G B Snape Circuit 1956 - 1988

By 1956, Harold Ward had parted ways with the company, leaving it in the hands of the remaining partners with Brian Snape as Chairman. The resulting company was renamed the G.B. Snape Circuit, the G being Brian's proper first name George. With acquisitions and new build, the company became the largest it had ever been, with a total of 29 cinemas under its ownership. By 1959, its portfolio of cinemas included :

NOTE:  Note: Four of these cinemas were designed by John Knight. The Ambassador, in particular, was part of the Snape family legacy being part of the three different cinema circuits they were connected to. The other three cinemas** were later acquired by the family as part of their expansion within the industry.* 

 It's worth noting that many of the newly aquired cinemas were facing declining patronage and economic challenges, particularly the smaller ones. Whilst it was evident that G.B. Snape was making efforts to salvage some of these venues, the writing was literally on the wall, (or should that be the screen?)  Several factors contributed to their decline, with the proliferation of television, particularly after mass sales or rentals that had begun around 1952/3, coinciding with Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation, being one of the most significant factors.

However, several other factors, including increased competition for people's disposable income, like the ease of hire purchase for luxury goods despite high purchase tax rates, as well as the availability of paid holidays and improved travel options, impacted the frequency of cinema visits. With the decline in the habit of going to the cinema two or three times a week, audiences became more selective in their film choices, and some studios focused on catering to niche audiences, such as horror or adult films, neglecting family-oriented content.