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The Dome Cinema,
Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...
,
West Sussex West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ar ...
, England, is a grade II*
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
owned by PDJ Cinemas Ltd. The Dome Cinema, which has three screens and a Projectionist's Bar is run by PDJ Cinemas, while Alfresco Services run two function rooms and the cafe at the front of the building. It has closed for refurbishment several times, most recently between December 2005 and July 2007. The name derives from the distinctive
dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
on top of a three-storey tower over the entrance. The Dome is an
Edwardian The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...
building and one of the oldest working cinemas in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, and was opened in 1911 (Brighton's Duke of York's Picture House was opened in 1910). It was opened by
Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...
impresario Carl Adolf Seebold. It was originally named The Kursaal — a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
word translating as "cure hall". The Kursaal was used as a health centre and entertainment complex by visitors to the seaside town. At the time it contained the ''Coronation Hall'', which was used for
roller skating Roller skating is the act of traveling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreational activity, a sport, and a form of transportation. Roller rinks and skate parks are built for roller skating, though it also takes place on streets, sid ...
, exhibitions, concerts and events, and the ''Electric Theatre'', the first cinema run for paying audiences in
West Sussex West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ar ...
. Following the outbreak of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
leading residents of the town objected to the German name and after a competition with a prize of £1, the Cinema was renamed "The Dome".


Design and creation


Establishment of the Kursaal

Carl Adolf Seebold moved to
Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...
in 1904, from
Southend Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...
where his family had lived for several years. Seebold acquired the site of the future Dome in 1906. Seebold began construction of the Kursaal in 1910, after he hired
Theophilus Arthur Allen Theophilus Arthur Allen, (1846–1929) was a British architect, probably best known for the Grade II* listed Dome Cinema, Worthing. From 1880 to 1884, he was in partnership with John Mackland. Notable buildings *Dome Cinema, Worthing (1911), ...
as architect for the sum of £4000.Planning and Building Control
/ref> Similar businesses enterprises that functioned as both health spas and entertainment complexes existed on the Continent that were also named Kursaal and Seebold, originally
Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...
, was presumably aware of these and used them as a road map for his enterprise. Seebold's Kursaal opened in 1911. At this time the site retained the extensive gardens of the previous site. Seebold's additions were the Coronation Hall, a skating rink and the Electric Theatre, which displayed short, silent cartoons. The following year Seebold added an awning to cover the garden for all weather use. The films Seebold showed in the Electric Theatre were sufficiently profitable that he converted the Coronation Hall so that it could serve as a second cinema screen in 1913.


The change of name

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
broke out on 28 July 1914 and after casualties began to mount the residents became increasingly anti-German. To save his successful business, Seebold held a competition in 1915 for a new name. The grand prize was £1.00. In a retrospective published by
The Argus (Brighton) ''The Argus'' is a local newspaper based in Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England, with editions serving the city of Brighton and Hove and the other parts of both East Sussex and West Sussex. The paper covers local news, politics and spor ...
on 4 September 2003 it is stated:


The Dome

It was not until long after
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
had drawn to a close in 1918 that the Dome was converted into a proper, full-time cinema. Seebold had arranged for a raked floor to be added to the Coronation Hall as a temporary measure in 1914 but it was not until 1921 that the change was made permanent when the Dome was re-modelled by architect R. Kirksby for a sum of £8000. This area was to remain in continuous use as a cinema until the Dome was closed for refurbishment on 5 January 1999. During the remodelling carried out by Mr Kirksby a plaster ceiling was added to the main theatre, along with a large, wood-panelled foyer and a polygonal ticket booth that remained in the building as of 2004. It was also at this time that the Electric Theatre was converted into a ballroom. For some years the Dome had been the centre of a controversy in that Seebold showed films on Sunday, which was considered a violation of the Sabbath. Local clergymen and town councillors had been attempting to stop this practice for some time, but Magistrates upheld Seebold's application to carry on.


Competition

It was during the 1920s that the Dome saw competition in the form of the Picturedrome, which is today known as the
Connaught Theatre The Connaught Theatre is a Streamline Moderne-style theatre and cinema in the centre of Worthing, in West Sussex, England. Built as the Picturedrome cinema in 1914, the venue was extended in 1935 and became the new home of the Connaught Theatre ( ...
, Worthing. Seebold retaliated to his rival by opening the Rivoli cinema in 1924. By 1926 he owned the Picturedrome. Seebold continued to enjoy a monopoly in the area until more cinemas opened in the 1930s. The Plaza opened in 1933 and the Odeon in 1934. In the days before television, cinema was extremely popular and the town could sustain five theatres.


