From Palace to Pockets

The Palace Cinema at Royston, near Barnsley, was opened in 1914 (the date is in terracotta above the entrance). The proscenium was 11 feet wide. It was equipped with a British Thomson Houston(BTH) sound system in the early 1930’s. In the mid 1950’s it was equipped with CinemScope and the proscenium was extended to 24 feet wide. The Palace Cinema was still open in 1966, but had closed by 1980. It is now in use as Pockets snooker club.