Reel back the years at the Regal Cinema

As a young girl Meltonian Carol Graap (64) often used to sit in the projection box and watch her uncle, Denis Bull, do the films.

That was back in the days when it used to cost sevenpence to watch a film on a Saturday afternoon, with the ice cream lady making her way around during the break.

Carol’s uncle Denis and auntie Betty worked at the Regal for about 40 years, back when the cinema was owned by Bert and Kathleen Scarborough. They went onto progress to manager and manageress.

Carol, of Honeysuckle Way, said: “I don’t know when my aunt and uncle actually joined, it must have been the 1950s if not before. My uncle was a projectionist, with my aunt doing all the various jobs. They always worked together and when I was a little girl I used to sit in the cinema and take the tickets for them.”

Another familiar face at the Regal who had an important role to play was Sooty the cat.

Carol added: “There was always a black cinema cat on the roof which was always called Sooty. It used to catch any mice under the stage!”

It was an exciting era for Melton film-lovers who were spoilt for choice with two cinemas running together in King Street - the other one being the Plaza (which was next to where Melton Toys is now).

It’s understood the Plaza closed in 1974 and was demolished to make way for the Bell Centre and its car park.

And now the final curtain is beckoning for the Regal, with the 1930s cinema formally set to enter voluntary liquidation at a creditors’s meeting on July 12.

Carol said: “I was devastated when I heard the news. I have so many childhood memories there. It will be a terrible shame if no-one buys it.

“The staff who used to work there were like a family.

“Usherettes came and went but generally speaking people stayed because they enjoyed it there.”

Over the years Carol has compiled a collection of photos and newspaper cuttings about the Regal including old staff pictures.

She had planned to pass on the information to the Regal’s most recent owner, John Merryweather (65), but sadly he died in April before she managed to show him.

Another person with many fond memories of the Regal is Melton man Ted Burrows.

Ted (67) was just 14-years-old when he started a part-time projectionist job at the cinema.

He went full-time after leaving school and stayed there until 1967.

Ted, of Barker Crescent, also met his wife, Angela, while working at the Regal.

He said: “I had some very good times there.

“Everyone knew what they had to do and it was just like a one big happy family.

“I was very shocked when I heard the news about the Regal.

“It’s such a shame because it was the centrepiece of Melton.”

Meltonians may remember when the Regal was taken over by the football pools company Zetters in 1979/80.

Zetters converted the building into a bingo hall as well as housing a smaller cinema before the property was to change hands again.

John Merryweather took over the Regal with his wife Carol in 2000. He brought the cinema right up to date, while maintaining all of its character and charm, and his warmth and personality touched the hearts of literally thousands of Melton cinema-goers.

After his death, John’s family said they had adopted his motto ‘the show must go on’ but asked customers to bear with them through the difficult time.