Photos of how a new cinema will look in Beamish Museum’s 1950s town have been revealed – as the popular tourist attraction looks to build on its historic project.

Opening in 2023, The Grand cinema will be part of the 1950s Town, giving people a chance to experience a trip to the pictures during this “golden age” of cinema.

The cinema, which is styled on The Grand in Ryhope, Sunderland, will be recreated and brought to life, screening films, period newsreels and adverts.

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On Monday (June 27) - Beamish Museum released several images of how the new facility could look once built, and how it would fit in with other 1950s elements already there.

The Grand was hugely popular in its heyday in the 1950s, often selling out its seats.

The main auditorium will include a stage, screen, pit benches and the more expensive upholstered seats.

Visitors will be able to look behind the scenes at the projection room and learn about the skilled role of the projectionist.

The Northern Echo: An artist impression about how the new cinema in the 1950s town council look. Picture: BEAMISHAn artist impression about how the new cinema in the 1950s town council look. Picture: BEAMISH

The Grand at Beamish will have both day and evening offers, with options of feature length films at set times as well as showing archive footage, shorts, and news during the day.

The Grand in Ryhope originally closed in the 1960s and later became a bingo hall.

It was donated to the museum by Angela and Gary Hepple.

The Northern Echo: How the inside of the heritage cinema will look. Picture: BEAMISHHow the inside of the heritage cinema will look. Picture: BEAMISH

In 2020, The Grand was dismantled, and any re-usable parts brought to Beamish to be incorporated into the 1950s Town cinema.

Smaller items had already been removed from the building such as bits of paperwork and some unique finds such as a golden syrup tin that had been fashioned into a light shade in the 1930s or 40s.

The cinema had a full paint survey carried out, so staff at the museum know exactly what colours the interior had been painted at every stage of its long and colourful history.

The Northern Echo: The cinema will join a host of new attractions joining Beamish in 2023. Picture: BEAMISHThe cinema will join a host of new attractions joining Beamish in 2023. Picture: BEAMISH

The building underwent a full architectural survey to assess which materials were suitable for salvage and re-use and to record any that could not be saved.

Cinema seats have been donated to the museum from the former Palladium Cinema in Claypath, Durham.

Beamish also collected a pair of projectors from Durham University.

The Northern Echo: An artist impression of how the cinema will fit in with the rest of the 1950s town. Picture: BEAMISHAn artist impression of how the cinema will fit in with the rest of the 1950s town. Picture: BEAMISH

Among the people involved in the project is Bill Mather, who was born in Ryhope and was a trainee projectionist at the cinema between 1950 and 1955.

He describes The Grand as a “Palace of Dreams” and used to visit from the age of five or six, before becoming a trainee projectionist from 10 years old.

Bill, who was born in 1940, shared his memories of the cinema in the 1950s with Beamish’s design team, recalling what it looked like inside and the appearance and location of features and objects.

Alongside the cinema, plans for an A Reece Ltd electrical shop and Romer Parrish toy shop in the 1950s Town are progressing, with the exhibits also due to open next year.

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