Newlyn Coombe

Under the upper floor of the Meadery, the floor still has the slope where the seats used to be.

The Gaity Cinema in the early nineteen fifties, as I remember. From the foyer there were two doors going in, one door led under the screen into a well with steps up to that sloping floor. The front stalls were for the 5p customers and were segregated by a barrier from the back rows which were accessed from the second foyer door.
Usually the show format was much the same, an old well worn feature and a B film (plus news cartoon etc), this program was changed over once a week after Wednesday. This gave an option of going twice in six days (all closed on Sunday). Usually after their onion dinners a French fishing crew would turn up in their clogs clattering over the wooden floors and steps. Once the seats were full the film started, when practically everybody engaged in some serious smoking - All blends of cigarettes - Goulouise, Woodbines, Star and fishermen’s pipe tobacco of ready rubbed “don’t ask” mixtures. The screen diffused slowly behind a blue flickering fog in an atmosphere much like a kipper curing shed.
The usual diversions cropped up sometimes during the show - broken film, meltdown on stopped projector or most favourite in the Gaity was a stalls customer forced into a toilet visit, trying to watch the film on the way and falling over the steps into the well.
For its time a night out like this would be planned and looked forward to indeed on some evenings and every Saturday, in all extremes of weather, there would be a long queue of people waiting to get in.
Good to see the building still in use - was it built as a cinema? Is there access to anywhere else on that side of the bridge

I will see what I have - I am fairly certain I have the original plans and elevations.

Yes, I do - the original drawing by Frederick Drewitt in January 1921, built as a cinema; I will start a section on cinemas.

Thank you Treeve. What came to mind was with no other access was the bridge built for the cinema? If not what might have been there before?

The bridge was an integral part of the design; I have a bit more searching to do, as I think there are coloured prints of the drawings. Bear with me - I will start with the alternative Ritz .

Can t be many cinemas with their own bridge. Handy for the commissionaire on Saturday crowd control

The unwanted clientele could well end up with a damp reception.

@trevelyan, I think it was run by Mr Proctor, who also ran the cinema at St. Just.

I expect occasionally Mr Proctor stood in the doorway of his cinemas , as they did then, welcoming Families in and giving a stern look to unaccompanied young people,indicating that any inappropriate behaviour would be dealt with.
The St. Just cinema I can remember going to only once along with the evacuee who was looked after my Aunt from there - wonderful entertainment.