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Thank you for supporting the Friends of the Scala Cinema and Arts Centre!

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to the official website of The Friends of the Scala Cinema and Arts Centre.

Together with the residents of Prestatyn and the town's neighbouring communities, and with the support of Prestatyn Town Council and Denbighshire County Council, we are dedicated to promoting and supporting our town's historic Scala Cinema and Arts Centre.

The original Scala Cinema, which opened during 1913, was sadly forced to close in December 2000, due to neglect and the high cost of much needed repairs. The Friends of the Scala have continued to work tirelessly since 2001, and are committed to ensuring the town, its residents and the welcome visitors to Prestatyn receive a quality, manageable and sustainable modern replacement cinema and theatre facility.

Construction of the new Scala commenced in February 2007 and it was completed in late 2008. When the Scala re-opened on Friday February 13th in 2009, its state of the art facilities began to help regenerate our town of Prestatyn, whilst also helping to increase employment and boost tourism. The new Scala Cinema will also provide much needed modern and comfortable facilities for a variety of community and volunteer groups.

Prestatyn's new Scala will provide a convenient and exciting digital cinema, the first in Wales, bringing the town's residents and visitors the very latest blockbuster films, quality exhibition facilities and an exciting theatre venue.

This website exists so that you can learn more about what we do, who we are, why the Scala is so important and how you can help us to preserve an important and vital part of Prestatyn's heritage. Thank you for visiting us.

Up to date news and developments concerning Prestatyn's Scala Cinema and the Friends of the Scala

This page contains our most recent news articles, keeping you up to date with the Friends of the Scala and news concerning the development of Prestatyn's Scala Cinema and Arts Centre. Previous news articles are available within our dedicated News Archive forum, where registered members are most welcome to add their thoughts, comments and feedback.


Scala's History book

Dated: 19 June 2009 - 03:22 PM

With the official opening of the new Scala Cinema, Theatre and Arts centre at 5 pm tonight, what better time for dedicated member and local historian Fred Hobbs and Friends of the Scala to launch there new book detailing the history of the cinema before it became the Scala, Saronie and his life.


Fred has put a tremendous amount of hours writing and researching the Scala and its past. He will be at the Scala from 11 am today with the Friends selling and signing his book. The limited edition books are on sale for 5.99 pop down and get one to enjoy and a keepsake of the old Scala.

Time capsule in cinema milestone celebration

Dated: 20 April 2009 - 01:45 PM

Time capsule in cinema milestone celebration

A special time capsule will be buried to commemorate the opening of the Scala Cinema and Arts Centre in Prestatyn, the first independent all-digital film cinema in Wales.

Pupils from schools in the Prestatyn area will place items of interest to them in the time capsule, which will then be buried in the grounds of the venue's courtyard. The schools are: Ysgol y Llys, Ysgol Penmorfa, Ysgol Melyd, Bodnant Infants and Juniors, Ysgol Clawdd Offa, Ysgol Tir Morfa and Prestatyn High School.

The time capsule will be buried on Thursday, April 23 at 10.45am. Councillor Joan Butterfield, the Vice Chair of Denbighshire County Council, and Councillor Anne Horobin, Mayor of Prestatyn will join in the celebrations and a commemorative plaque will be erected to mark the occasion.

Councillor Rhiannon Hughes, Chair of the Scala Trustees Board, said: "We are delighted that local schools are getting involved in this initiative and we look forward to seeing what kind of imaginative and interesting things they would like to see buried relating to modern life in 2009. We will also be including copies of local newspapers in the capsule.

Chris Bond, General Manager of the Scala, said: “This is the latest milestone in the development of the Scala and plans are being progressed to officially open the building in June.”

The £3.5 million redevelopment of the Scala now includes two cinemas, performance space, café bar and meeting rooms. It has been funded by Denbighshire County Council, Welsh Assembly Government, Prestatyn Town Council, the Foundation for Sport and Art, the Arts Council for Wales and the UK Film Council.

Source: Dcc website

Friends of the Scala April's meeting 09

Dated: 25 March 2009 - 10:13 AM

The date for April's meeting was updated yesterday on this main page but i have received word this morning that this has been amended. The next meeting for April 09 will be Thursday 16th April at 7:30pm not the 17th as advertised.
I apologise for the confusion the meeting will still take place at Ty Pendre (top of the high street next to the cross foxes)
Thank you.

