E
EGriffiths
Guest
Does anyone remember the above cinema.
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anceMoonwalker:
:133:
anceMoonwalker:
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steerboy
Guest
Hi egriffiths
I remember the Kingston very well as I lived in Arther St dead opposite.
To the left of the cinema photo was a huge water tank which must have been ready for for any fires during the war and was nearly always covered in green slime.
The doorman there was a little Sandy haired chap complete with medals and a outsize uniform who used to patrol up and down the queue making sure you never pushed in.
Regards Steerboy.
I remember the Kingston very well as I lived in Arther St dead opposite.
To the left of the cinema photo was a huge water tank which must have been ready for for any fires during the war and was nearly always covered in green slime.
The doorman there was a little Sandy haired chap complete with medals and a outsize uniform who used to patrol up and down the queue making sure you never pushed in.
Regards Steerboy.
brummie nick
master brummie
Picture of the inside
Ray Barrett
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN R.I.P.
Went there once, too see, "Blackbeard The Pirate" starring Robert Newton.
Took a girl,so it was two shillings worth of dark in the back row.ancedancer08:
Still haven't seen that film.
Took a girl,so it was two shillings worth of dark in the back row.
ancedancer08:Still haven't seen that film.
Chris B
master brummie
when I worked at the Sheldon I was asked to work at the Kingston the last couple of weeks before it was due to change to bingo because the staff were all leaving. Jack Attwood was the Chief Projectionist and Johnny Rowley was one of the doormen, he used to sell car parking space to the football crowds to top up his beer money.
Regards Chris B
Regards Chris B
formula t
master brummie
Living in watery lane the kingston was our local cinema, we used to go to the saturday morning kids films for a tanner. I remember watching the cowboy films, the three stooges and the serial at the time was Flash Gordon. johnny rowley jobs was almost impossible trying to keep 200 kids quiet.when i was 12 i was banned from the cinema by miss lloyd who woked on the cash desk for sneaking in to many times, i was 16 before she let me in the kingston again.
Used to get in through the exit door at the back by the 5 minute car wash. saw Jason and the Argonauts every night for a week, same with the great escape. Snowed a lot and very cold tha winter (63 I think) so it was somehing to do.
I got banned from there as well, for letting a stink bomb off, actually I didnt do it, just got the blame. The manager actually threatened to me and 2 other kids who I didnt even know with the cane if we ever came back.
Didnt stop me though, must have gone there dozens of times after that but either I wasnt recognised, or he wasnt serious. lol
I got banned from there as well, for letting a stink bomb off, actually I didnt do it, just got the blame. The manager actually threatened to me and 2 other kids who I didnt even know with the cane if we ever came back.
Didnt stop me though, must have gone there dozens of times after that but either I wasnt recognised, or he wasnt serious. lol
formula t
master brummie
hello col h. that was the same way i got in,we used to get on our hands and knees and crawl to the front row seats then slide into the seat. if the seat was occupied we went into the tiolets just on the left of the screen then walk out and look for an empty seat. we must have been in there at the same time as i saw jason and the argonauts nearly every day.do you remember when they were showing harold lloyd films and they used a fake clock and a dummy of a man hanging off it from the top of the cinema. i dont know if it was true but i heard someone had called the fire brigade to report the poor chap hanging from there. all the best formula t
OH Yes i remember the old kingston alright the flee pitt of a picure house
and when it changed for a bing hall
i bought a brand new car ; and went there toplay bingo in te eighies,bu when i came out
i found all my contents stripped and the radio had been removed and it was a bad night all round even with the gusty rain and winds driving back down the cov .i never ever went near the flee pitt again
and ys it was the last time i ever seen it it became an asian picture house then a bussiness centre ,
but never seen any one going in there , astonion ;;
and when it changed for a bing hall
i bought a brand new car ; and went there toplay bingo in te eighies,bu when i came out
i found all my contents stripped and the radio had been removed and it was a bad night all round even with the gusty rain and winds driving back down the cov .i never ever went near the flee pitt again
and ys it was the last time i ever seen it it became an asian picture house then a bussiness centre ,
but never seen any one going in there , astonion ;;
Chris B
master brummie
This Might Give you a laugh, (extract out of my article "Confessions of A Cinema Employee)
