Old Parkstone cinemas - did you know about all of these?

Here are some of Parkstone’s old cinemas:

Victory Palace Cinema - Ashley Road, Parkstone

The Victory Palace Cinema was opened in 1920 and was located on the corner of Ashley Road and Jubilee Road.

The picture house opened with Jack Devereaux in Grafters and Hazel Dawn in One of Our Girls.

The Victory Palace Cinema closed on February 24, 1935, and the last movies shown were Tenderfoot with Joe E Brown and High Society starring Florence Desmond.

It was demolished soon after and the Regal Cinema built on the site.

Regal cinema - Ashley Road, Parkstone

The Regal Cinema opened on September 18, 1935, on the corner of Ashley Road and Jubilee Road - the old site of Victory Palace Cinema.

The first movie shown there was Peg of Old Drury featuring Anna Neagle.

The large cinema, built in an art deco style with wood panel internals, oozed opulence at the time.

With flashy proscenium lighting and boasting a café, it was a modern cinema that rivalled the best.

Lynn Forster commented on Facebook group We Grew Up in Bournemouth and Poole: “Saturday morning 6d to get in”

She continued: “Good old days the younger generation of today don’t know what they missed.”

The Regal Cinema closed on October 12, 1963, with Frank Sinatra’s Come Blow Your Horn.

“My sister and I went to the Saturday morning kids' session at the Regal,” commented Lyn McDonald.

“Six pence downstairs and nine pence upstairs.”

After a spate of disruptions at the hands of rowdy hooligans, the Regal closed and was demolished to make way for retail units that now include Iceland supermarket and Coral bookies.

Wendy Good commented: “Watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers four times and Calamity Jane four time.”

“Loved those two films.”

Whitehall Premier Picture Palace - Ashley Road, Parkstone

The Whitehall Picture Palace was opened around 1910 at 51 Ashley Road.

Any trace of the old picture house has long gone and on the site is a house.

Plaza Cinema - Parkstone

This cinema, once located on Sandbanks Road, near the railway bridge, isn’t likely to be remembered by anyone still alive today.

The Bioscope Hall opened around 1909 and was soon renamed Plaza Cinema.

It was Parkstone’s first cinema but was soon closed when others began opening for business on Ashley Road.

Bijou Cinema - Ashley Road, Parkstone

The Parkstone Empire Cinema was opened around 1911, but, by 1914, at the beginning of The First World War, it had been re-named Bijou Cinema.

This small cinema closed during those war years and the space is now occupied by So Hair & Tanning salon.