Save the Coliseum

I wrote about the Coliseum Cinema, in Porthmadog, Wales in June 2008.

It is a lovely little Art Deco cinema dating from 1931 and hosted sessions of the daily rushes of the TV series The Prisoner in the 1960s.

In 1983, the cinema was faced with closure and locals united to keep this wonderful community asset open.

Alas there are now new moves to close the Coliseum and, again, the local community is looking for support to help save it.

Please visit the Save the Coliseum website to sign the online petition, make a donation or send a letter of support.

SAVE THE COLISEUM

Angel Cottage, Portmeirion

I don't think anyone would describe Angel Cottage in Portmeirion as Art Deco and I am certainly not going to try.

Portmeirion, however, is a very interesting place.

Sir Clough Williams-Ellis purchased the site in the mid-1920s and proceeded to build his concept of a coastal village over the following fifty years.

Angel Cottage was the first new building built by Williams-Ellis in 1926.

My favourite part of the building is the Angel relief.

In the 1960s, Portmeirion was used as the set for the cult TV series The Prisoner. A modern reinterpretation Series 2, sadly not filmed in Portmeirion, is due to be screened in Britain during 2009.

Morannedd Cafe, Cricceth

The small welsh seaside town of Cricceth is the location of this boomarang shaped cafe.

It was designed by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, who also designed Portmeirion and is Grade II listed.

The cafe was refurbished in 2007 and no doubt looks even better than when these pictures were taken in 2001.

Coliseum Cinema, Porthmadog

The Coliseum in Porthmadog, Wales is a sweet little cinema.

The roofline consists of a simple stepped arrangement above a semi-circular grouping of three windows and the name, Coliseum presented in a classic deco style.

The cinema was opened in 1931 and appears to have reached the pinnacle of its fame in the mid 1960s when the cast and crew working on the TV series The Prisoner in nearby Portmeirion would gather each day to watch the rushes.

Projectionist, Bob Piercy, reflects on those times in this interview especially a special preview of the first episode Arrival.