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The 'Aberdeen' Bus 1930s
267 Bus driver with his Albion motor bus belonging to the Deeside Omnibus Service, 1930s. This coach was one of several in the fleet of the Ballater based Strachan's Company. For many years, these coaches regularly departed from the SMT depot in Bon Accord Square before journeying to Banchory and beyond. Strachan's Deeside Omnibus Service operated on the Royal Deeside route for many years with Alexanders. This particular 'Aberdeen' bus looks in good condition with gleaming bodywork. Note the roof-rack for any large pieces of luggage. Torry Brickworks chimney
309 A photograph showing the largest of the three substantial chimneys stalks that were located at the brick and tile works in Torry, located between Sinclair Road and Victoria Road.
This is one of three photographs on the Silver City Vault taken during the demolition of this Torry landmark on Saturday 12th September 1903. A full account of the demolition can be read in the Aberdeen Daily Journal from 14/09/1903, page 6.
The report tells us that the hexagonal stalk was 175 feet in height, consisted of 155,00 bricks and weighed 500 tons. The demolition was overseen by Mr Peter Tawse, a well known contractor.
Two years previously in 1901, the Seaton Brick and Tile Company had relocated their works from the site in Torry to Balgownie.
Seaton Brick and Tile Company was formed in 1884 after taking over the Northern Patent Brick and Tile Co., which operated a works at Seaton Links. They moved to the Torry works shortly afterwards.
The company continued operation at Balgownie until going into voluntary liquidation on Friday 1st August 1924. This was reported, with a short history of the company, in the next day's Press & Journal (page 6). St. Nicholas Church bell
382 A photograph of one of the bells installed in St. Nicholas Church in 1887.
A carillon of 36 bells were ordered by Aberdeen Town Council from Severin van Aershodt of Louvain in Belgium to replaced those destroyed in the fire of 1874.
The bells were also commissioned and installed to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years of her reign. The largest of the new bells was named Victoria.
On 11th May 1887, the new bells arrived at Aberdeen Goods Station, after being shipped to Leith, where they were loaded on to lorries, and paraded through the main streets of the city on their way to Back Wynd.
The inscription on the shown bell reads as follows:
"The gift of Councillor George Washington Wilson. Cast by Severin Vanaerschodt, Louvain Belguim." Old channel of the River Dee
505 The old channel of the River Dee. After years of discussion about the development of the harbour, the Aberdeen Harbour Act of 1868 allowed the Harbour Commissioners to divert the river to the south. The first turf was cut by Lord Provost Leslie on 22nd December 1869. Waterloo Station
641 This photograph shows the corner at the end of Regent Quay in the late 19th century. The building in the centre of the image, with pediment, is the offices of the Great North of Scotland Railway Company and to its left is the entrance to the Waterloo Railway Station.
The railway station was opened by the company on 1st April 1856. It was built to supersede an existing station at Kittybrewster. Waterloo was once the station for all railway passengers and goods going between the city and the north.
Trains coming and going from the south stopped at a nearby, but unconnected station on Guild Street. It had opened two years earlier in 1854 and was operated by rival railway company, the Scottish North-Eastern. Passengers with connecting trains would need to dash along Trinity and Regent Quay or wait for a bus. Connections were not guaranteed.
It took Parliament to settle the differences between the companies. This saw the construction of the Joint Station, opened in November 1867, and the creation of the Denburn Valley Railway. Both Waterloo and Guild Street subsequently became stations for the transport of goods only.
The buildings shown in this photograph were altered and eventually demolished in the 20th century. Remnants of the station can still be seen today in a small yard and the railway line following the old canal path and joining the main tracks heading north at Kittybrewster.
On the right of this image can also be seen an building, likely a goods shed, of the Aberdeen, Newcastle & Hull Steam Company. This passenger ship service was founded in 1865 and had offices at 43 Marischal Street.
The building to the left of Waterloo Station, far left here, was the site of an establishment called Berry's Hotel and served as various pubs until the late 1960s. It looks like it was closed or being refurbished at the time of this photograph.
To the left of this image would be Commerce Street and Regent Quay. Waterloo Quay would begin to its right. Marischal Street
818 In 1766, the Town Council of Aberdeen acquired a property known as the Earl Marischal's Lodging which had laid unoccupied for a number of years. It was then demolished to allow a street to be built to create improved access between the harbour and the Castlegate. It was named Marischal Street in his honour.
