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Newtown Palace Cinema

Gervann, there was a rag & bone yard right opposite my grandparents house in New John Street called Holmes, when I wanted some extra pocket money for the pictures or the fair, my dad used to tell me to take some rags to Holmes in a basket carriage hired from Jennings in Parliament Street, I used to think it was a bit beneath my dignity, but if I wanted the money enough - I went.
 
Great story Sylvia....you know we kids back then, on the whole, never had any ready money to spare for our entertainment. So it was down to scrounging what we could to finance the pictures, sweets, drinks, etc.
Pop bottles were always popular if you could find any. I used to run errands for older neighbours who would promise me money up front...me with a surprise on my face when told about the forthcoming "tip"..... since Mom said we shouldn't take money for such help. Looking in the grass near bus stops was often rewarding for lost change as well.
You would see me walking ever so slowly by Mrs. Cases' house, in particular, because she would often pop out of the side door and request some shopping.
Mrs. Case was a great tipper. Or walking around the square to see if a certain baby was out for an airing and needed a walk.

My Dad used to wax lyrical about the Newtown Picture House way back when. I think it was a favourite place to go for a lot of people.
 
this is a nice pic of children waiting to to into the picture house...boxing day 1954

astoness:)
 
hi sylv;
intresting bit that can you remember what did they charge you for the hire of the cart and what year was it because thats my grand parents business
Jenning cart and carrige busines in parilment st
have a nice day astonian;;;
 
What is the connection with Jenning of Parliament street as these Jennings are my friends family I do know some of them myself though most have them are now departed.
I used to go out with Lilly Adams nee Jennings daughter Francess
I have a photograph of their garage in Tower street St Georges Newtown
 
Astonian, I can't remember the charges now, probably something like 6d to hire the basket carriage with a deposit of a shilling, this would be the late 1940s or early 1950s. They also hired out flat handcarts and Mr. Jennings used to charge accumulators too.
 
hi all , here's two more pictures that may help a little
they show hockley brook, the bus on the left is comming out of icknield st its the 8 inner circle,
there was also a bus depot in whitmoor st, just down from junction, terry.
 
hi terry..great pics...in the second one is that the palladium cinema on the left..just by what is now hockley flyover....

lyn:)
 
its ok terry..it is the pally..ive got that pic in me collection....

cheers...

lyn:)
 
View attachment 48589I am new to the site so please be gentle with me! The photo shows my great grandmother, Alice May Griffiths receiving a gift after retiring from the Newtown Palace Cinema. I can only presume that it was taken during the 1950s as she died in 1962. I expect that the others in the photo are employees and the man presenting the gift is the Cinema manager. Any help in identify the people in the photo would be appreciated. I am not sure what Alice did at the cimema - does anyone else? Alice Griffiths, her daughter Gwen, my Mum Diane Griffiths and myself Dean all lived in Farm Street, Hockley.
 
Phil,
Lloyd might be right about the destination of No. 15 bus? As I remember it did traverse a strange route across from one side of the city to the other. There was a 15 and a 15A.

Picking up on this from over a year ago - you are right - I used to live on that bus route, it used to run from Hamstead to Yardley and it was the number 16 going towards Hamstead and number 15 the other way, it was a really long route and, eventually they split it and made it two.
 
Picking up on this from over a year ago - you are right - I used to live on that bus route, it used to run from Hamstead to Yardley and it was the number 16 going towards Hamstead and number 15 the other way, it was a really long route and, eventually they split it and made it two.

If i remember right its destination was Whittington Oval . Dek
 
If i remember right its destination was Whittington Oval . Dek

It was - thanks!! I was trying to think of that yesterday. I actually once went all the way from Handsworth Wood to the Yardley Terminus seemed to take ages!

Back to the Newtown Picture Houses again - I seem to remember the Globe building from when I was a child, passing on the bus, but I don't think it was a cinema then - does anyone know if it was used as a shop of some sort before it was demolished?
 
I used to go to the Saturday matinees in the 40'scost us that huge amount of money 2p
my uncle used to work their because he had a gammy leg he used a walking stick
when the kids were shouting in the newtown palace he bang the boards with his stick to
make us keep shut up.his name was Reg Bowly
 
Hmm More Trivia... Newtown Palace started life as a Theatre.. become part of the Moss Empire chain' later becoming one of their Cinemas
 
Iremember the newtown palace very well'used to live in John St two minutes from the cinema,
when i was a boy my mother used to send me to the saturday matinees.my uncle who worked their
on the Saturdays if we played he would hit the boarding at the backof the cineme with his walking
stick to make go quiet.great times though never forget them.
 
Hi Topsy... The Childrens Matinee picture could have been from 1949 onwards.. When Childrens Matinees commenced after WW2 I can tell you from the Style of Double Crown Poster.. Its was produced by Clifton Cinemas Poster and Display Services... They did posters for other Cinemas inc ABC.... At the time Hmm... Giving my age away again...
 
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