WENTWORTH & ELSECAR
The history of the silver screen
Before the days of television and the internet, going to the pictures to watch a feature film was a favourite pastime. For many people, cinemas and the films they projected were windows onto a new world.
The opening of the Elsecar
Electra Palace, on 27th August 1912, marked a new era in the entertainment facilities of the Hoyland district, and enabled local people to have pleasure and enjoyment at a minimum cost. Between 1910 and 1940 a
number of large, elaborately decorated movie theatres, known as picture palaces sprung up across Britain. Back then, cinema wasn’t
competing with smaller screens: it was spectacular, but it was also a place of luxury, a respite from the norm, a dream palace where you could purchase shelter, stimulation and excitement at less than the price of an evenings light and fire. Regular seats were priced at
twopenny or fourpenny, making the cinema affordable to all. The more discerning visitors could recline
in luxury beautifully upholstered, lounge tip-up seats at a cost of sixpenny. Few original cinemas remain
today but the Electra Palace stands proudly; a fine example of an early custom-built cinema and a visual reminder of days gone by. The Electra Palace changed
ownership over the years which was reflected in the name, becoming The Palace in May 1938 and the Futurist from August of the same year. Even in the 1960’s cinema was
thriving and it wasn’t unheard of to queue for two hours prior to a performance starting reaching even as far back as the station. The vast auditorium once rang
with the laughter of up to 600 film fanatics but the curtain came down in June 1985 when the last movie was shown.
‘‘the Electra Palace stands proudly; a fine example of an early custom- built cinema and a visual reminder of days gone by’’
At the time of the Miner’s strike
when people faced financial hardship and with the increasing popularity of television at home, the number of cinema visitors dwindled. Sadly, not a single person turned up for the farewell. At the turn of the
millennium, the Electra Palace had been for sale for over a year without any interest and was facing the possibility of being demolished. However its fate was about to take a turn for the better when retired television engineer Trevor Miller was driving past in 2001. “I was travelling in my
vintage car, escorting newlyweds on their wedding day when I noticed an interesting building for sale. The place looked completely derelict with a tree growing through the roof, but it still intrigued me,” remarked Trevor. He contacted Smiths
immediately to enquire about the price and when he was told it was just £35,000, Trevor didn’t hesitate to buy the building. He embarked on a lifetime
project to convert the former cinema into a habitable private residence he now calls home. Trevor still has the original projector which takes pride of place in his living room – the former auditorium. Trevor hailed from Spotborough
so has only learnt about the fascinating history of his home from
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the local community sharing with him their memories of trips to ‘the Bug hut’ as it was known and tales of working there. Legend has it that there were a few double seats in the back row for young romantics. As a lover of nostalgia, you may
even catch sight of Trevor, driving his 1937 London Taxi; 53 years after he purchased it at a cost of £50 paying it off at £5 per month. Trevor delights in the history of
the cinema over the years and if anybody has any experiences or stories related to the Electra Palace or The Futurist cinema, please do get in touch with Trevor by post at The Electra Palace, The Futurist, Hill Street, Elsecar, Barnsley, S74 8DB
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