Penrith Alhambra, Millgate, Penrith

PENRITH ALHAMBRA ALTERATIONS - The Penrith Alhambra cinema opened its main front entrance yesterday evening, after alterations in that part of the building had been going on for nine weeks. The new entrance is unrecognisable. There is not a thing unchanged. It is striking as one approaches from the outside. and still more so when one inspects the interior, where chromium plating and modern use of tinted glass lighting produces a pleasant spaciousness. The staircase which formerly led up to the gallery on either side of the main hall has been replaced by a new and broad staircase running up the middle of the crush hall. The walls of this hall are decorated in plastic paint—a revival of an old system of ornamentation in which the paint is applied about a quarter of an inch and then a design like engine-turning is made in it by means of combs. The whole is sprayed with gold, silver and bronze paint, and the lighting over this gives a remarkable shot effect, softening towards the ceiling, which has a delicate mother-of-pearl finish. The flooring on both this hall and the entrance vestibule has been carried out in Flexoform terrazzo, by Italians who have been doing similar work at the Winter Gardens at Blackpool. It is done in a colourful and very modern design. The staircase carries tiling of very thick rubber - the work of a firm which has been similarly engaged in cinemas and public buildings throughout Europe and has only recently concluded a contract in Paris. Horizontal metal rails are incorporated into the balustrade.

Between this hall and the street is the vestibule in the centre of which is the pay-box. and which is separated by two sets of folding doors from the street and from the crush hall. The pay-box is of the latest design. with a pleasant ornamentation of coloured glass lighting of louvre shape. It is fitted with the latest automatic ticket machines. The doors and skirting board are in imitation oxidised brass relieved with ornamental metal panels. Both the entrance and crush halls have lighting partly in the modern sprit, with boxes and cubes of light, and partly by lamps held by gilded figures. The ceilings are stepped, which increases the general feeling of spaciousness. At the Mlddlegate front entrance there is an illuminated sign fascia over a massive portal containing doors on austere lines with stainless steel ornamentation. In the auditorium also some improvements have been carried out, principal among them being the continuation of the back stalls into the middle stalls, with modern type of barrier erected between the two. There has also been improvement to the decorations, but further work is intended in that direction. 

The architect engaged has been Mr. J. C. Derham. LRIBA, Blackpool, who specialises in theatre work and is architect to the Blackpool Tower Company and the Blackpool Winter Garden and Pavilion Company. He designed the Olympia, on the site of the old Big Wheel. the Congress Hall and restaurants. the new Floral Hail, and many other innovations at the Tower and Winter Gardens. The general contractors engaged on the scheme have been Messrs. Chadwick Brothers, Blackpool, and the constructional iron work was supplied and erected Messrs. Dorman Long and Company, Middlesbrough. Mr Ambrose Palmer, Workington. was responsible for the decoration. Other contractors were : Terrazzo flooring, Messrs. Cooke, Huddersfield; rubber stair covering, Leyland and Birmingham Rubber Company; plastering, Messrs. Arkwright, Blackpool; electric lighting. Messrs Nelson Brothers, Blackpool; plumbing. Messrs. Coop. Blackpool; art metal decorative glass, Messrs Doodson and Baines, Manchester. The work has been expeditiously carried out, and by the erection of temporary pay boxes on the Queen Street side of the building it has been possible for the cinema to remain open during the alterations. the new entrance opened yesterday. [Penrith Observer 21 November 1933 page 5]

Reference    Penrith Observer 21 November 1933 page 5