Second World War

The Dome carried on, albeit in reduced circumstances, with essentially few changes until fear of
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
invasion in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
caused it to briefly close. It reopened under a strict curfew and continued business, though not without incident. A resident of
Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...
recalled the following case of enemy action for a
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
history project.


Post war years

After the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the Dome went into a steady decline due to heavy competition. In 1949 Seebold restructured his company and remarried. He continued to run the new business, The Rivoli and Dome Ltd, until his death in 1951. By 1955 the Dome was badly out of date and required a refit. The new owners hired architects Goldsmith and Pennells to install a new
cinemascope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...
screen. Although the rise of television and sharing the area with four other cinemas must have added financial pressure, the Dome survived to see its sister cinema, The Rivoli, burn down in 1960. One of the Dome's competitors, The Plaza, closed down in 1968. At some point the Picturedrome had changed its name to the Connaught and served chiefly as a theatre for live performances, a role it continues today, so the Dome and the
Odeon Odeon may refer to: Ancient Greek and Roman buildings * Odeon (building), ancient Greek and Roman buildings built for singing exercises, musical shows and poetry competitions * Odeon of Agrippa, Athens * Odeon of Athens * Odeon of Domitian, Rome ...
were the only full-time cinemas in
Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...
by this point. The Odeon was a multi-screen cinema and was considerably larger and more modern than either the Dome or the Connaught. It seemed inevitable that the Dome would fade into history.


The redevelopment scheme

In 1969
Worthing Borough Council Worthing Borough Council is a district council in the county of West Sussex, based in the borough of Worthing. The borough council was created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 out of the existing Worthing Municipal Council, which also ...
purchased the Dome as part of a much larger redevelopment scheme. Their intention was to rebuild most of the east half of
Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...
town centre, starting with the north. The redevelopment scheme itself dated back to the 1940s and 1950s.
Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...
's original town hall and the Georgian Royal Theatre were amongst the buildings torn down in the first phase of this project, which cleared the way for the construction of the Guildbourne Centre.The Saving of Worthing Dome Cinema
/ref> Unfortunately for the council's plans, the Guildbourne Centre was poorly received and its design heavily criticised. The redevelopment scheme apparently stalled shortly thereafter, leaving the Dome cinema in the hands of the borough council that had declared the intention to demolish it. The cinema remained open during this time, however, with the original building split into three parts and leased to three separate business people on a short-term basis. Garrick House Ltd, a company based in
Crewe Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The Crewe built-up area had a total population of 75,556 in 2011, which also covers parts of the adjacent civil parishes of Willaston ...
which ran two other cinemas and one theatre elsewhere in
Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
, leased the Dome cinema itself and continued operating it. Unfortunately the terms of the lease permitted by the council made any long-term investment in the cinema unappealing. With no-one protecting the Dome's long term interests, the cinema went into decline. Unexpectedly, the Dome's larger, more modern rival shut down first. In 1987 the
Odeon Odeon may refer to: Ancient Greek and Roman buildings * Odeon (building), ancient Greek and Roman buildings built for singing exercises, musical shows and poetry competitions * Odeon of Agrippa, Athens * Odeon of Athens * Odeon of Domitian, Rome ...
was forced to close. 25 years previously, when cinema was going through hard times, Odeon had sold a number of their cinemas on a "lease back" deal. Ironically, although the Worthing Odeon was now financially viable, the freehold owners could make more money in redeveloping the site. A fierce campaign ensued, which resulted in the Odeon being listed. However, the council managed to get the listing removed, so that the demolition for redevelopment could go ahead. During this time, a sewerage leak into the main auditorium didn't help the cause. At the time, the Connaught Theatre had been closed by the council, and Odeon looked into purchasing this as an alternative, but decided the venue was not big enough. In the end, the council themselves refurbished and reopened the Connaught, after a vigorous campaign to save the venue. The Dome was suddenly the only purpose build cinema in town again, just as it had been when it started. The Dome also received some welcome publicity in 1987 when Director
David Leland David Leland (born 20 April 1947) is an English film director, screenwriter and actor who came to international fame with his directorial debut ''Wish You Were Here'' in 1987. Life He initially trained as an actor at Central School of Speech ...
decided to use the cinema as a location in his film ''
Wish You Were Here Wish You Were Here may refer to: Film, television, and theater Film * ''Wish You Were Here'' (1987 film), a British comedy-drama film by David Leland * ''Wish You Were Here'' (2012 film), an Australian drama/mystery film by Kieran Darcy-Smith ...
'', starring
Emily Lloyd Emily Alice Lloyd-Pack (born 29 September 1970), known as Emily Lloyd, is an English actress. At the age of 16, she starred in her debut and breakthrough role in the 1987 film ''Wish You Were Here'', for which she received critical acclaim an ...
and Tom Bell. In 1988 a structural survey commissioned by the council estimated that the Dome required £1,900,000 worth of repairs and the borough council's long dormant redevelopment scheme seemed to be underway again. However, the situation had greatly changed since the council's redevelopment plans had been redrawn at the end of the 1970s. When redevelopment had first been suggested after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the Dome was forty years old. By the time of the survey it was seventy-seven years old and, in the eyes of local people, the concept of redeveloping the town centre had been discredited by the unpopular Guildbourne Centre project. Additionally the fact that the Connaught was primarily a theatre meant that pulling down the Dome would have left
Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...
, a seaside resort with approximately 100,000 residents, without a cinema. These factors lead to a grass-roots campaign to save the Dome that ran through the rest of 1988 and much of 1989. On 27 April 1989 the borough council approved the plans of Burton Property Trust to redevelop the town centre. The Dome was one of many old buildings to be torn down, including some
Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
buildings. There was a public outcry at the developer's plans. In spite of the widespread local opposition to the redevelopment, the council proceeded with their plans. In response, campaigners sent an application to the
Department of the Environment An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment, ...
to have the Dome registered as a listed building. This application was successful and the Dome became a grade II listed building on 31 May 1989. The campaign against redevelopment continued, with stories appearing in the national press and at least one European newspaper, until Burton Property Trust announced it was withdrawing from the scheme in September 1989.