Friends of the Scala

Dated: 24 March 2009 - 12:10 PM

Friends of the scala would like to thank everyone involved for donating money towards the publishing of our History book written by Fred Hobbs and Friends of the Scala.

Up to date we have received a massive 485.00 pounds towards the cost of publication and the donations are still coming in, the cost of publication is large but Friends of the Scala think this is a worthy cause and marks the great cinemas past and fight to be rebuilt in history.

Anyone wishing to purchase books when publication is complete will be able to do so from varied locations to be advertised when full details have been finalised.

Friends of the scala are still asking for anyone wishing to make a donation towards the book of group funds to come forward there are a number of ways in which you can do this Cheques can be sent to:

Sandra Pitt (Chair)
Friends of the Scala
301 Victoria Road
Prestatyn
Denbighshire
LL19 7UT

Cash can be donated and handed to the treasurer Melanie Pitt at any of our public meetings or fundraising events or the fast and easy method of donating on line using Friends of the Scala's safe paypal service.

To do this go to our main website pages www.prestatyn-scala.info, click the donations page at the top of the home page, and click the yellow paypal donate button, this will take you to paypals secure pages to donate online.

A huge thank you once again for all the help and dedication from the people of Prestatyn and surrounding areas who have supported us throughout the years to get this wonderful new building up and running again.

Share your memories of the Scala

Dated: 26 February 2009 - 07:07 AM

The Scala Cinema and Arts Centre Manager Chris Bond is calling on residents in the local community to put their Scala Cinema memories down on paper and bring them into the Scala so that they can form part of a Community exhibition which will look at the proud history of Cinema in the Town.

Posted Image
Chris said: "Now that we have the new centre we do not want to forget what has happened in Prestatyn over the last 100 years. We are applying for funding to establish a permanent exhibition of the history of Cinema and the Arts in Prestatyn and are asking residents to record all their memories and experiences and bring them into the Cinema. We would also welcome items of memorabilia and photographs which could form part of the exhibition".

Sandra Pitt, who has been Chair of the Friends over the last 8 years and is a member of the Trust set up to run the Scala said: "We now have a wonderful new building and feel very strongly that people who visit the building should also have an opportunity to find out about its glorious past. We are also hoping that a book recording the history of the Scala will soon be published."


Anyone wanting to share their memories should contact Chris Bond, Centre Manager on 01745 850197.

From a news release issued by DCC on behalf of the Scala Trust, Prestatyn.

Big screen flickers back to life

Dated: 16 February 2009 - 05:35 PM

A 90-year-old cinema is reopening its doors after a long-running community campaign.

The Scala in Prestatyn, Denbighshire, was forced to close in December 2000 under the weight of repair bills.

But its screens will come to life again on Friday, after £3.5m was spent turning it into an arts centre.

Posted Image
Among those attending the celebrations will be Pat Smith, who has waited eight years to use cinema tickets she won in a raffle.

"My granddaughter came home from school with some raffle tickets, which I bought. I won two tickets to admit me into the Scala cinema," explained Mrs Smith.

"She kept saying to me 'when are we going to the cinema - when will we go?' and she is still waiting."

Her original tickets were valid until 2001, but the theatre shut its doors before she had chance to use them.

Her granddaughter is now 16, but on this special occasion the new cinema says it will honour the old tickets.

The original Scala first opened in 1913, after taking over the town hall in Prestatyn and could hold 400 people in its 1940s heydays.

The new arts complex boasts two digital film screen theatres, each seating 150 people, an IT media centre, a cafe and bar.

'Wow' factor

The success of the project is also a tribute to dedicated members of the Prestatyn community who refused to accept that the Scala would stay shut.

"When they threatened the fact that it was going to be disposed of, the people of the town were in uproar," recalled Sandra Pitt, chairperson of Friends of Scala.

"We decided to set up a small group to get it back, which is what we have done.

"We thought they would just do up the old cinema and we would have it safe again.

"But now we've got the 'wow' factor. It's not just a cinema and theatre, there's the IT media room, the cafe bar - it's a fantastic facility for such a small town.

"We never even dreamt of having this."

The whole project has been funded by the assembly government, the Arts Council for Wales, the Foundation for Sports and the Arts, the UK Film Council, and both the town and county council.

