Stafford Cinema shuts its doors

The lights are off, the doors closed and ‘now showing’ signs have blank posters above them.

Inside, staff at the three-screen cinema on Newport Road – which dates back to the 1930s – have been clearing out.

But the company that runs it, Curzon, have kept their lips sealed about whether the closure would be temporary or permanent. It was revealed last month that four cinema operators had expressed interest in taking it over.

Stafford Borough Council member Christine Baron, who represents the town centre Forebridge ward, said: “It is historic and it will mean a lot to people who have grown up with it. It is such a shame they are closing, the cinema here is a tradition from what I understand. I have been in Stafford since 1967 but even before that I have heard it was very popular. As I have walked past it previously, I’ve seen queues of people waiting to go in so it is a real shame.

“Children like going to the cinema, I am surprised that they would close it so quickly before the new one is even open.”

The last film that was shown was the newest Star Wars film, The Last Jedi, which was on at varying times throughout the weekend. The venue was put up for sale in January 2016 which was around the same time the new state-of-the-art cinema at Riverside was given the green light by the council.

Now the 400-seat cinema is taking shape just around the corner and is expected to open next year, leaving the future of the smaller cinema unknown.

Last month, the Express & Star revealed that there were four operators who were looking to take over Stafford Cinema. Two of these had made formal offers for the 12,025sq. ft site.