The campaign to save the Dome

With the departure of Burton Property Trust from the situation, the question of what would happen to the Dome was again open. Several proposals were put forward but ran into planning difficulties, including some that were intended to help improve the cinema by overhauling the front and interior of the building. Between 1989 and 1991 there were a series of planning battles between the council and conservationists, which ended when a government inspector overturned a council decision that applications to develop the area around the Dome on a piece by piece basis were premature. On 10 March 1991 the Dome played host to the AGM of the
Cinema Theatre Association Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...
. Then, in May of that year, local council elections were held resulting in the election of Ian Stuart, a former joint chairman of the ''Save the Dome Campaign''. That month a council planning officer stated that there was no longer any intention of demolishing the Dome. Later in 1991 the Dome Preservation Trust was established to look after the long term interests of the building. The following year trouble struck. Garrick House Ltd, the operator of the cinema, was subjected to a winding up order by the High Court on 29 January 1992. Neville Russell, a
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
based firm of chartered accountants, were appointed liquidators. In February, the council put forward £110,000 towards building work that would keep the Dome watertight for the next five years. The Dome Preservation Trust was expected raise an equal amount so that the work could go ahead. At the same time, the liquidators installed Robins Cinemas as temporary managers of the Dome. Robins Cinemas operated a small chain of nine cinemas at the time and continued to run the cinema while a legal battle between the council and the liquidator over the rights to the leasehold of the Dome ran on until December 1992. Control of the Dome was returned to the Borough Council on 25 March 1992. The council immediately closed the cinema over safety concerns, to the shock of local residents. Council officers estimated £100,000 would be needed to make safe the electrical wiring in the Dome, though Seeboard eventually carried out the work for £26,500, completing the work in May 1993. Even though Robins Cinemas had been appointed to run the cinema by the liquidator, the borough council re-let the Dome to the cinema chain on a short-term lease. On 13 July 1993 the Dome held a charity showing of ''
Jurassic Park ''Jurassic Park'', later also referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It began in 1990 when ...
'' to raise funds for the Dome Preservation Trust. In 1994 urgent repairs were carried out the Dome tower itself at an eventual cost of £300,000 to the council. Some of the more ornate architectural features of the Dome had been removed in the 1950s and the Dome Preservation Trust ran a campaign to raise funds so that these features could be replaced. The campaign included the creation of a new group called "Friends of the Dome", of which Professor Anthony Field CBE was the president. The campaign eventually raised over £10,000. Even after this extensive restoration, it was estimated that work costing a further £600,000 was needed and in 1995
Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...
Borough Council A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
decided it was time to put the
freehold Freehold may refer to: In real estate *Freehold (law), the tenure of property in fee simple *Customary freehold, a form of feudal tenure of land in England *Parson's freehold, where a Church of England rector or vicar of holds title to benefice p ...
of the cinema on the market. The Chapman Group put in a bid with the intention of turning the Dome into a nightclub, which the council approved. In February 1996 there was a public demonstration in front of the town hall and on 4 March 1996
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
newspaper carried a page three article under the headline "Last Reel for Britain's longest running cinema" with the byline of Marcus Binney. The magazine
Private Eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satire, satirical and current affairs (news format), current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely r ...
