Considered to be the North's oldest purpose-built cinema, the Empire Electric Palace opened on 21st November 1910. It was designed by local architects, Henry Gibson and Pascal J. Stienlet and seated 900 people. The inaugural programme included talks and screenings of early films including 'A Rural Romeo', 'Cowboy Chivalry' and 'Sorrows of the Unfaithful', all accompanied by The Bijon Orchestra. It closed in 1968 and was then turned into a Bingo Hall and is currently a car parts and accessories shop known as Speedos. After discovering that much of the original decor from the cinema years had been retained, a group was set up in 2015 in the hope of buying the building and restoring it back to a working cinema.
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"Here, as if preserved in a time capsule, is a taste of the Edwardians at play.
More intact than anyone might dare to hope is the fabulously ornate plasterwork.
Arrayed before us are rows of seats – We’re pretty sure they’re the originals.
Ryhope's old Grand Electric Cinema – also now supporting the auto industry as a makeshift garage is destined to be taken down brick by brick and rebuilt at Beamish Museum.
'They got the wrong one', said Mr Eversedge with a smile.
This place does indeed seem a little less battered than its fellow survivor in Ryhope. But it was quickly explained to me that Beamish wouldn’t have much joy in deconstructing this place because it supports still functioning buildings on either side."
Chronicle Live, 1st December 2015
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