This view of the west side shows the properties at No 46 and 48 and an adjacent church. William Kennedy (1759-1836), advocate, lived in No. 46, where he wrote his two volume history of the city - Annals of Aberdeen.
Next door at No. 48 was the home of Dr William Dyce, father of the eminent artist William Dyce (1806-1864). Both of these properties have now been converted into flats.
The church shown on the left was built in 1881 on the site of the Theatre Royal built in 1795. It closed as a theatre in 1872 prior to the opening of Her Majesty's Theatre and Opera House (Tivoli) in Guild Street. This building is now occupied by the Elim Pentecostal Church. Schoolhill Station
1197 In 1889, Schoolhill Viaduct was built along with Schoolhill Station. At that time the station was part of the Great North of Scotland Railway Company. These street level offices and station stood in splendid isolation about 100 feet along from His Majesty's Theatre. The station, besides acting as a left luggage office also acted as a waiting room for the GNSR bus services to the outlying villages of Aberdeenshire. To the left of the entrance can be noted a clock which indicated the time of the next train to Dyce. The station was closed in 1937 and for several years was a tea room. The building was finally demolished in 1977. Trinity Lane
1208 Trinity Lane, Aberdeen, c.1975, from Exchange Street.
The Trinity place-name comes from the area once being the site of a Trinitarian Friary.
The building to the right in this photograph was once known as Trinity Chapel, or Trinity Parish Church. It was opened for public worship on Sunday 27th April, 1794.
For a number of years, the chapel was an important centre of religious life and activity. The Disruption of 1843 significantly diminished the congregation. The building was subsequently sold by the Presbytery and became the Alhambra Music Hall.
See Gammie's Churches of Aberdeen (1909) for more information on the history of this congregation and building.
A large part of the exterior still stands and the building currently houses Wagley's public house. In this photograph Alex. McKay, electrical appliance showroom, is in occupation. Newspaper notices indicate that the business moved here, from 41 The Green, in 1966.
The building in the centre of the image is best known, as shown here, as a banana warehouse for Knowles & Sons, fruiterers and later as a restaurant and art gallery. It was originally built as a church for Aberdeen's Catholic Apostolic congregation.
MUSA was a restaurant and art space, with a focus on music, throughout the first two decades of the 21st century. It closed down in October 2018.
8th March 2019 saw the opening of a new bar in the building called The Hop & Anchor, specialising in craft beer. It is owned by a company called the Draft House and this is their first pub outside London. The Draft House is owned by Brewdog, the North East beer company. The Maypole Delivery Van
1214 The Maypole Delivery Van, c.1938. Robert Fergus Abercrombie on the right. Robert was a delivery boy and was aged 17 years.
Maypole was a national diary company specialising in the sale of tea, butter, margarine, eggs, biscuits, cakes, mincemeat and similar goods. In the 1930s the chain had over 1000 branches and its motto was "Maypole serves the best". Broadford Works
1449 An illustration of Broadford Works, Aberdeen showing the textile factory in its Victorian heyday.
Broadford Works has a long and varied history. The first mill was built on the site in 1808 for Scott Brown and Company of Angus. It is the oldest iron-framed mill in Scotland.
John Maberly MP bought the site from a bankrupt Scott Brown in 1811. He partnered London banker John Baker Richards in 1825 and, bought out in turn by John Temple Leader in 1831, was declared bankrupt the next year.
The site, between Ann Street, Maberly Street and Hutcheon Street, was for many years the base of textile firm Richards & Company. See the Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives team's catalogue entry for their Richards plc records for more information about the company and site. Lady Lyon
2034 Portrait of Elsie Inglis Lyon (1853-1927), Lady Lyon. She was the wife of Sir Alexander Lyon (1850-1926), who served as Lord Provost of Aberdeen from 1905-1908.
Lady Lyon was born and educated in Aberdeen. She was active in church work and schemes related to child welfare and maternity services. She served on the committee of the Aberdeen District Nursing Association for 23 years.
In August 1925 Alexander and Lady Lyon celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.
Lady Lyon died on 3rd December 1927, aged 74, in her home at 10 Queen's Road. This was seven months after the death of her husband. Her obituary is in the Press & Journal, 5th December 1927, page 8.