On Friday's opening night, the cinema has decided to show the Oscar-nominated Disney animation Bolt, and it will also be showing the award-winning Slumdog Millionaire in its first week.

Of course, one of the first in the queue will be Mrs Smith, who is delighted to finally use her tickets won in the raffle.

"To see it close was devastating, and to see it open will be nice. People have fought hard to get it open, and we need to use it," she added.

Source: View the original article with video interview at the BBC News website.

Prestatyn cinema history book

Dated: 05 February 2009 - 10:54 AM

A Prestatyn historian has documented the rise of a local cinema which has grown into Wales’ first all-digital venue.

The £3.5m Scala Cinema and Arts Centre opens its doors on Friday, February 13. To mark the occasion, historian Fred Hobbs has published a book that delves into the building’s past and its rise from the ashes.

The original Scala Cinema was forced to close in December 2000 due to neglect and the high cost of maintenance.

The Friends of the Scala worked tirelessly to save it from 2001.

Memories from its heyday feature in the book along with material from the archives.

It will go on sale to raise money for cinema volunteers to buy uniforms.

People who offer donations of £5 can have their names added to the book.

More information, call 01745 888154 or 07886 754871 or send a cheque payable to Friends of the Scala to 301 Victoria Road, Prestatyn, LL19 7UT.

Source: Daily Post

Please note that if you would like to have your name included in the book, you can also make a £5 donation on-line using your preferred debit/credit card or PayPal account via our website's Donations page. Don't forget to state your donation is for the book using the payment form's comments section. Thank you!

Prestatyn's Scala cinema reborn

Dated: 29 January 2009 - 11:38 AM

WALES' first all-digital cinema, which was delayed for two months, is set to lift the curtain on Friday, February 13.

The £3.5m new-look Scala Cinema and Arts Centre in Prestatyn was stalled because of bad weather and technical problems.

Last night, general manager Chris Bond said the unveiling would start with award-winning film screenings.

"We're delighted to be able to confirm the opening night for The Scala and look forward to opening the doors and showing off the venue for the first time," he said.

"I know that once the public have the opportunity to see the new venue they will be as excited as all those involved in the project are to finally see it open."

Local man Chris, who as a child was a member of the Little Theatre Rhyl and the Flintshire Youth Theatre, added: "I have always wanted to have the opportunity to come back to Prestatyn, so taking up the position at the Scala of which I have so many fond memories is wonderful. I feel privileged to be part of it."

The Scala will offer two 150-seat auditoria both with high definition digital projection systems, one of which will also offer live performance space.

In addition there will be community rooms available for meetings and training, and a café bar.

The centre will also offer a media suite available for training and hire.

It was meant to open in December but a hitch with equipment delayed work for two months.

Bad weather also meant time was lost to builders at the start of the construction project.

The development has been backed by Denbighshire Council, together with Prestatyn Town Council and Welsh Assembly.

Earlier this year, the Daily Post reported how the Scala was to receive a share of a £70,000 grant from the UK Film Council. The £5,467 has been spent on two audio description systems.

In April, Denbighshire council pledged to support the complex, and the project received an additional £101,000 from the Assembly.

The original Scala Cinema was forced to close in December 2000 due to neglect and the high cost of maintenance.

The Friends of the Scala have continued to work tirelessly since 2001 and are committed to ensuring the town, residents and visitors to Prestatyn receive a "quality, manageable and modern replacement cinema and theatre facility".

A spokesman said: "The new-look Scala will regenerate our town."


Source: Daily Post.co.uk

The Prestatyn Scala Co Limited

Dated: 13 October 2008 - 10:18 AM

The Scala Prestatyn Co Ltd are now in a position to invite members of the local community to consider and apply for volunteering roles within the new and very exciting cinema and arts centre in Prestatyn. We are aiming for a start date in November/December and are very keen to have a band of volunteers trained and ready for the opening.

Roles will be mostly front of house duties including manning beverage and sweet counters, and seat ushering within the cinemas. Other opportunities will be available in the Scala which will also be used for a variety of arts events.

Our team of volunteers will provide a very important service and will act as our ambassadors for the Scala, under the direction of the management team.

For application form and role description, please contact Jonathon at the Pop In Centre in Prestatyn on 01745 857722. If he is not available, please leave contact details on the answer phone.

We will be working closely with Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council whose advice and support will be welcomed by the Trustees.

