It is great to realise that Cinemas are still wanted and even better to see this underlined with the news that a brand new complex is being built in the town of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire – and in the Town Centre at that

The New Cinema will be called The Savoy

Coming Shortly

Soon we shall see the finished cinema – as below

ABOVE – An artist’s impression of what it will be like

Construction work on a new cinema in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire is well underway this summer.

Scheduled to open in June 2025, the four-screen cinema complex and attendant leisure and retail development are the anchor properties at the heart of the multi-million pound initiative by West Lindsey District Council to regenerate Gainsborough’s historic town centre.

Gainsborough is the third Lincolnshire location – the others are in Grantham & Boston – for Savoy Cinemas Ltd, a growing regional chain whose other locations include two in Nottinghamshire, one in Northamptonshire and another in South Yorkshire.

James Collington, Managing Director, Savoy Cinemas Ltd, added, “We’re glad to be adding Gainsborough as the newest location to our growing portfolio of cinemas across this part of the country.  The fact that our new complex gives new life to a derelict site and is at the heart of the revival of the town centre gives the project extra significance for all involved.”

Moving back in time 71 years t9 1954 Gainsborough had the Gaumont Cinema – and some very well known actors visited :-

None other than Joan Rice accompanied by Donald Sinden who had starred together in ‘A Day to Remember’ visited the lovely town of Gainsborough in Lincolnshire – a town situated on the banks of the River Trent.

The cinema had been re-named the Gaumont in 1949 and was modernised in early-1954, Reopening on 29 March 1954 with Edward G. Robinson in “The Glass Webb” showing.and with film stars Joan Rice and Donald Sindon making personal appearances.

I haven’t been able to locate any pictures of the visit which is a shame – but above we the Two stars together.

However there have been references to this visit on Facebook by people who remember it and were there as young children. At that time Joan Rice was quite a big name after The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men  and His Majesty O’Keefe.

Donald Sinden though had yet to make his mark in film terms but of course he had a much longer and more varied career than Joan Rice.

I understand that there was quite large crowd out to see them in the Town. One woman from Gainsborough seems to remember a Norman Wisdom film being the first one shown after the Cinema re-vamp – and she could well be right because it would be at the time when one of his films was on release – and in fact Joan Rice had been the female lead in that – the film was One Good Turn although on checking this was not released until February 1955.

Anyway – if anyone reads this and was there at the time, or has photographs of this visit –  please do let us know.

BELOW – that same Gaumont Cinema in Gainsborough givng these youngsters an exciting Saturday morning no doubt.