Her funeral took place on 6th December. She was buried in the family burial ground at Nellfield Cemetery. The funeral was reported on page 8 of the next day's Press & Journal. George Jamieson of Rosebank
2048 A portrait of Provost George Jamieson (c.1809 - 2nd February 1893). He served as Provost of Aberdeen between 1874-1879. Jamieson was born in Perth about 1809 but came to Aberdeen with his family early in his life when his father was employed by the Aberdeen Copper Company. He was apprenticed to grocer Robert Troup and for fifty years was the senior partner in the wholesale firm Jamieson & Mitchell. His first appointment in public life was a position on the Police Board in 1839. He was chosen as dean of guild in 1860. In addition to much council work, Jamieson was chairman of St Nicholas Parochial Board from 1864 to 1868, a director of the North of Scotland Bank and a number of public companies and also chairman of the Aberdeen District Tramways Company. He died at his residence, 19 Queen's Road, aged eighty-four years. Milk from the Kirkhill Dairy
2236 Milk being delivered by two milk boys on Victoria Road, Torry. The milk came from the Kirkhill Dairy, Balnagask. The photograph shows a horse drawn cart.
Ian Smith has kindly been in touch to inform us that the man behind the cart is his grandfather, Albert Corbett. He ran Kirkhill Farm for much of his life.
The golden anniversary of Albert and Georgina Corbett (née Todd) was reported in the Press & Journal of 9th September 1970, page 18. The article explains that the couple had left South Kirkhill Farm, where Albert had farmed for 47 years, the previous year, moving to 28 Leggart Terrace.
They met when Georgia, an Aberdonian, moved to Fraserburgh. Albert worked on his family's nearby farm, called Watermill, and delivered milk to Georgina's landlady.
After marriage, and before moving to Balnagask, the couple lived in Strichen and ran a diary there. The article concludes stating, both aged 71, Albert and his wife had two daughters, named Mrs Irene Smith and Mrs Ethel Douglas, and three sons, Bert, James and Alistair. They also had nine grandchildren.
A family notice from the 10th January 1978 issue of the same newspaper states that Albert B. D. Corbett had died after a short illness, aged 79, the day before. A service was held for him on the 12th of that month at the Aberdeen Crematorium, Hazlehead (West Chapel).
Ian also checked with family members and informs us that the boy on the right in this photograph is Andy Cowe, who later moved to Seattle, USA, and on the left is Jocky Milne.
The Ordnance Survey, 25 inch to the mile, map of Balnagask published in 1899 indicates that there was once three houses called Kirkhill in the area; North, South and East.
South Kirkhill was located on the south side of Balnagask Road, a bit to the east of Balnagask House and Mains. East Kirkhill was not far to the east, on the other side of St. Fittick's Road and North Kirkhill was up towards Greyhope Road.
Later maps tell us that the original South Kirkhill was demolished by the early 20th century and by the 1950s East Kirkhill had taken its name. None of the residences remain today, the area of North Kirkhill is now part of Balnagask Golf Club and St. Fittick's Community Garden is now roughly where East (later South) Kirkhill once stood. North Kirkhill used to be the home of the greenkeeper of the golf course.
The use of the name Kirkhill likely refers to the nearby old St. Fittick's Church and the hilly terrain of Balnagask and Torry. Joseph T. Duncan
2388 This photo dates from around 1950, and shows bookbinder Joseph T. Duncan and his assistant Ruth Chalmers in the bindery which was located in the basement of the Central Library. He is applying gold lettering to the spine of a volume using the tools laid out on the rack beside him.
Mr Duncan was appointed in 1935 at the age of 37, after the retirement of the Library's first bookbinder, and remained in post until his sudden death in 1962.
Prior to his appointment, he was employed by printing firm George Cornwall and Sons for 22 years. During his time there, he spent a year on loan with William Jackson, a bookbinding company in Back Wynd, who also carried out work for the Public Library. He was tasked with stamping class numbers on the spines of books for the Sir John Anderson Library in Woodside whose management had been transferred to the Public Library Committee in 1930. Edward Hall
2389 In March 1885, the City Librarian, A.W. Robertson, reported to the Free Public Library Committee that he had examined all the volumes that were to be transferred from the Mechanics' Institution, "and a note taken of any injury or imperfections, or both, that may have been found therein". He discovered that, while many were unsuitable due to their poor condition, others required repairs including fixing leaves and plates, re-attaching books to their covers and mending corners, and believed that this work "could be done most economically and conveniently on the library premises".
Edward Hall worked for the William Jackson bookbinders at the time and was sent by the company to carry out this work, including all the gilt lettering.
