Sadness and anger as second biggest town in North Wales loses its last cinema
A cinema-going tradition stretching back 119 years came to sad end in Rhyl this week. The resort’s large remaining cinema closed it doors on Sunday, January 19, after showings of Mufasa: The Lion King and repeat runs of Wicked.
Vue International, which had operated a seafront cinema in the town for more than 10 years, confirmed last November it would not be renewing the building’s lease. Denbighshire Council, the building’s owner, said it was saddened by the closure but the decision was taken for reasons over which it had no control.
The local authority said trading conditions were to blame and this is supported by recent film-watchers who reported sitting in half empty auditoriums. A new operator for the vacant building is being sought but no one has yet been lined up.
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Regulars were left devastated. One, a joiner, said online: “We are regular goers and are gutted. We loved it there. Been going for about 25 year. Great memories of my dad taking me and my brother to see the Lord Of The Rings trilogy each Christmas. Best films and cinema experiences of my life. Memories for a lifetime.”
Vue Rhyl was renowned for its cheap ticket prices, though parking could be problematic. For many residents, its closure marks the latest chapter in the resort’s ebbing fortunes: its signature SeaQuarium attraction is currently being demolished and WH Smith is shutting its Rhyl store in February. On social media, locals repeatedly grumbled about the resort resembling a “ghost town”.
In a video, Vale of Clwyd MS Gareth Davies said the cinema’s closure was “a sad day for Rhyl”. Mournfully, he added: “Look at what we were, and look at what we’ve become.” Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community
Rhyl’s first cinema opened in Market Street in 1906, billed as having “the steadiest pictures in the world”. Over the years it had many names but the most popular was the original – Cheetham’s. It was opened by Arthur Cheetham, a charismatic film maker who shot around 50 movies in Rhyl between 1898 and 1912. Many featured the ordinary life of Victorian and Edwardian locals and visitors, though they include firemen battling the Queen’s Palace fire of 1908. His 1899 film of Blackburn Rovers and West Bromwich Albion is the oldest known football film in Britain.
Cheetham first began showing films in Rhyl in 1897, and this noble tradition of community cinema continues in the town today with the likes of Rhyller Thriller and Wicked Wales Studios. But mainstream cinema has now been lost. The nearest alternatives for the second biggest town in North Wales are Scala Cinema in Prestatyn and Tywyn’s Assembly Rooms
One lifelong visitor said Rhyl’s cinema was a staple of her annual holidays. “Going to miss going to see films when we come on holiday – been coming to Rhyl for 60 years” she wrote online. “Not much else there now. It used to be a children’s paradise when we was growing up.”
A local enthusiast claimed the cinema the best sound, screen and value for money, labelling the decision it to close as “criminal”. A grandmother agreed, saying it was “crazy”. She added: “My granddaughters literally go every week, it’s such a shame. Another move that puts the kids out roaming the streets with nothing better to do."
The rise of TV streaming channels like Netflix, Prime and Disney+ is blamed for the loss of the town’s cinema-going heritage. Expressing disappointment, Denbighshire Council said: “After a number of years of a very positive relationship between the council as landlord and Vue Cinema as tenant, it was with deep regret that Vue Cinema approached the council advising that trading conditions resulted in them not renewing the lease.
“The council has worked with Vue Cinema over a long period of time by providing support to find a way of them continuing to trade. But it was a financial decision taken by Vue Cinema over which the council has no control. Whilst the council regrets this decision, it understands the financial reasons and would like to thank Vue Cinema for initially investing in the town and for doing all they could to try to keep trading.
“The council is working with other parties to secure a new operator for this site, but it is too early at this stage to make any further comment.” Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
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