Scala

Dated: 13 October 2008 - 10:11 AM

Latest News
The following work within the Scala Cinema in Prestatyn is now complete:
  • The seating now installed in both auditoriums

  • Hand over from RL Davies (the contractor) to Denbighshire County Council took place on Monday the 22nd of September 2008

  • The lighting rig in the second auditorium has been installed

  • Acoustic panels in both auditoriums have been fitted

  • The stage installation has been completed and the cinema installation will be ongoing through to the end of October with a view to testing and commissioning.

  • The ticketing counter will be installed by the 31st of October

  • Newman Online have successfully tendered for the ticketing system

  • Colours within the building include orange, red, brown, grey, black, vivid green and yellow!
Source: DCC website updated 1/10/08

Don't forget, you can read previous news articles and add your comments in our dedicated News Archive forum.

Scala Prestatyn Logo
  • View the latest film releases on a 'state of the art' high definition digital projection system.
  • Relax in luxurious seating for up to 150 people per screen.
  • Meet up with your friends in the licensed cafe/bar.
  • Full on-line booking is now available at the Scala Prestatyn website.

Our next public meeting


The date and location of the next public meeting of the Friends of the Scala ...

Thursday 16th April 2009 at 7:30pm Ty Pendre top of high street next to the Cross Foxes.

Your opinions on Prestatyn's new Scala!

We've started a new poll to guage your feedback on Prestatyn's brand new Scala Cinema and Arts Centre.

Please feel free to rate your experience following your visit. Thank you.

Following your visit to the new Prestatyn Scala Cinema, how do you rate your experience?


Brilliant, I loved it!
It was very enjoyable.
It was okay.
I'm undecided.
I didn't like it.
I had a poor experience.
I haven't visited yet.


We have currently received a total of 29 online votes via this poll.

Previous poll results are available in our results archive.

Interested in vintage photos, prints and maps of Prestatyn, Rhyl and neighboring towns? You can support the Friends of the Scala by purchasing direct from the Frith Collection available here. Thank you!

Community Forums

Our community forums provide the perfect platform to share your memories of Prestatyn's much loved Scala Cinema or to discuss the new replacement Cinema, local community news and fundraising ideas:

Enter the Message Board
Scala Chronology

 

An expanded Scala Slideshow and Chronology with a larger text size version of this timeline is available here.


1872 - James 'Saronie' Roberts born in Liverpool.

1900 - July 26th. Prestatyn's Town Hall opened, owned by a solicitor Mr Ffoulkes Roberts who practiced at Denbigh.

1901 - Auditorium added.

1910 - James rented and began screening films at Prestatyn's Town Hall under the name of Saronie's Enterprises.

1910 - Roberts screened the funeral of late King Edward VII. His funeral procession is said to have been one of the the first occasions when colour news film, Kinemacolor, was used.

1912 - James Roberts changed his name to Saronie as he felt it was more impressive in his work as a cinematographer.

1913 - Saronie had taken over the Town Hall and renamed it the Scala Cinema.

1915 - May. Saronie showed the first colour film of Prestatyn at the Scala. He also showed films to the troops from Kinmel Park.

1930 - March. Saronie showed his first 'talkie' picture at the Scala Cinema. In the same year, Saronie modernised and enlarged the Cinema. Seating for 400 people was installed.

1933 - The monster movie King Kong had its North Wales premier at the Scala (pictured above) with queues extending halfway up the High Street.

1963 - Saronie ended his cinema career, selling the Scala to Prestatyn Urban District Council, later to become Prestatyn Town Council.

1964 - The Scala's fascia and arches were covered with the 'modern' blue and green frontage it still sports today and the building's clock tower was removed. The large window surrounds and brick archways were substantially destroyed.

1967 - June 16th. Saronie sadly passed away from a stroke at his home at 'Hillcourt', Mount Ida Road, Prestatyn. He is buried at Meliden Church.

2000 - December. Prestatyn's Scala Cinema was forced to close for safety reasons due to deteriorating structural condition, after screening its final film How the Grinch stole Christmas.

2001 - February. Public Meeting at the Nova. Agreed to set up a Scala Advisory Group with representation from all key interests in the community. The Advisory Group would provide a sounding board and a steer for the project. A revised application was submitted for Arts Lottery funding to carry out the Scala Feasibility Study and initial public consultations were carried out via questionnaire survey.