After the first six months of the new public library, and the wear and tear on the books "being already large and accumulating from day to day", the library committee were considering the appointment of a library binder to maintain the stock and repair minor faults before the volumes needed total rebinding. In August 1886, Mr Hall was appointed at a wage of twenty-three shillings weekly. Although other binding work was still undertaken by local firms William Jackson and John Avery, the Librarian was pleased to note in his annual report for 1885-86 that "The results of the experiment so far have been satisfactory, justifying the expectation that it would effect a saving both of time and of cost of rebinding".
The library bookbinders' wages and working hours were regulated by agreement with their trade union and in the 1890-91 Library Committee Minutes, it is noted that the Bookbinders and Machine Rulers' Consolidated Union had agreed a reduction in the bookbinders' working week from 54 to 51 hours.
After the Town Council made a resolution that all staff should retire when they reached the age of 65 years, the Library Committee had to ask Mr Hall to retire in May 1935. At this time his wages were £3.15. 6 per week.
In an interview with the People's Journal reporter, he expressed his disappointment that he was unable to complete his 50 years' service, even though he was then 72 years old. The Library Committee agreed that he would receive a weekly allowance of 16/8 (sixteen shillings and eight pence) in recognition of his long and efficient service.
At his retiral presentation, he was presented by the City Librarian, G.M. Fraser, with "a beautiful chiming clock with Westminster and the new Jubilee chimes". Lifting Guild street Goods Yards
2646 The station was modernised in the early 1980s with a new Travel Centre and upgraded concourse along with a new electronic signalling centre and High Speed Train servicing depot. Further track rationalisation and the replacement of six old mechanical signal boxes also took place.
About ten years ago Guild Street Goods Yard was lifted and replaced by the Union Square shopping centre which opened in October 2009. This incorporated the old Station Square and the façade of the 1915 building into the atrium of the new development. Separately a new Travel Centre and staff offices were provided.
In the 1990s the rail network was privatised; track and infrastructure passed to a company called Railtrack later transferring to Network Rail. East Coast services initially passed to a company called Great North Eastern Railway but are currently run by Virgin East Coast. Scotrail services are operated by Abellio, a subsidiary of Dutch Railways. The Caledonian Sleeper to London Euston is run by Serco and the daily train to Birmingham and southern England by Arriva Cross Country trains. Although managed by Abellio, Aberdeen Station is today very much a joint station.
In August 1992 the approach to the station from the north past Union Terrace Gardens was being changed dramatically by construction of the Denburn Dual Carriageway. S.S. Intaba
2702 A postcard showing the launch of the steamship Intaba on 6th September 1910. The ship was constructed by Hall, Russell & Company at their York Street yards for John T. Rennie, Son and Company of Aberdeen and London. The launch was watched by a crowd of thousands.
The Intaba was the largest vessel built in Aberdeen at the time. It was 387 feet in length and weighted 4,832 tons. It was designed to transport passengers and cargo, initially between London and the province of Natal in the Union of South Africa. It could accommodate 70 first class passengers and 60 in second class. The ship's name means mountain in Zulu.
The Intaba and passenger liners like it were fundamental to continuing the British colonisation of southern Africa following the Second Boer War (1899-1902). In May 1910 the British Government had unified its existing and newly acquired regional colonies into the Union of South Africa.
The Intaba went on to have a long and varied career, including working trade and pilgrimage routes. It sailed for 43 years, under various names and owners, and in many different parts of the world, before its eventual demolition in Belgium in 1953.
The Aberdeen Built Ships website (link here) gives considerable detail on the ship's history and states that it was renamed twice; as the Waitomo in 1916 and the Englestan in 1927.
Correspondent Ed Fowler notes that the new ship is being maneuvered primarily by two steam paddle tugs, one on either side, and that a smaller screw steamer tug is also in attendance. He suggests one of the paddle tugs may by the Fairweather. It was built by Richard Stobbs, North Sheilds, in 1871 and was stranded in the entrance to Aberdeen Harbour in 1912. Aberdeen Theatres: His Majesty's Theatre
3356 Seating more than 1400, His Majesty's Theatre is the largest theatre in North-East Scotland and is now a category A listed building.
Situated on Rosemount Viaduct, it was designed by the architect Frank Matcham and costed £35,000. It was originally built as a replacement for the former Her Majesty's Theatre (now the Tivoli), meeting the need for a larger venue and better staging facilities.
