple of shots from the foyer/Lobby (it is my first time light painting so hope these are up to scratch
)
Old toilets and the way up to the projection room (pigeon palace!)
And a few of the better ones of the actual screen/seating area of the cinema and the stuff left in there
Thanks for looking and a huge thank you to the lads for spending a small age teaching me how to do things on my camera!
Much Love
JaneEyre!
