Tribute paid to former owner of Curzon Cinema in Eastbourne who made a ‘substantial contribution to the town’

Roy Galloway, who for over 30 years was the owner of the former Curzon Cinema in Eastbourne, passed away aged 85 on Tuesday, April 30.

Roy’s friend Mansel Stimpson has paid tribute to a man who made a ‘substantial contribution to the town.’

Mansel said: “With the death of Roy Galloway at the age of 85, Eastbourne has lost a resident who made a substantial contribution to the town. Roy developed a love of cinema in his school days.

“It started when he was at prep school attending Nevill House in St. Annes Road and grew during his time as a pupil at Eastbourne College in the 1950s.

“Roy then entered the film industry and worked in London as a film editor and producer. Skilled as he became, Roy was mainly concerned in the making of commercials but his main achievement came about when he changed course and became a cinema manager.”

Mansel also remembered Mr Galloway’s contribution to local cinema in Eastbourne.

He added: “Throughout his life Roy Galloway had a great fondness for Eastbourne which his parents, the stage artists Roy Galloway Sr. and Beryl Hayden, had made their home.

"It was natural, therefore, that he should look for a cinema in this town and on the retirement of Eric Rhodes, the owner of the Curzon, he took over the cinema in Langney Road. Running the Curzon as an independent cinema enabled Roy to bring a wider range of films to Eastbourne than the town would otherwise have seen.

"In particular he gave a home to the Eastbourne Film Society which but for that would not have survived.

"Both in conjunction with the Film Society and through his own adventurous programming Roy brought to Eastbourne audiences films that extended well beyond the mainstream releases and included films from around the world.

“More recently Eastbourne has had the Towner Cinema to carry on something of this tradition, but for some thirty years or so from the late 1980s “onwards the town had these riches entirely due to Roy being the Curzon’s proprietor."

Roy’s passing has been met with sadness from the local community and Mansel added that his death has also been met with ‘renewed gratitude for what Roy did in the local communtiy.

Mansel added: "It was also due to him that in an age of standardised multiplexes the Curzon consciously maintained the appeal and character of a friendly old-fashioned picture house, one in which regular patrons were welcomed on arrival by Roy and his staff headed in later years by Salam Niwa.

"For Roy, the Curzon was always a labour of love and he kept it going even after it had ceased to be a commercial proposition recognising the need to close down only in 2020.

“Ill-health also played a part in that and prior to his death at the DGH on April 30, Roy had been housebound for some years.

"However, the passing of time has not led to the Curzon being forgotten and news of Roy’s death has been met with much sadness but also with renewed gratitude for all that the Curzon stood for and personal appreciation for the man who made it possible.”