Stafford shops closing - Turning into a ghost town?

Jonah

Spouting nonsense since the day I learned to talk
There were enough chances for the various owners of the old cinema to bring it up to modern standards. The fact they that chose not to says to me that it wasn’t really feasible for the building.

I have many good memories of seeing lots of films at the Odeon/Apollo but the last decade or two just showed how poor the building was for modern needs.
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
There were enough chances for the various owners of the old cinema to bring it up to modern standards. The fact they that chose not to says to me that it wasn’t really feasible for the building.

I have many good memories of seeing lots of films at the Odeon/Apollo but the last decade or two just showed how poor the building was for modern needs.
Maybe. How do other towns manage to keep their old cinemas yet upgrade them to modern standards?
 

gilesjuk

Well-Known Forumite
I imagine it is actually quite expensive to fit a Dolby Atmos system. You need soundproofing/deadening and quite a bit of tweaking to get it to sound right.
 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
I must be missing something where a council can dictate how Odeon spend their money, and whether they have to buy an old building that needs all sorts of work done or get a purpose-built unit created for them as an early tenant.

Odeon wouldn’t have taken over the old cinema, they simply wouldn’t have opened anything here.

The big problem with the high street and why Riverside is so appealing to businesses is because old buildings are a nightmare: getting AC installed where absent, rewiring, not having enough space as most of the units are tiny… none of that is appealing. It’s why the SGI building has been empty for so long, the place is a nightmare to work in and run anything anywhere compared to just getting a unit in the tech park or something.
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
I must be missing something where a council can dictate how Odeon spend their money, and whether they have to buy an old building that needs all sorts of work done or get a purpose-built unit created for them as an early tenant.

Odeon wouldn’t have taken over the old cinema, they simply wouldn’t have opened anything here.
No but they do the planning etc and formulate the plans of what can go where etc. It was the council who declared the area of the new cinema development land I assume?
 

c0tt0nt0p

Well-Known Forumite
I imagine it is actually quite expensive to fit a Dolby Atmos system. You need soundproofing/deadening and quite a bit of tweaking to get it to sound right.
Throw into the mix that the size of cinema seating has increased to the point that you can't retro fit especially when you have such a steep environment (as was the case at the old place).
 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
I imagine it is actually quite expensive to fit a Dolby Atmos system. You need soundproofing/deadening and quite a bit of tweaking to get it to sound right.
I imagine it’s probably more than the place made in a couple of years tbh
 

gilesjuk

Well-Known Forumite
I imagine it’s probably more than the place made in a couple of years tbh

No expert, but I'd guestimate that it would be at least £50,000. Then there's the grotty seats, toilets etc. Plus we all know the big cinemas make as much money from food and sweets as they do from the films. When I had an American friend visit from out of town even she was impressed at the new cinema and she was from Las Vegas. Times change, people want big screens, big sound. There's always been an arms race between the home cinema and the real thing. One thing I noticed with the old cinema vs the new one, in the old one you could hear people nattering and in the new one you couldn't. I don't know if that was a volume thing or the fact the ticket prices were higher, but it was my experience. I hate hearing people talk in movies.
 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
No expert, but I'd guestimate that it would be at least £50,000. Then there's the grotty seats, toilets etc. Plus we all know the big cinemas make as much money from food and sweets as they do from the films. When I had an American friend visit from out of town even she was impressed at the new cinema and she was from Las Vegas. Times change, people want big screens, big sound. There's always been an arms race between the home cinema and the real thing. One thing I noticed with the old cinema vs the new one, in the old one you could hear people nattering and in the new one you couldn't. I don't know if that was a volume thing or the fact the ticket prices were higher, but it was my experience. I hate hearing people talk in movies.
Maybe more: it’s not just hardware, it’s also calibration and certification I believe.

And yeah, I think partially it might be the quality of seating and the ticket price, people are too busy being comfy to be noisy.
 

Mudgie

Well-Known Forumite
Maybe more: it’s not just hardware, it’s also calibration and certification I believe.

And yeah, I think partially it might be the quality of seating and the ticket price, people are too busy being comfy to be noisy.
Make the seats too comfortable and you hear people snoring not talking.
 

GNM67

Well-Known Forumite
Just walked through Riverside, first time in ages.
Has lambretta closed? I thought they were just moving to allow for sports direct, but didn't see them anywhere?
 

Wormella

Well-Known Forumite
Just walked through Riverside, first time in ages.
Has lambretta closed? I thought they were just moving to allow for sports direct, but didn't see them anywhere?

I was told November for the Sports Direct / Game move. Is it possible the unit for Lambretta isn't ready yet - if it is indeed staying in some form?
 
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