also carried an article about the Dome's situation. The publicity seemed to attract other bidders for the Dome, amongst them
Eugene Chaplin Eugene Anthony Chaplin (born August 23, 1953) is a Swiss recording engineer and documentary filmmaker. He is the fifth child of Oona O'Neill and Charlie Chaplin, the grandson of playwright Eugene O'Neill, and the father of film actress Kiera Cha ...
(the son of
Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
) and an unnamed consortium. In spite of the competition Chapman's bid was successful. Then it was discovered that the then
Department of National Heritage , type = Department , logo = Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport logo.svg , logo_width = , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = Gove ...
had upgraded the Dome's status from
grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
to grade II*, a status only four other cinemas in
Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
shared. The Electric Cinema in
Portobello Road Portobello Road is a street in the Notting Hill district of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in west London. It runs almost the length of Notting Hill from south to north, roughly parallel with Ladbroke Grove. On Saturdays it is ...
, the Scala Cinema in
Ilkeston Ilkeston is a town in the Borough of Erewash, Derbyshire, England, on the River Erewash, from which the borough takes its name, with a population at the 2011 census of 38,640. Its major industries, coal mining, iron working and lace making/texti ...
(now the
Scala (club) Scala is a former cinema turned nightclub and live music venue in Pentonville Road, London, England, near King's Cross railway station. History The Scala was originally built as a cinema to the designs of H Courtney Constantine, but construc ...
), the Torbay Picture House in
Paignton Paignton ( ) is a seaside town on the coast of Tor Bay in Devon, England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the borough of Torbay which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignt ...
, and the Elite Cinema in
Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
. The addition of the star to the grade II listing meant that any future application for building work had to be considered by the
Secretary of State for National Heritage The secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, also referred to as the culture secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for strategy and policy across the Department f ...
. This may have been a factor in Chapman Group's decision to announce that it was pulling out of the redevelopment of the Dome in October 1996. In November 1997 the borough council decided to put the Dome Cinema up for sale again. The Dome Preservation Trust renamed itself the Worthing Dome and Regeneration Trust at this time and began work on a bid to buy the Dome from the council. At this time the cost of renovating the Dome was estimated at £1,000,000. In October 1998 with the Dome still on the market, a developer proposed building a nine screen multiplex cinema in
Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...
on the site of the Teville Gate shopping centre. The trust continued with its own plans to buy the Dome and renovate it. Before the end of the year the
bingo Bingo or B-I-N-G-O may refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * Bingo, a game using a printed card of numbers ** Bingo (British version), a game using a printed card of 15 numbers on three lines; most commonly played in the UK and Ireland ** Bi ...
hall and the café that operated in the other two parts of the original Dome complex vacated the premises, allowing them to be reunited with the Dome itself. By January 1999 there were four bids for the Dome Cinema. On 5 March 1999 the borough council accepted the bid from the Worthing Dome and Regeneration Trust on the condition that their applications for funding from
English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...
and the National Lottery were successful, but on 5 April 1999 the council closed the Dome for reasons of health and safety. After eighty-eight years the Dome was the longest continuously running cinema in
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and the only full-time cinema in
Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...
.


