Relief as Borders cinema celebrates its centenary

Pavilion manager Andrew Poole with guest speaker Daniel Gray

The owner of an historic cinema in Galashiels has admitted he was relieved to be able to celebrate its centenary.

Andrew Poole feared his Pavilion Cinema would never reopen after the first Covid lockdown.

This week he was joined by social historian, Daniel Gray, to open a timeline display charting the cinema's 100 years of showing blockbusters.

Mr Poole said: "It is a terrific achievement for the building to have reached a century of showing films."

The Playhouse opened on Market Street in 1920 as a dance hall, theatre and cinema.

The cinema on Market Street in 1922

To meet changing demands the main auditorium was converted into a bingo hall during the 1960s, with the remaining layout changed to accommodate a cinema and a night-club.

The entertainment complex was renamed the Kingsway with the art-deco façade covered by black and white cladding.

In 1993 the Poole family took over the building and implemented a multi-million pound refurbishment.

The cinema was rebranded in the 1960s

The current four-screen cinema emerged as the 1960s façade was removed.

There were plans to mark the centenary in 2020, but the pandemic stopped this and almost led to the projectors being turned off for good.

Mr Poole explained: "Covid hit and it was immediately an existential crisis, not just for us, but for the entire film and cinema industry.

"There were times during that first lockdown in particular, when there was no sign of government support, that we thought the business had gone.

"Even if we could reopen we didn't think there would be the business there any longer to continue."

The original cinema opened in 1920

Government support and loyal customers helped The Pavilion through late 2020 and all of 2021.

Many other cinemas - most recently the Edinburgh Filmhouse and Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen - did not recover from the lockdowns.

This week historian and author Daniel Gray cut the "film tape" on a timeline exhibition of the cinema's 100 years and paid tribute to the role it plays in the town.

He said: "When the cinema first opened it was dark times after the end of the First World War, and people would come into the light to forget about their problems and be taken to another place.

"The Pavilion is still doing that today. Escapism in front of the silver screen will never lose its appeal."

Former and current staff and customers were joined at this week's celebration by executives from Creative Scotland, Region Screen Scotland and the UK Cinema Association.

James Connor from the UK Cinema Association said: "It is rare for cinemas to last such a long time and it is certainly worth celebrating.

"We often forget that cinemas in smaller communities like Galashiels are an important place for people to come together and enjoy a shared experience."

The interactive centenary exhibition will remain in place within the cinema for the rest of the year.