John could it have been the Tower or Kings Cinema?
In the meantime a great set of Photos of West-bromwich & memories
https://www.west-bromwich-photos.co.uk/
I thoroughly enjoyed the photo's thank you! It was lovely to see Trows again, I loved their ice-cream! Many a time I drank from the water-fountain in Hill Top Park, from little metal cups attached to security chains .... 'health and safety' would have a fit these days!
I'm not sure re' the cinema names; I thought the 'Kings' cinema was somewhere in West Bromwich proper? Was not the 'Tower' the ABC cinema? Although Hill Top was within the borough of West Bromwich, it was almost an entirely separate entity...a sort of mid-way town between West Brom' and Wednesbury. I believe it was once famed for its fruit trees and, was known as Finchpath.
The photo' of Hill Top school shows the central finial, between the two bell towers ( a further two towers were to be found at the rear of the school) - I believe the 'finial' was destroyed when a stick of three
(although there were only two explosins!) German bombs landed on the school, taking-out the central section. My father was walking towards the Hen and Chckens, when the bombs fell. He was clobbered by a flying brick just beneath the back of his neck! It was some weeks before he was properly recovered.
Does anyone know of the caves beneath Hill Top School? Part natural, part man-made; they were to the rear of the science lab and the wood-work shop on the lower playground. Whilst in the 'dingle' the small wooded area beyond the lower-playground, was an aeroplane! How they managed to get it into such a small space is beyond me! I believe it was painted yellow and black, and belonged to the Air Training Corps. Also in the Dingle, were the entrances to the under-playground air-raid shelters. I wonder if the new houses are built directly over them???