Vantage Point 5:

The Plaza Cinema (Grade II Listed)

The Plaza interior when it was a working cinema

The last of the many cinemas to be built in the town, opening in 1940, and also the last to close. It went through a period as a bingo hall in the 1980s, but was then reopened successfully as a cinema until the end of the 1990s; as it closed, a vigorous campaign to preserve the building began, and its interesting 1930s style of architecture ensured that it was listed and saved from complete destruction.

The campaign continued for several years, with active co-operation from the NPT Council, until a Welsh Government grant enabled the renovation; the YMCA stepped in as the operating body and the building is now a community facility, providing meeting rooms, some sport facilities and a cafe, and also, like the Royal Buildings over the road in earlier years, start-up areas for new small businesses.

Other cinemas in the town, now demolished, include the Grand in High Street, the Majestic/Odeon and the Electric in Forge Road, the Capitol in Water Street, and the New/Empire Theatre in Talbot Road.

The Grand Cinema, High Street

At Taibach there were also the Regent, in Commercial Road, and the modest Picturedrome, which is now a nursing home in Alma Terrace, Taibach, (affectionately known locally as ‘the Cach’). All these feature in Richard Burton’s teenage diaries, when he saved his hard-earned pocket-money to see films.

The Regent Cinema, Commercial Road, Taibach

For more on this, see: The Richard Burton Diaries, Ed. Chris Williams, Yale University Press

 Continue along Talbot Road to find the sites of

ROYAL BUILDINGS

Royal Buildings, Talbot Road

Originally the New/Empire Cinema, which closed after a fire. The building remained, with shops on the ground floor and offices upstairs. VJ Bailey, the TV and radio store, had a shop here, and used what was the cinema space for storage. The offices upstairs were very useful for small start-up businesses, which, if successful, could then move on to larger premises. Eventually the upper floors became derelict, and the building was demolished, giving way to flats with retail premises on the ground floor. The new block took its name – Customs House – from the building at its side, which was also demolished.

Continue on past the Plaza along Talbot Road a little to find

CUSTOMS HOUSE AND OFFICES OF THE PORT TALBOT DOCK AND RAIL COMPANY.

Customs House (L) and Port Talbot Railway and Docks company offices

Built in 1897 for the Port Talbot Railway and Docks Company, again funded by Emily Charlotte Talbot, this was at the side of Royal Buildings, facing the side of the Plaza. Access to the Docks was just across the road, with a level crossing just before the railway station, leading through to the harbour, which was a major facility in the town until at least the 1970s. The local ‘ladies of the lake’, as they were genteelly called locally, would check Lloyd’s List for ‘incoming ships’ and customers in the Reference Library!

The Customs House, Royal Buildings (R) and the Plaza (L)

The Customs House building, seen above, and below to the left of the larger Railway and Dock Company building, was demolished at the end of the 20^th century for flats and commercial premises. The plaque above the entrance to the present Customs House has the arms of the Port Talbot Railway and Dock Company, and comes from the original building.

Customs House on left and office of Port Dock and Rail company on right.
The Plaza can just be seen on the left of the photo.

Cross over Talbot Road from Royal Buildings.

You will see the British Legion Club, which organises the annual Remembrance Day Parade, and the Red Lion. This was originally one of the town’s Italian Bracchi cafes, but more recently it became a public house and took the name of the Red Lion from one of the historic inns in the centre of Aberafan, the site of the town cross.

YOU ARE NOW TURNING ROUND AND HEADING BACK UP ALONG THE ROUTE

Turning back towards the Square and Station Road, you will see the new station building on your left. The next QR code sign is on the railings by the Steel Statue.