GALLERY- January 2005

Photographs of the Picturedrome, Sleaford, Lincolnshire. It opened in 1920 and was still showing films up until 2000. It is now known as "Flicks" nightclub. The modern Photos are circa 1994/95 and are curtesy Mervyn Gould. A reprint of an earlier Bioscope article is at the bottom of the page.

We have received a correction on this article:

Information on Picturedrome Sleaford incorrect: TOM COTTERILL left in 1942 to open a pub at Kirkby la Thorpe nearby. (He had lost an arm in the RAF, & had a long and successful career as a publican). Manager 1942-1952 was a Star Cinema senior manager AUSTIN K BOTTOMLEY from the Empire Wombwell. Mr Bottomley then became a hotelier in Dunstable in 1952.
From: John K Bottomley (son) - ex Tudor Bourne, Empire Colne, Cinema House Rotherham, Regal Workop, Savoy Worksop, Picture House New Ollerton, & of course The Picturedrome Sleaford.

Widescreen - The renovated auditorium photographed from the circle in May
1967, showing the wings of the R.A.F. above the 29-foot wide screen.

The Picturedrome Cinema, Sleaford, started with a number of local businessmen getting together and buying land from a local coal merchant. They pooled their money and called the venture ‘The Sleaford Picture Palace Limited’, with the capital divided into 20,000 shares of one pound each.
The whole theatre accommodated 900 seats, with 150 seats being in the circle. The Picturedrome was designed by H. A. Thomas, who gave it generous dimensions. The proscenium has an artistic effect and the stage and orchestra were arranged so that the first row of seats were by no means too close to the screen.
Sleaford’s new Picturedrome was opened on Monday 8th November 1920, under the close scrutiny of Manager W. Needham, with the band of the Royal Air Force, Cranwell providing trumpeters on the roof garden. The programme consisted of three films Flip of a coin, Eye for an Eye and The Messenger. A Café opened shortly after the opening under the management of Miss H. Cadman, with a maplewood dance floor.
January 1921 saw a change of manager with J. Leyland taking charge, and he was replaced two years later by H. Goodson. The 1920s played host to many silent films and orchestral concerts.
The Picturedrome was the last cinema in Lincolnshire to show silent films, which took place on 23rd July 1931, showing What Price Glory. The installation of the sound equipment meant that the Picturedrome had to close for six days, and all films were shown at the Exchange Cinema, which was also owned by the ‘Sleaford Picture Palace Limited’. The first sound film to be shown on 30th July 1931 was Dark Red Rose.
During April 1934, further alterations and a re-decoration took place. The main work carried out was the extension of the balcony to provide accommodation for between 80 and 90 extra people.
In July 1939, Star Cinemas took over the lease of the Picturedrome, which also coincided with a change of manager, Tom Cottrell, who was to become a well-known figure in Sleaford for many years. One of his greatest concerns was the Young Citizens Matinée Club, and he became affectionately known as ‘Uncle Tom’ by the 500 members.
The biggest event to take place during the 1950s at the Picturedrome was the installation of CinemaScope. Alterations that took place were the fitting of a 29-foot concave screen, new curtains, and a new projector and anamorphic lens.
The re-opening night was 14th March 1955, showing Rose Marie, starring Howard Keel and Ann Blyth. This was seen by over 2,000 people in two days. During this period other attractions were seen at the cinema, such as professional free-style wrestling, Carnival Queen competitions and an ice-skating extravaganza.
Tom Cottrell left in October 1956 (see Note above in introduction) and was replaced by L. Beale, who in turn was replaced by L. Gray in May 1958. Mr Gray was manager until 1964, when Mrs Cox took over as manageress. She had over 30 years experience at the Picturedrome.
Star Cinemas’ lease expired in 1968. Filey Enterprises took control of the Picturedrome from Star Cinemas in April 1968 and it was decided to close the cinema down for six weeks for alterations. During the period of inactivity on the screen, a massive modernisation programme was undertaken on the auditorium. A new and larger screen, better sound and projection equipment, and much more pleasant and comfortable surroundings were designed to bring back the missing audiences.
On 28th December 1968, the Picturedrome was re-opened to a packed house, when that epic of all westerns, How the West was Won (Debbie Reynolds, Carroll Baker, Lee J. Cobb and Henry Fonda), began a three-day showing. Mrs J. Cox continued as the Picturedrome’s manageress for three more years up to her retirement, and then Frank Haxby took control in June 1971 as her replacement.
During the 1970s, many cinemas closed down or were converted over to bingo halls or supermarkets. Sleaford Cinema, as it was now referred to, saw an annual increase by about 10% of the number of people coming to see films. In 1978, Filey Enterprises celebrated ten highly successful years, with the top film of that year being Grease (John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John), the delightful 50s style musical. Of the 44 Grease performances shown, 35 were sell-outs, and a total of 15,085 saw the film.
Early in 1980, the owners of Filey Enterprises decided to build a second cinema in the former café. The new auditorium, seating 60, and featuring stereo sound, had been built to a design by manager Frank Haxby, and represents £20,000 investment by the owners. Converting the former café had to negotiate some critical margins in the placing of seats, and the aiming of the projection, clearing obstacles by only a fraction of an inch in certain cases.
The new unit had its first showing on 11th April 1981, with Flash Gordon (Sam J. Jones). Known as Cinema 2, with seats being bookable in advance and priced at £1.60, it has been designed to avoid the pitfalls which the public complain of many cinemas elsewhere. Soft decor and lighting, plus a 14-foot screen and full stereo sound help create an authentic cinema environment. Cinema 1 and Cinema 2 operated alongside each other for the next three and a half years.
In October 1984, shock news came with the announcement that Sleaford’s 600 seat Cinema 1 was to close due to problems with the heating system and that such a large cinema was proving to be too uneconomic to run. The final night was 25th October 1984, showing Blame it on Rio, with an audience of six people. The 600-seat auditorium did not see any life until spring 1985 when the projection equipment, screen and other fittings were sold to another cinema.
In April 1985, a local building firm took control of the former Cinema I, and converted ft into a snooker club. The alterations for this were as follows: the foyer was divided into two halves, the floor in the stalls was levelled, the stage was demolished, and bricked up to the ceiling, girders were provided to support the ceiling from the circle balcony, a new pay-box was built for the cinema, the manager’s office converted into toilets, and a new fire escape built from the former circle.
Back in December 1984, Frank Haxby bought the lease for Cinema 2, and thus F. J. Haxby cinema shows was born. Today, in June 1992, the present 60-seater is the only cinema in Lincolnshire to have 7-track prologic sound, and is the oldest surviving cinema in the county.