In article , Stephen
Furley writes

I've never been there; I know that it was closed for a while some
years ago, due to roof problems, I think. I don't know what equipment
is installed there now. It wasn't mentioned in a decent discussion on
the Film-tech forums on carbon arcs on the U.K., so I assumed it had
now converted to xenon, do you know?


English Heritage forced the local council to restore the roof on the
Dome itself when they let it fall into disrepair. Cost them £250K and
worth every penny. It was leased to Robins Cinemas but is now in the
hands of a trust who are applying to the lottery etc for cash.

When I visited the box 4 or so years ago it was still on carbons, and
the projectionist gave me the full tour. I was there looking at places
used in the film 'Wish You Were Here' much of which was shot on the
south coast at Worthing and Bognor.

As far as I know it is still carbon.

And it is still the oldest working cinema in Britain.

Death to the multiplex!

Until a couple of years ago, the Plaxa, Oxted was still running
Peerless Magnarcs, on Simplex machines If I remember correctly, and
the New Royal at Faversham had Kalee Presidents on pre-war BTH
machines. Both of these have now re-equipped, and were the last that
I was aware of in the South of England.


Never been to either of those, they sound nice.

The Astra, Duxford (part of the Imperial War Museum) had carbon arcs,
and the Projected Picture Trust gave occasional shows there, but I
believe that it is now no longer open to public visitors to the
Museum.


PPT has an excellent museum at Bletchley Park (Station X). Well worth a
visit.

At least one of the preview theatres at Pinewood Studios was still on
carbons a few years ago, but there was talk of it converting.


I believe it is still carbon.

I was told that the Tyneside Cinema still had two screens on carbons a
few months ago, and there was another somewhere, Scarborough?, that
was still carbon, but who's future was uncertain. That's about it for
this country, as far as I know.


There used to be a carbon based cinema in Wiltshire - I think it was
Salisbury but it got pulled down to make way for a Doctor's surgery.

I have Bell and Howell 609 16mm carbon arc, weighs a ton!

The State, Grays closed, but the foyer was used as a club for some
years, and the auditorium was still used from time to time for organ
concerts, until the club closed. At that time the box was still fully
equipped, one of the three projectors, both the follow spots, a '50s
Philips and a '30s Stelmar, and the Brenograph were still carbon. I
don't know what has happened to the place since closure.

The old Chiltern Cinema in Beaconsfield still had all the gear in the
box when SBDC who owned it sold it to the highest bidder. It is now a
kids play centre.

I had a look round before it was sold (had been shut for years), very
majestic inside.

Shame it's gone.
--
Andrew
Electronic communications can be altered and therefore the integrity of this
communication can not be guaranteed.
Views expressed in this communication are those of the author and not
associations or companies I am involved with.