Article and Photograph from Cinema Treasures :

The Plaza Cinema stands in Marsh Street, Wombwell, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire. It opened as the Pavilion Skating Rink in 1910. It was not a success and the following year was converted into a cinema, reopening as the Plaza Cinema on 1st May 1911.

Seating capacity was for 900 but was later reduced to 840 to give more leg room. The auditorium was of the stadium style with a steeper raised seating section at the rear. Sound was installed in 1929 with “Broadway Melody” being the first talkie screened at the Plaza Cinema on 2nd September 1929. In 1946 it was taken over by Wombwell Entertainments Ltd. and around 1955 by the Leeds based Star Cinema Group. Star Cinemas closed the Plaza Cinema on 8th June 1963 and reopened it five days later as the Plaza Casino – Star Bingo & Social Club.

Bingo did not draw the crowds initially though, and on 28th August 1963 the Plaza Cinema returned to full time cinema use. Films continued until 12th January 1967 when it returned to full time bingo. This time it was much more successful and continued on bingo until the early 1990’s. It was then converted into a snooker club, open in 2008 as the Wombwell Snooker & Social Club.