The Royalty Harborne

12/04/2026

Today we were privileged to be invited to be part of the latest edition of the Birmingham History podcast hosted by Alison and James.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1BXGJTl3gpPPWJCaFpu9Ga?si=h_y5gYvTQampyNVscY3HRA
Fellow guest was Ben Waddington. Local historian, tour guide and author in Birmingham. Ben wrote 111 Places in Birmingham That You Shouldn't Miss.
The podcast takes you on a journey through the rich history of cinema of Birmingham and highlights the upcoming annual Flatpack Festival in Birmingham in May 2026.

The Silent Film era is discussed and the many venues across Birmingham that played silent films. This includes The Picture House (now a shopping arcade), The Futurist and The Electric. We discuss the recent developments with the Electric and hope that this may be saved as a cinema. We discuss our experiences going to this iconic cinema, the oldest cinema in the UK from 1909.

Ben discusses the current nook gallery and studies in the Birmingham suburb of King's Heath. Ben gives us a fascinating insight into his research. This led him to discover that the building was once a Silent Cinema in the 1910s and called the Cosy Cinema.

The era of sound in cinema is discussed and the different venues in Birmingham involved in this new era of cinema from the 1920s onwards. This includes the Harborne Royalty, (c32m 30) a cinema built by the renowned architect Horace Bradley in 1930. Rob discusses the efforts he and his team has made to try and bring this derelict building back to use.

Oscar Deutsch and the Odeon cinema chain is discussed. Oscar had strong links to Birmingham and the 1st branded Odeon cinema was in Perry Barr. It is debated what Odeon might stand for!

The Odeon New St is discussed and its remarkable history. It became an Odeon in 1942 and still is to this day! The unique Art Deco style of Odeon cinema architecture is discussed

The podcast delves into the lost cinema hidden underneath a building in Central Birmingham. It was once the successor to the Scala cinema. Ben takes us on a fascinating journey into that lost cinema. Did you know too the Picadilly Arcade was originally a cinema?

The iconic comic duo Laurel and Hardy came to Birmingham towards the end of their career. The podcast discusses this visit and their career which spanned the silent and sound era of cinema

Was Charlie Chaplain born just outside Birmingham in Smethwick? The podcast looks into this intriguing story

The acclaimed Flatpack Film Festival is held in Birmingham every year and is going from strength to strength. The next edition is from the 8th to 16th May 2026. Ben discusses his involvement and how he is bringing silent cinema back to the former Cosy Cinema!
Links: -

https://flatpackfestival.org.uk/

http://www.theroyaltyharborne.co.uk/- Learn more about the Harborne Royalty

28/03/2026

Arrest after major fire tears through Leek's historic Big Mill - BBC News https://share.google/eZvWKfB5dl01wPnFu

Another listed building goes up in flames......

The former silk mill has been derelict since 2007 and has attracted anti-social behaviour.

22/02/2026

Still no sign of any planning application. What a disgrace that the city is prepared to stand back and let a listed building deteriorate like this. The senior conservation officer has left and the city design manager so perhaps nobody on the bridge?

06/01/2026

As we've had nothing whatsoever back from the owner we're now reaching out to the head of planning at the city to see if we can get some movement (this year...). We'll report back.

31/12/2025

We've reached out to the owner again to try and get things moving on this site with some ideas on ways forward but no response whatsoever. 2026 another year or dereliction?
Best wishes to you all who have followed our efforts to resolve the plight of this listed building. We'll continue as long as it takes.

03/12/2025

Along with a request to meet with our M.P Preet Gill to discuss the Royalty we've also put these questions to her with the hope she can use her influence to get some answers.
1. Is there any likelihood of a planning application?
2. If there is, has the developer demonstrated a financial capability and willingness to expedite a development?
2. If not, are senior officers prepared to have a discussion with us?
Its no point pushing an application through if nothing then happens for 3 to 5 years. The site just becomes more valuable and vulnerable to a further application when the developer decides market conditions have changed and they need a few more floors and less community.

20/11/2025

We've chased up on what is going on with the planning application we were told was coming along. This is the reply we received.

'Thank you for your email, I just wanted to come back to you.
Having checked our systems, there doesn’t appear to be any recent planning applications that have been received or determined at the site. I understand that an application is being compiled by the site owner but it does not appear to have been submitted to date. We have chased this up with the site owners and asked for an update in terms of timescales.'

So nothing appears to be happening and with another winter on us this continuous delay allowing further deterioration of the building all plays into the hands of the owner. We're pushing for a meeting with our M.P Preet Gill to see if there is a way for further pressure to be applied and to see if we can help break any impasse. We still have proposals.

In the meantime we'll keep pressing for further updates on any progress.

20/10/2025

A great article about community cinema and how widespread it is. Another missed opportunity for Harborne and the unnecessary loss of a listed building?

With more than 1,600 screens, people share how local-run venues are taking them on a film-worthy adventure

11/10/2025

Absolutely shameful how a listed building on our High Street can be allowed to get into this state! Does the owner have no sense of responsibility in properly looking after this building? Do our planners with the listed powers they have had in their armoury feel any guilt? I think the answer is NO. We'll see who in the coming months, if a planning application comes forward, is standing up for Harborne, our heritage and keeping the planners to their stated requirements, and who will be taking the easy option. Remember approval of a planning application doesn't guarantee anything will happen of significance.

17/09/2025

Latest information on our website about proposals to bring the Royalty back to life and the Councils requirements for community to be included. With a planning application in the offing we'll see what happens.

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06/08/2025

The law needs beefing up to better deal with the protection of historic buildings. This is just another article on buildings which catch fire or are demolished spectacularly quickly especially if a preservation order is in the offing. The odd council is brave enough to do something about it. Why are governments so weak in dealing with this ongoing problem instead of capitulating?

The razing of a prized cottage in Hampshire was met with howls of protest, but it’s not the first landmark controversially wiped off the map