Picture House

The much delayed transformation of the old cinema into a wine bar looks set to come to fruition in January. Although unfortunately missing the key Christmas market it’ll be nice to have this long-standing vacancy filled.

Obstacles have included problems with the floor, but the owners applied for planning permission way back in April 2006.

But what a transformation this on-off project is making. The owners have stripped away the newer flush frontage, to expose the old entrance to the cinema. Let’s trust that the restoration is fully sympathetic, reinstating it to something like its former 1920s glory.

The Picture House opened in 1925 at a time when every town had at least one cinema. It was operated by the Ruthin Cinema Company. It subsequently became Warren’s food store, with its infamous sloping floor, under the “Happy Shopper” epithet. This closed shortly after Lo-cost (now Co-op) arrived. It then sold all sorts of second-hand furniture, was then vacant for a number of years, before became the Ruthin Dance Studio. Latterly, it has also remained vacant.