Why I left a job I loved

As you may have read in today's (10/11/2016) Tenbury Advertiser the Regal Tenbury now has a new manager. As this is a job I loved doing for the last four years and because of some of the rumours circulating in town, I feel I should explain why I decided to leave.

During this year I increasingly found myself at odds with decisions being made by the Trustees and the direction they wanted the business to move.

We were also in disagreement over my contract renewal as they had declined to increase my paid hours from 30 a week to 35 as I had requested. For those who do not know I usually worked in excess of 48 hours a week and sometimes double that.

For the record: I was paid 18.75 hrs/week in 2013, 26.75 hrs/week in 2014, 30.75 hrs/week in 2015

I finally decided to leave when a Trustee, called me, amongst other things, lazy, incompetent, and responsible for putting the Regal "on it's arse" in a tirade of abuse after he had instructed me to do something that I considered unsafe and not in the best interest of either the Regal or its customers. Once this instruction was confirmed by other Trustees I felt my job had become untenable I had no option but to go.

Had I have been an employee rather than a contractor this would have been a constructive dismissal and I would have left immediately but I agreed that as I wanted the Regal to continue to thrive I would work my three months notice period to enable the trust to put a replacement management team in post, and to complete my 18th What's on brochure, which is due out at the end of this month.

In the last 12 months to the end of September we ran 49 live performances, 53 event cinema broadcasts, and 227 feature film screenings to an audience of over 21,500. In August we increased our audience numbers by 60% and our gross income by more than 70%. In October our gross turn-over exceeded £34,500 up £7,500 from the previous year.

Given these results I felt the comments about my performance where far from justified!

During my long notice period I have been overwhelmed by the good wishes from the volunteers and amazed at the number of people approaching me in the street to thank me and to wish me well. I had the opportunity tonight to thank many of the volunteers for their continued hard work and I would like to express my gratitude to all the customers who also made the job so enjoyable.

I will miss working at the Regal but I wish the Trust all the very best for the future, however I hope they don't lose sight of the good things that we have achieved.

Ian Little

General Manager

Regal Tenbury Trust

October 2012 - October 2016

Follow up article 

Tenbury Regal to get new management

Tenbury Town Council have backed the proposal for the newly renovated Regal Cinema to be run and managed by a Management Trust.

One Cllr described the Regal as an "important Multi Media centre of activity" and thought the proposal was an excellent idea.  Another Cllr said that this "needs to be run as a commercial enterprise and councils (all councils) are not good at running commercial enterprises."

Drop in and see the Regal one last time...

If you've been to the Regal before and are interested in the changes going on as part of the HLF project, don't miss your last chance to see it before all the work starts. The contractors will be on site soon, but before they start we're opening up to show you the auditorium and information about the restoration and renovation work that will be going on.

Friday 14th October | 11am - 2pm
Saturday 15th October | 11am - 3pm

You're free to drop in whenever you want during our open times. We look forward to seeing you!

Tenbury Regal - Management Trust is the future.

Local impresario Chris Davis, outlined the case to run the Tenbury Regal under a Management Trust at last nights meeting of the Town Council.

He correctly identified that in the past, the Regal had been owned and run by the Town Council, but in a non proactive way.  This meant that a wonderful local asset spent more time closed and sitting idle than it did, open, entertaining people and earning money.

Many local people didn’t really feel that they had ownership and consequently showed a lack of interest.  The Town Council are not in a position to commit additional resources either financially or in time, so without change the situation would not improve.

Chris and his committee, feel that if the Regal continued to be owned by the Town Council, but was managed by a Trust, there would be significant benefits.

Firstly, with more focused management, there would be more local ownership and much more opportunity for fund raising and for obtaining grants.  There would also be much more scope to make full use of the facility and therefore increase the income.

The plan is for the Trust to be overseen by a Board of Trustees, this board would include at least one Town Councillor, but would also include industry professionals, who have influence and connections.

There would also be a programming committee who would book and arrange all the events, including the cinema.  It is also hoped that a Drama School could be opened, not just for Children, but for anyone who wished to learn about performing and about stagecraft including lighting and sound.

A marketing committee would bring together the promotion of all the events, saving costs but also presenting much more coherent marketing, with perhaps a monthly poster or brochure.

The front of house committee would be responsible for providing the ushers and running a shop, cafe and bar, to maximise the earning potential of the building.

A proper box office would be established whereby people could book tickets for all events, including Internet and telephone booking.

A production committee would ensure that all the facilities of the Regal were available and volunteers or staff were in place to operate them.

Another part of the plan sees the formation of the “Regal Friends”, they would create their own mostly fund raising events, but would on occasion host, receptions or parties for visiting performers.

It is also hoped that both business and private sponsors would be willing to for instance to sponsor a seat.

In the year 2010-2011 the Regal cost just under £37,000 to run but only generated an income of just over £17,000.  So the net cost to the local Council tax payers was just under £20,000.

Under this plan, it is proposed that the trust pays to the Town Council a rent equivalent to the long term debt repayments that the Council are committed to, which is in the region of £4,000 a year, and that the Town Council provides the Trust with a £10,000 grant.  This would ensure that the current community events could continue to be hosted free or at the existing minimal non commercial rates.

It is envisaged that in a short time the Regal would start to generate an operating surplus which initially would be used to upgrade the technical equipment (which isn’t covered by the Heritage Lottery Grant) and then to redevelop the back stage area and community centre.

The immediate net effect to the Tenbury Town Council Tax precept payer would be a reduction from £20,000 to nearer £6,000, which under this scheme would be likely to reduce year on year, rather than increase.