The restoration of the Dome

The
Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...
approved the Worthing Dome and Regeneration Trust's application in early October. The story was carried in the local press and allowed the purchase of the freehold from the borough council to go ahead. On 9 November 1999 the trust paid the council a nominal fee of £10 and took possession of the cinema. A grant of £20,000 was made to carry out preliminary work on the building, much of which was done by unpaid volunteers. This allowed the Dome Cinema to reopen on 17 December 1999 with a special showing of the 1957 film ''
The Smallest Show on Earth ''The Smallest Show on Earth'' (US: ''Big Time Operators'') is a 1957 British comedy film, directed by Basil Dearden, and starring Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna, Peter Sellers and Margaret Rutherford. The supporting cast includes Bernard Mile ...
'', appropriately a comedy about the owner of a troubled small cinema. The reopening was covered by the local press. The
Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...
was willing to put up £1,750,000 for the complete restoration of the Dome but only on the condition that the trust raised £500,000 itself first to demonstrate sufficient local interest to make the project worthwhile. The trust launched an appeal to raise the money. The appeal continued to run while the Dome Cinema was open for business but in September 2001 the local press reported that the completion date for the £2.5 million pound renovation had been put back by two years from 31 December 2003 to 31 December 2005. By February 2002 it was reported that the Worthing Dome and Regeneration Trust only needed to raise £250,000 to unlock the £2.5 million available from the
Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...
. However, on 27 November 2002 it was reported that the trust in fact needed £300,000 but had only managed to raise £75,000. The deadline for raising it had been extended from 31 December 2002 to 31 December 2004. On 20 November 2002 the trust opened a second theatre in the area that had housed the original cinema screen when the Carl Seebold originally opened the Kursaal in 1911. In honour of the original Electric Theatre, the new theatre retains its name. The
Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...
eventually released the money to the Worthing Dome and Regeneration Trust in October 2003. The cinema continued to remain open while restoration work was carried out for as long as possible, continuing to show films throughout 2004. On 23 January 2005 ''Griffin'', an independent film by a local director, premiered at the Dome in a gala night that was covered by the local press. The cinema continued normal business until December 2005 when the major work of restoration began and the Dome was closed again. It reopened on 6 July 2007 after extensive building work.


The Dome Cinema – 2007 to present

Since the reopening in 2007, The Dome Cinema has continued to run as a successful, fully independent cinema (run entirely separately to the Worthing Borough Council owned Connaught Theatre). The projection ran on two 35mm Cinemeccanica projectors (a Victoria 8 in Screen 1 and a Victoria 5 in Screen 2) until October & November 2012, when both screens were converted to fully digital. Screen 1 now runs on a NEC 2000C, Screen 2 on a NEC 1200C and Screen 3 runs a Barco DP2K-6E. The last 35mm film played in Screen 1 was Looper, and the first digital film was Skyfall. The Victoria 8 Cinemeccanica projector from Screen 1 is now on display in their Projectionist's Bar. In 2015, the video for the
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
-themed son
‘''Destiny''’
recorded by Francon, featuring vocals by Keith Pemberton, was filmed using parts of the interior of the Dome Cinema, Worthing. Before adding a third screen in 2018, the Dome was one of the busiest 2 screen cinemas in the country. The cinema runs a range of different shows for the local area. Currently running are Weekend Morning Movies, Parent & Baby Screenings, Autistic Screenings, Disability Screenings, Midweek Matinees and subtitled screenings. They also run occasional live broadcasts. The poem 'Seat M14' by Iain Cameron Williams published in his book ''The Empirical Observations of Algernon''
ol. I OL may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Orphaned Land, an Israeli progressive metal band * Old Lace (comics) a telepathically linked dinosaur hero Businesses and organizations * OLT Express Germany (IATA code: OL), a scheduled and charter airl ...
(June 2019), documents the writer's encounter with a
ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
ly (apparition) at the Dome Cinema, Worthing, in April 2018 while he was sitting in the seat next to seat M14 watching a movie.''The Empirical Observations of Algernon''
ol. I OL may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Orphaned Land, an Israeli progressive metal band * Old Lace (comics) a telepathically linked dinosaur hero Businesses and organizations * OLT Express Germany (IATA code: OL), a scheduled and charter airl ...
publ. i will publishing, June 2019, pages 84-85: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Empirical-Observations-Algernon-Cameron-Williams/dp/1916146503/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2DEGNGCZ2E42P&keywords=the+empirical+observations+of+algernon&qid=1560611549&s=books&sprefix=the+empirical+%2Cstripbooks%2C138&sr=1-1


References


External links


The Dome Cinema official website
— gives details of its opening times and attractions

without Shockwave
Worthing Dome
— The untold story (Website created by enthusiasts with an extensive history of the cinema)
Worthing Dome and Regeneration Trust
{{Worthing, state=collapsed 1911 establishments in England Grade II* listed buildings in West Sussex Cinema, Worthing, Dome Cinema, Worthing Buildings and structures in Worthing Cinemas in West Sussex Theatres completed in 1911