Robert Arthur, the theatre impresario, submitted the plans for the new theatre in 1901. Construction started in 1904 and it opened on the 3rd December 1906 with a production of the pantomime Little Red Riding Hood, of which you will see the programme next in this exhibition. The pantomime played to a full house on its opening night and ran until the end of the year to great success.
Arthur's company presented plays, opera and pantomimes until 1912, when it ran out of funds. Robert Arthur Theatres Ltd. sold the theatre in 1923 to Walter Gilbert, managing director of the Tivoli Theatre. It changed hands again in 1932, after Gilbert's death, when it was bought by Councillor James F. Donald. The new owner refurbished the venue and introduced new features such as a revolving stage and a cinema projector.
In 1975, Aberdeen City council bought the venue, then allocated £3.5 million to give it a new life. After being closed for 23 months, His Majesty's Theatre was reopened on the 17th of September 1982 by Prince Charles.
In 2004, the theatre was once again closed for refurbishment. It reopened in 2005, renovated and modernised with a new green room, a coffee shop and re-upholstered seating. Aberdeen Theatres: Emerald Isle
3358 A poster advertising performances of Emerald Isle (or The Caves of Carric-Cleena) at His Majesty's Theatre. The comic opera was a production of Mr J. S. Jackson's Amateur Opera Company and ran for six nights from 21st November 1910.
The poster indicates that the performances are taking place in aid of the King Edward New Hospital for Sick Children and lists a number of patrons of this undertaking.
Further down the poster is given details of the cast and crew and general information about the performances, including the price for various tickets. One note states that "Bonnets are not allowed in Orchestra Stalls or first three rows of Dress Circle."
Towards the bottom of the poster is a notice for an upcoming production of the George Bernard Shaw play Candida.
Robert Arthur is listed as the theatre's managing director and Mr. H. Adair Nelson is the acting manager.
The wording at the very bottom of the poster indicates it was created by W. & W. Lindsay, theatrical printers, 28 Market Street. Aberdeen Theatres: Tickets for The Pirates of Penzance
3365 Three tickets for a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance by the Carl Rosa Opera Company at His Majesty's Theatre on 24th September 2001. Aberdeen Theatres: The Tivoli Theatre
3366 The Tivoli Theatre on Guild Street opened in 1872 as Her Majesty's Opera House. The first performance was of with the play The Lady of Lyons. At the end of the show, architect Mr Phipps and the superintendent of works were called on stage by the audience to take a bow.
The auditorium was later altered in 1897 by the noted architect Frank Matcham. Her Majesty's closed in 1906 temporarily following the opening of the larger His Majesty's Theatre on Rosemount Viaduct. The interior of the theatre was reconstructed in 1909 and the venue reopened in 1910 as the Tivoli Theatre of Varieties.
The theatre enjoyed immense success until 1966 when it was converted into a bingo hall. The venue finally closed in 1997 and fell into disrepair.
In July 2009 the Tivoli Theatre Company Ltd. was formed and bought the building. Work to restore the historic theatre to its former glory was then started. The Tivoli Theatre reopened on the 25th of October 2013 with the play Inferno by Thomas Bywater.
Today, the Tivoli is a grade-A Listed Building, and remains a jewel of our city.
In addition to the Tivoli Theatre of Varieties, the Criterion Bar can be seen on the far left of this image.
The board in front of the Tivoli indicates that the theatre is hosting Happy Days, a variety show by the George West Company. This dates the photograph to around August or September 1935. Aberdeen Theatres: Aberdeen Arts Centre
3386 In 1960 the education committee of Aberdeen Town Council proposed the conversion of the empty North and Trinity Parish Church into an adult education and civic arts centre. The plan was given final approval in February 1961, much to the delight of Aberdeen's art enthusiasts.
The Evening Express detailed the need for such a venue at the time by describing the difficulties faced by the William Gavin Players, a local drama group, in staging a play earlier that week in the ballroom of the Music Hall. They had to overcome the roar of a nearby wrestling audience, the incessant ringing of an unanswered telephone, a cramped stage and poor acoustics.
A temporary restriction on capital expenditure and a particularly severe winter caused delays for the conversion. Work began in late 1961 and was concluded by the autumn of 1963. The work cost around £33,000 and saw the reconstruction of the interior and a thorough re-vamp for the building's exterior. At one point the new centre was going to be called Longacre, but this idea was scrapped in favour of Aberdeen Arts Centre.
