Majestic (Odeon) Cinema

Here are 2 views of the Majestic Cinema in Forge Road, which was also called the Odeon before closing.

The Majestic opened in 1938, just 2 years before the Plaza. It was taken over by the Odeon group later in its life, and during the 1970s became a bingo hall. The building finally closed for good in 1980, and was demolished as part of the development of the new Tesco site in 1995. 

 

75) Margam Abbey Chapter House

Well, look, I know that I already sketched quite a similar subject(Number 65) Margam Abbey Ruins and Margam Castle) I have to justify it to myself for two reasons. That particular sketch wasn't a real study of the ruins as such, they may have been in the foreground, but it was more a case of making one part of a frame for Margam Castle and steps in the distance. The other reason is that it's another attempt at line and wash, and in some ways I quite like it, I think it's got enough for me to be able to tell myself that I'm making a little progress with line and wash. 

58) Glanafan School Demolition

Glanafan School was Port Talbot’s Grammar School until the move to comprehensive education. It began life as the Port Talbot County School in 1896. Glanafan was one of the three schools which merged to form the school in which I now teach, Ysgol Bae Baglan. The school was important to me because it was in Glanafan I did my teaching practice while training to be a teacher in 1986. More than that, all of my children attended Glanafan for five years each.

This brings us up to date. From now on, every sketch has been created since starting the blog.

18) Craddock Arms Pub, Aberavon

This sketch was based on a photograph which I took before I went to Prague, and completed after I returned. In the interim, sadly, the building had been demolished. I’ve already said how I think my style changed and developed when I returned from Prague, and I stick by this, but you’d be hard pressed to tell that from just looking at this sketch. Incidentally, because I was making this from a photograph, I made a Youtube instructional video while I was sketching it.