“I THINK the Moderne is the most comfortable and the most beautiful theatre I have ever been in; and no doubt you will agree with me.”

Those were the words of Irish singer Denis O’Neil, as he made a personal appearance on stage during the Moderne cinema’s opening weekend.

As opening gambits go, it was a bold one. But fortunately it paid off. The Moderne may have been the third cinema to open on Wimborne Road – along with the Ritz and the Continental – but it soon earned a special place in many people’s hearts.

Built by local builders and opened in October 1935 by one of Moordown’s oldest residents councillor Mrs A Tiller, the Moderne was strikingly different from its counterparts.

Designed by Edward G de Wilde Holding in an art deco style, it featured everything that was fashionable at the time – curves, columns, illuminated brickwork and fake leopardskin furnishings.

It also boasted a cafe and ice cream parlour, complete with stylish chrome furniture, and had seating for 1,500 people and standing room for an additional 300.

After it was purchased by Portsmouth Town Cinemas, which also owned the Ritz, both cinemas were able to cut costs by sharing the same newsreel. A film would be shown firstly at the Moderne before the reel boy would run across the road and deliver it to the Ritz.

The Saturday morning children’s film showings were especially popular, with local kids able to while away hours watching back to back features.

One former Oswald Road resident, writing on the Winton Forum website, recalled: “For some years I attended Saturday morning cinema where the regular diet was the cowboy film, the cartoon and Pathe News and the serial which always had a cliff-hanger ending to bring you back next week.

“The noise was awful, I recall. You could rate the film by the audience response – if we were quiet it was boring, if we were noisy it was exciting.

“We even went to the Moderne twice with our school (Winton and Moordown) in 1953 – first to see the film of the Coronation and then for the Ascent of Everest.”

And, also on the Winton Forum website, Christopher Way shared his memories of Saturday morning matinees and also the talent competitions and life performances by local bands.

“All in all, the Moderne was the pinnacle of entertainment within the Winton area, frequented by many who could not afford to go to town of an evening,” he said.

The skiffle competition, held in the 1950s, was the most notable of the talent contests held at the Moderne. The most famous winners were the Dowland Brothers, who went on to release a number of records in the 1960s.

As television grew in popularity, cinema declined and the Moderne showed its last film – Peter Sellers’ Wrong Arm of the Law – in 1963. It then became a bingo hall but continued to host rock acts in the 1960s, including Freddie and the Dreamers and Gerry and the Pacemakers.

The Gala bingo hall closed in 2008 and the building remained derelict until it was purchased by Bournemouth Community Church, who have sympathetically renovated the building and reopened it as a community and events venue called the Life Centre. Part of the restoration project has included renovating the auditorium which is now ready to welcome film fans once again.

It will show its first film for 50 years when The Hobbit screens on Wednesday, February 20 and Saturday, February 23. Tickets cost £2.50 on the door.