The Town Councillors have been given a month to think about the proposal and will debate it further at the next full meeting of the Town Council on Monday 3rd October.

Films back at the Regal (For a while)

A short season of films is being planned for the Tenbury Regal.  Due to a short delay in starting the refurbishment project, a few weeks have become available for showing films.

The first is the multi-award winning KINGS SPEECH starting on Monday 9th May for three nights.

Regal Heating Shock

Once again Tenbury Town Councillors expressed shock by the size of the winter Electricity bill for the Regal, when it was revealed tonight. The bill is in excess of £4,600 for three months (about £50 a day)

Why this has come as a surprise, is in itself a surprise.  Since the massive bill last year that included winter 2009/10 heating, no remedial action has been taken.  As far as I can see, no remedial action has even been discussed (at least not on the record).

The Town Council made the decision to install an Electric Boiler (a decision that was discussed and agreed entirely in Private sessions) following the ruling that the oil fired boiler (which had only been installed after the floods) was unsafe.

A new Dawn for Tenbury Town Council

Last night Tenbury Town Council endorsed the Town Clerk's proposals to greatly improve the recording and presentation of budgets and accounts.

For the first time it will now be possible for Councillors (and others) to fully understand where the Council spends it's (our) money and where it gets income.

This is something that I and others have been lobbying for, for many years.

The new Town Clerk who is really stamping her mark on the Council and is implementing so many improvements, should be congratulated on her major achievements so far.

The Councillors also agreed that a feasibility study and business plan be produced (by an independant theatre expert) with a view to transferring the day to day management of the Regal to a not for profit trust (whilst retaining ownership by the Town Council).

This is excellent news and if the plan shows it can be implemented it will make so much difference to the use and vitality of not just the Regal but the whole towns visitor economy.  It will also have a wide ranging effect on not only the Regal's finances but also that of the Town Council's.

Regal Cinema celebrates Christmas with huge Heritage Lottery Fund win

The Regal Cinema in Tenbury is celebrating Christmas early this week thanks to confirmation of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of over £680,000 to repair and conserve the building and run a two year programme of community activities, it was announced today.


The news will be warmly welcomed by Tenbury Town Council and the cinema volunteers, who have campaigned passionately to see the Grade II listed Art Deco building restored and conserved.


Unlike many cinema’s of the period which have fallen into disrepair and dereliction, the construction of a community centre at the rear of the building in the 1980’s has seen the Regal Cinema act as a focal point for local groups and activities ever since.


Built to replace the New Picture House, which was on the site since 1917, the Regal Cinema was acquired by the Council in 1972. Located on Teme Street in Tenbury town centre it has been cited an excellent example of a 1930s ‘super cinema’ constructed on miniature scale. 


Designed by specialist cinema architect Ernest Robert, it is nationally recognised by the Cinema Theatre Association as having ‘one of the most astonishing auditorium decorations of 1930s cinemas in Britain’ in the form of a painted mural by George Legge - a ‘trompe l’oeil’ Italian scene around three sides of the interior. 


Currently in poor condition and suffering from water ingress through its roof and walls, the grant money will ensure that this precious 20th century artwork is conserved and saved for future generations.


Anne Jenkins, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for the West Midlands, explained the importance of the award:

“The Regal Cinema is a real local community hub and widely used by a variety of groups from amateur dramatics to brass band playing, arts societies and local charity functions among many other uses. The HLF grant will ensure that as well as being able to preserve the interior, the Council can now develop further educational activities and interpretation for people of all ages so they can learn about the past of this beautiful building while using it today.”

Community activities to be run in conjunction with the project include the recruitment and training of volunteers to carry out research for a booklet, oral histories to be recorded and made into a CD, cinema tours, a teacher/student resource pack called ‘Producing the Regal’, and a young people’s annual film project.


Neville Topping, Project Manager and Grant Administrator said:

"This is a tremendous collective success. The Town Council, local enthusiasts, building users, design consultants, professional advisers and the Heritage Lottery Fund have worked together to ensure the future of the Regal and everyone involved should be proud of their contribution."

The Mayor of Tenbury Wells, Councillor Elizabeth Weston, said:

“News of the award has been greeted with absolute delight by Councillors and townsfolk. It is a wonderful Christmas gift for Tenbury Wells to know that part of its heritage will be preserved for future generations.”

Shropshire Star - Delight
Worcester News - Future Secure
Tenbury Advertiser

Regal Renovation - Good News (Probably)

The Heritage Lottery Fund have decided yet again to delay the press release about the outcome of the grant application for the renovation to the Tenbury Regal until the new year.

There has been an indication that no news, is good news, but why the news release has been postponed twice is unknown.

Strangely the HLF website seems to be indicating that Tenbury Town Council have been awarded  £739,500, but this could be the announcement of the "first round pass".  All very confusing.  Anyone would think they were a quango.

Use it or lose it.

DONT LET THIS HAPPEN TO THE TENBURY REGAL

A use it or lose it call, has gone out from the Tenbury Regal Cinema team.

Recent low attendance figures have brought about a turn in fortune for the volunteer run cinema. During the summer 7 sell out screenings of Mamma Mia helped to boost the funds, but recent very low audience numbers have eaten away at this surplus.

The Tenbury Regal Group have to pay enhanced fees to the film distributors when there is a large audience, but still have to pay a substantial distributor fee, and a hire fee to Tenbury Town Council even if no one turns up. Ironically they even have to pay a distributors courier fee when the Regal is unavailable for films due to other bookings.

A coffee morning is being held in the Regal Community Centre starting at 10am on Saturday 17th January 2009 with an auction of film posters at 11am. You are urged to come along a discuss the cinema and it's future.


Tenbury Regal Website