Mexborough and Swinton Times September 23, 1927

With the erection of the Majestic, Messrs Woffinden, father and son, will complete a comprehensive scheme of film entertainment for Mexborough and district.

The three Halls, the Empire, Majestic and Oxford will seat 6000 persons a night – or 36,000 a week.

This seems a tremendous provision, but Messrs Woffinden know the needs of Mexborough and the district, and the figures provide an interesting idea of the appetite for the movies in this neighbourhood.

Mexborough’s first cinema came into being about 20 years ago. Then Will Hunter opened the little hall in Garden Street – now used as a British Legion club – with a pierott show.

Mr W.H. Melton bought him out and ran the place for some time as a cinema. Messrs Woffinden made their first move towards entering the business in 1909, when they bought the old Brewery Yard. About that time the premises in Bank Street were converted into what is now the Royal by Mr McDonald, a film renter. It was then composed of assembly rooms and the police station. Later Mr Melton ran the Royal.

For a time Messrs Woffinden ran it in partnership with Mr Melton for a year. Then the partnership was dissolved, and Mr Woffinden managed the Oxford, alone until he joined the Army and left home in 1916.

On his return in 1919 Mr Woffinden again took over the Oxford, in November of that year. The Empire, which had been converted from skating rink to cinema in 1912, and managed by Mr Melton for the Empire Theatre Company. In 1924 Messrs Woffinden purchased the Empire and the Royal and formed a small private company, of which they are the principal, and called it Mexborough Theatres Ltd.

Mr F Woffinden as chairman of this company, and Mr J.J. Woffinden the managing director