Located on Mansfield Road in the Sherwood district of Nottingham, the Metropole cinema was a wonderful art-deco gem. Here it is in the early 1970s, not long before it closed. Note the Esso petrol station on the corner of Elmswood Gardens, and ‘The Candy Shop’ advertising Benson and Hedges cigarettes.
Unusual Name
The word metropole originates from the ancient Greek word mētrópolis meaning ‘mother city’, to identify the homeland, central territory exercising power over a country
Whoever made the decision to name it the Metropole, it was an outstanding suburban cinema. It opened on 3rd August 1937 with Fred McMurray in ‘Champagne Waltz’ and Marsha Hunt in ‘Accused Finger’.
A striking feature of the exterior was a slender fin tower on the left of the building which had the name ‘Metropole’ across the top. This could be seen for miles around.
Inside the auditorium seating was provided in stalls and circle areas. The proscenium was 60 feet wide, and the stage 18 feet deep.
Initially it was independently operated by W. Wooley & T. Wright, who operated the Goldsmith Street Cinema in the city centre. The Metropole was taken over by the Associated British Cinemas (ABC) chain in 1943 until 27th October 1973. The last film screened was Malcolm McDowell in ‘O Lucky Man’.
A New Identity
It was leased to the Star Cinemas chain who converted it into a Star Bingo Club, but this closed (as an EMI Bingo Club) in 1979. The interior was then stripped out and the building was converted into a supermarket, lastly as a Kwik Save, closing in 2004. The building was demolished in 2006 and a Somerfield supermarket was built on the site, which in 2012 operated as a Co-Operative Food Store.
It has since been converted to a gymnasium and fitness centre.
Memories
When we posted an old image of the Metropole, it brought back lots of memories. Here’s a sample:
Rhys Hawkridge told us:
Remember it being struck by lightning in my early teens (early 00’s)
Andrew Harper said:
I’m fairly sure that the frontage and the ‘tower’ were meant to be retained during reconstruction but they…er…’accidentally fell down’ during the process. Whoops.
Patrick Collins:
Used to go there and used to get the lady at the petrol station some flowers out of gardens for football coins as a kid.
Mandy Coupland:
I lived opposite the Metropole on Danethorpe. Sheila and Pete owned the candy shop. Lovely people had many fond memories of them growing up …. the garage was also a skoda garage Renshaw and Newsome……The pub across the road was The Garden City before it became The Sherwood Manor.
Simon Peat:
I lived on Applewood Grove from birth (1972) until 1993. The Esso petrol station to the left of the Metropole closed and became a Lonsdale car dealership (it was an Australian version of Mitsubishi), that closed and then it was Skoda, I think it was Renshaw and Newsome. It then was an independent used car dealership before becoming a flooring shop.
Mary Fickling:
How lovely to see the signage for the candy shop. Spent many an hour there with Bev Flowers after school. Fond memories indeed ❤️