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Thank you ChrisM for your kind comments, I am glad you found the article interesting and entertaining. Kind Regards Chris B

Hi Jennyann thanks very much for youre kind comments, about the article, yes you are quite right about the importance of the cinema in the old days, peoples standard of living was considerably poorer than today, in fact to call it basic is putting it mildly, and then you went out to this...

How interesting Judy, when I was courting my girlfriend (wife now) and I went to the Tudor a few times, it was a bit out of the way for us because we worked in Birmingham city centre at Lewis's I lived at Sheldon and she lived at Pype Hayes, more importantly her dad was strict and she had to be...

Ward End Park this post transfered to Parks section

southhalls thats a shame, I used to love to hear the bull blow at midday when I was a lad

The Final Part Chapter 6 The Last Hundred “Painful” Yards. By now Morris and Jacombs had sold the cinemas off as I think they had cash flow problems, the new owners were Bryants the builders, who had actually constructed the Sheldon and possible the Kingston in the first place, now they...

Blockbusters Hi Langstraat the crowd pullers during my time at the Sheldon were the early Bond Films especially Goldfinger, Most of the re-issued Disney classic cartoons like Bambi Snow White etc, also Mary Poppins used to pack em in for the kids holidays. then you had got The Sound Of Music...

When I was lad the school took us to the baths at the top of George Arthur Road at the bottom of the Rock, they were old even in those days. Regards Chris B

school cinema visits We were taken to the West End to see The Ten Commandments, that was great, and when we got back to school we were asked questions on the film, I think the teacher referred to Queen Nefeteri (Anne Baxter) as the local court crumpet for some reason which we all thought was a...

Palace Erdington Hi All, didn't goto the Palace very often, seats downstairs were cramped between the rows, and on one visit someone nicked the spare wheel off my Lambretta scooter, police called at my house 7 or 8 months after I reported the theft to tell me they were still looking for it, how...

Charlie Aston at the opening of The Kingston Bingo Charlie Aston Harry Arthur Myself & Gwen (The Kiosk Lady)on the night she retired One Of The Sheldons 1930s light fitting over the front stalls

Confessions cont' Hi All, Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Even More Changes! Some Good Some Bad. By this time June had become a casual member of the usherette staff, and used to help out on high days and holidays, and Mr Aston had been promoted to General...

Hi Mazbeth, Do You mean the PLAZA at Stockland Green, the manager was Frank Rieago he worked for many many years in fact well past retirement age into his 70s I think. Regards Chris Bryan

More Confessions Hi All, Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Times They Are A Changin’ By now I had managed to save enough money for a deposit on a house, and my Mother was planning to move to a bungalow and I asked her if I could buy the house off her, so luckily she helped me by letting me have...

This is Chapter 3 sorry made a mistake with last numbering Hi All, here is the next bit. CONFESSIONS OF A CINEMA EMPLOYEE Chapter 3 Staff Matters. At this time besides we three “chuckers out” on the floor staff there...

Hi, The Electric Cinema was a news theatre for some years, showing cartoons and news reels and it was patronised by people who were "in transit" waiting for trains etc, then it was the Jacey and now the Electric which is possibly the first name it was opened under. Regards Chris.

Hi you were nearly right, it was FU MANCHU, and at the end of each film after being defeated by Commissioner Nayland Smith, he uttered these immortal words -: "THE WORLD WILL HEAR FROM ME AGAIN" and for a good while we did, at least during the time that the films were made. A bit of info...

Odeon Hi The other thought about the name of ODEON was yes OD was the initials of Oscar Deutch and that EON meant glittering lights in greek, just A thought. Chris B

CONFESSIONS OF A CINEMA EMPLOYEE Chapter 3 Hi All, the next episode for the cinema saga. CONFESSIONS OF A CINEMA EMPLOYEE. Chapter two We Learn As We Go Another story Mr Aston told me was about the relief Manager who was named Mr Stanford, he was a touch more of an aggressive character...

Sheldon Front