Two Kent Cinema Delights

I came across two lovely little cinemas last weekend when visiting Deal, Kent.

The Empire, Sandwich

The Empire

The Empire

The New Empire in Sandwich originally opened on 26th June 1937, operating as a cinema until the 1960s, then like many old cinemas, became a bingo hall for a number of years before been closed down completely (with a brief spell as a snooker club). In 1993 the Empire reopened as a cinema and continues to date to have daily screenings.

The Regent, Deal

The Regent

The Regent cinema in Deal started operating as a cinema on the 13th July 1933, having previously been a theatre (The Pavilion Theatre, Opened: 1928). Again in the 1960s the cinema closed down and it became a bingo hall that operated until 2009. The building currently stands vacant, however, there are plans afoot to turn it back into a cinema again in the near future.