DORSET'S 'smallest' museum will be opening its doors for one day only next month.
The Regent Centre in Christchurch has a cinema museum in the projection box on the roof of the theatre in the High Street.
Thought by some to be Dorset's smallest museum, it will open up for special tours on Saturday, October 8 at 10am, 11am, 12noon, 2pm and 3pm.
Since the introduction of digital cinema at the Regent in 2012, the projection box has only had to house the new digital projector, leaving space for three local cinema enthusiasts to create a museum.
Philip Stevens of Mudeford, a former Board member and Regent projectionist, John Thornley of Bournemouth, a former projectionist at the Rex in Wareham, the last cinema in Dorset to use the old carbon arcs to illuminate a film projector and Bob Dobson of Bournemouth, a former cinema engineer for Westrex and projectionist at the Regent Cinema, combined their expertise and enthusiasm to turn the historic box into a cinema museum.
The Regent opened as Christchurch’s cinema on Boxing Day 1931 and is now a beautifully restored example of an early Art Deco cinema.
Today, the centre has a programme of live theatre and concerts, cinema and satellite broadcasts of prestigious artistic events from around the world including the Metropolitan Opera, New York, the Royal Ballet and the National Theatre.
Memorabilia includes projectors, red velvet seats, anamorphic lenses for showing cinemascope films, old 35mm trailers, including an end of programme God Save the Queen trailer, VHS trailer videos, cinema posters, stills, slides and hanging cards used to advertise films at the Regent.
Philip, John and Bob are also appealing for people to share stories, memories and memorabilia with them from the golden age of the silver screen at the Regent.
Contact Philip Stevens on 07552 781184 or philipstevens31@talktalk.net.
Tickets are £5 per person from the Regent on 01202 499199.
Space restrictions mean that each tour will only take six members of the public at a time, so early booking is strongly advised.
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