The completed venue was opened on 18th October 1963 by Sir Herbert Read (1893-1968), an art critic, poet and anarchist philosopher. In his speech Read criticised the main political parties of the day for neglecting the development of the arts and the human imagination in favour of a blind drive for scientific and technological efficiency.
In addition to the 385-seat auditorium, the venue had an exhibition space, a lounge, and a tea bar. The Arts Centre has remained the focal point for local arts groups and arts education to this day. It has also served as a meeting place and provided a useful stage for theatrical productions of all types.
In 1998, facing the need to cut £17.5 million from their budget, Aberdeen City Council withdrew their funding from the Arts Centre. This left the future of the venue in danger. A popular campaign to avoid its closure was led by Annie Inglis MBE (1922-2010), Aberdeen's first lady of theatre.
This led to the Aberdeen Arts Centre Association taking over the venue on a voluntary basis and the eventual formation of the Castlegate Arts Limited, a company with charitable status who continue to run the venue today.
Over the years the Arts Centre has played host to many noted local theatre groups like the Attic Theatre Co., The Revue Group, the aforementioned William Gavin Players, Phoenix Theatre, the Gilbert & Sullivan Society, Aberdeen Opera Company, Confederate Theatre, Dragongate Theatre, and no doubt many more. It remains a much-loved venue for performers and audiences of all ages. Aberdeen Theatres: Dufton Scott
3393 Robert Dufton Scott (1880-1944), born in Forgue, was another prominent North-East entertainer.
Much can be learnt of his life from the Press & Journal obituary that followed his death at his home at 3 Kirkland Terrace, Inverurie on 19th September 1944. He was sixty four years of age.
He is described as a well known elocutionist and exponent of Aberdeenshire doric. He spent his youth in Huntly and later moved to Aberdeen. The P&J suggest his "vivid delineation of Aberdeen life and character" quickly placed him at the forefront of Scottish entertainers.
He toured with Walker & Company, the local cinema pioneers, and appeared on the same bill as artists such as James Scott Skinner, Durward Lely, Mackenzie Murdoch and Jessie McLachlan.
He was associated with David Thomson at the Beach Pavilion and also appeared in concerts at the Music Hall.
Additionally, Scott found success publishing books of Scottish stories and broadcasting on the radio. In the 1910s he had moved to Inverurie and had set up business as a bookseller.
He was survived by his wife and three sons.
Aberdeen Cinemas: Regal / ABC / Cannon
3396 An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of the Shiprow entrance to the Regal cinema in February 1961. The cinema is advertising showings of Saturday Night, Sunday Morning with Albert Finney, Linda with Carol White and Alan Rothwell, and Pathé News.
The Regal was opened on Monday 26th June 1954 by Associated British Cinema (ABC). The opening of this substantial cinema was the conclusion of a long and much delayed enterprise.
This Shiprow site was previously the location of Aberdeen's first permanent cinema, Dove Paterson's Gaiety. It had later become the Palladium and had laid shuttered for close to seven years when the owner put the site up for sale in early 1937.
Bert Gates of Aberdeen Picture Palaces (APP) put in an offer and made plans to build a very large cinema at the location. Michael Thomson in Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) suggests that had this plan gone ahead it would have made the local company a force with which to be reckoned.
Gate's plans were thwarted however when another offer for the property from ABC (Cinemas) was accepted. ABC were a major cinema operator throughout the UK, at the time second only to the Rank Organisation, which owned the Odeon and Gaumont chains. ABC's arrival in Aberdeen would offer stiff competition to local companies such as APP. Both in terms of having the best venues and having the best films to show in them.
ABC's arrival in Aberdeen did not go smoothly, however. It was not until 1939 that the cinema's plans received official approval. War was declared not long after construction had begun and in 1941 the project was stopped by government restrictions that halted the construction of non-essential buildings where roofing had not already been started. Only the outer shell had been built at Shiprow and the building would subsequently lie incomplete for over a decade.
After much campaigning, including by local MP Hector Hughes, the government finally gave its consent and on 28th October 1953 ABC announced that work on the Regal would recommence. The plans for the cinema were modernised and construction was quickly finished.
The completed Regal was an impressive, modern cinema with a seating capacity of 1,914. Its inaugural film was The Knights of the Round Table and the opening gala was attended by stars Richard Todd and Anne Crawford.
[Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson]
Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd. |