2001 - March. Friends of the Scala were set up to lobby councillors and get the cinema re-opened. First meeting of Scala Advisory Group and Arts Council for Wales award Lottery grant for Scala Feasibility Study.

2001 - May. Further deterioration of the structural condition of building was discovered. External scaffolding was required to support the main auditorium.

2001 - July. The structural condition of the auditorium continued to deteriorate. Decision eventually taken to demolish the auditorium. In November, a draft ‘Vision’ document for the new Scala was agreed by the Advisory Group and published for comments followed by a public meeting.

2003 - December. New twin screen cinema plans revealed, designed by London-based architects Burrel Foley Fischer. A community room, studio for theatre use, visual arts gallery, café bar and improved access for the disabled are included.

2003 - January. The Scala Advisory Group agreed to set up a charitable company to manage and operate the proposed new cinema. A second, more detailed study into the renovation proposals, was commissioned and cost in the region of £50,000 to look at how much money the Scala would be expected to make upon opening.

2004 - October. The Welsh Assembly Government awarded a cash boost for the project providing Denbighshire Council £200,000.

2005 - October. The long-running campaign was been boosted by the offer of a £1.5m grant by the Welsh Assembly Government's Physical Regeneration Fund, offered to Denbighshire County Council. The total cost of the regeneration scheme is now estimated to be around £3.5m.

2006 - May 25th. DCC issued a press statement stating they were moving forward with the next phase of four major projects including the Scala Cinema. Cllr Paul Marfleet, Lead Member for Finance said "the Scala Arts Centre project plays a pivotal role in the regeneration of the town."

2006 - September 19th. DCC issued a press release stating the people of Prestatyn have been given two months to prove that they can make the Scala work as a community project. Denbighshire County Council unanimously decided to give Prestatyn Town Council and residents until November to prove that they can take forward the project. Pending that decision, the allocation previously made for the project should be moved elsewhere. The decision came following a thorough debate on the Capital Plan in which nearly twenty members spoke and which resulted in the unanimous decision. Journal Press Article.

2006 - September. Sandra Pitt, Chairperson of Friends of the Scala thanked the Councillors who represent Prestatyn, for their support in our campaign to re-open the new Scala Cinema, Arts Centre, Live Theatre and Café Bar. She called community effort to assist in the fundraising and to show support for the new Scala. Street collections, supported by Prestatyn's Environmental Association and CoastFM Radio helped raise funding and awareness.

2006 October. Friends of the Scala and Prestatyn and District Environmental Association delivered voting forms to as many Prestatyn households as possible. Support was overwhelming.

2006 November 4th. Ann Jones AM collected the vote forms from the Friends of the Scala (see photo). The votes were taken by Ann Jones to be presented to Edwina Heart, Minister at the National Assembly.

2006 November. Friends of the Scala launched their official website to generate support and raise awareness online.

2006 November. At a private meeting, Prestatyn councillors unanimously pledged to contribute up to £1 million towards the Scala project. However, the move depended on whether Denbighshire County Council, at a crucial meeting on November 21, would choose to support the £3.4 million scheme. If they decided to scrap plans for the facility, then £1.5 million in Assembly grants would be lost. Read more.

2006 November. Friends of the Scala was successful in becoming an officially registered Charity.

2006 November 21st. Denbighshire County Council voted yes to the new Scala going ahead at their Cabinet meeting. Campaigning had finally paid off. Read the full DCC Press Statement. See who supported your Scala Cinema and Arts Centre.

2007 January 24th. DCC confirmed the Scala funding was finally fully secured and that construction work would start by March 2007.

2007 January. DCC confirmed that a contractor had been chosen. Dave Bellfield from R.L. Davies Ltd of Colwyn Bay, said: "We are delighted to have secured the contract to build the new Scala Cinema and Arts Centre, as we know how much this scheme means to the people of Prestatyn." Read more.

2007 February. Work commences on the new Prestatyn Scala Cinema!

2007 March 13th. Community call for Scala! Denbighshire County Council issue a press statement reporting local people are being given the opportunity to get involved with planning for its opening. Read more.

2008 September 22nd. Hand over from RL Davies (the contractor) to Denbighshire County Council took place on Monday the 22nd of September 2008.

2009 February 13th. Brand new Scala Cinema and Arts Centre opened to the public.


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