By this time June, my wife, 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 Manager of the group of cinemas on the retirement of Arthur Dowding who had his office at the Kingston. All that was left of the original group of theatres was The Beaufort, The Sheldon, and The Kingston and it was about this period that Mr Aston asked me if I could take June and Myself and work for two or three nights at the Kingston as it had leaked out that the Kingston was to close shortly and be turned into a Bingo Hall, the result of which was that the staff were deserting the sinking ship. I agreed to help out so June and I set off to man the helm at the Kingston, we were met by Jack Attwood the Chief Operator who was a gentleman, he found me somewhere secure to park my motor bike and gave me a key for further use as I was going to be there for some weeks. The cinema was built in 1935 and the front was very similar in appearance to the Sheldon, basically the interior had the same layout with the exception that you went down a few steps to enter the stalls, this was due to the land configuration I think, the only exterior difference was that the crush hall on the side of the building was just overhead cover whereas at the Sheldon built two years later it was an integral part of the building. The building was situated at the back end of Small Heath, not the most salubrious of areas, and as I stood by the usherette looking at the film I noticed some small black dots on the screen, I said to the usherette “has someone been flicking bits at the screen?” “no” she replied “those are airgun pellet holes where the kids in the front row shoot at the cowboys on the screen during the Saturday matinees. That gives you some idea of what prevailed in this area. The cinema was close to Birmingham City Football ground and the doorman and the 2nd operator had a good wrinkle on, when there was a match being played they roped off a couple of the car park entrances so that when the football supporters arrived they could control the cars using the car park and “sell car parking spaces.” (keep the beer fund up) There was always some yobo trying to get in the side exits, and I was forever chasing them out. One week there was a film showing that had a delightful young lady getting her kit off in one scene, and every time it came to this part there was some interruption and it was nearly the end of the week and blast, I hadn’t managed to see it properly, so on the last performance of the week I sat myself down in the middle of the stalls well down in my seat so no one could see me, and I thought no matter what happens I am going to see this part! The girl on the screen was just getting into the swing of discarding her garments and there was an almighty BANG, CRASH, WALLOP, in one of the side exits, I didn’t flinch from my position, I saw the whole scene, right I thought I had better go and see what’s happening, and on going through the exit doors lying in the passage was one of the posts from the perimeter of the car park, it was some five foot in length and the yobo’s had uprooted it got the outer doors open and hurled it up the passage and the bang I heard was it hitting the inner doors, so I dragged it back out and put in the bin house, another eventful night over. Eventually the cinema was turned over to bingo and the cinema manager was not deemed suitable to operate the bingo hall so Mr Aston managed it initially and June and went back to our jobs at The SHELDON.
By this time June, my wife, 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 Manager of the group of cinemas on the retirement of Arthur Dowding who had his office at the Kingston. All that was left of the original group of theatres was The Beaufort, The Sheldon, and The Kingston and it was about this period that Mr Aston asked me if I could take June and Myself and work for two or three nights at the Kingston as it had leaked out that the Kingston was to close shortly and be turned into a Bingo Hall, the result of which was that the staff were deserting the sinking ship. I agreed to help out so June and I set off to man the helm at the Kingston, we were met by Jack Attwood the Chief Operator who was a gentleman, he found me somewhere secure to park my motor bike and gave me a key for further use as I was going to be there for some weeks. The cinema was built in 1935 and the front was very similar in appearance to the Sheldon, basically the interior had the same layout with the exception that you went down a few steps to enter the stalls, this was due to the land configuration I think, the only exterior difference was that the crush hall on the side of the building was just overhead cover whereas at the Sheldon built two years later it was an integral part of the building. The building was situated at the back end of Small Heath, not the most salubrious of areas, and as I stood by the usherette looking at the film I noticed some small black dots on the screen, I said to the usherette “has someone been flicking bits at the screen?” “no” she replied “those are airgun pellet holes where the kids in the front row shoot at the cowboys on the screen during the Saturday matinees. That gives you some idea of what prevailed in this area. The cinema was close to Birmingham City Football ground and the doorman and the 2nd operator had a good wrinkle on, when there was a match being played they roped off a couple of the car park entrances so that when the football supporters arrived they could control the cars using the car park and “sell car parking spaces.” (keep the beer fund up) There was always some yobo trying to get in the side exits, and I was forever chasing them out. One week there was a film showing that had a delightful young lady getting her kit off in one scene, and every time it came to this part there was some interruption and it was nearly the end of the week and blast, I hadn’t managed to see it properly, so on the last performance of the week I sat myself down in the middle of the stalls well down in my seat so no one could see me, and I thought no matter what happens I am going to see this part! The girl on the screen was just getting into the swing of discarding her garments and there was an almighty BANG, CRASH, WALLOP, in one of the side exits, I didn’t flinch from my position, I saw the whole scene, right I thought I had better go and see what’s happening, and on going through the exit doors lying in the passage was one of the posts from the perimeter of the car park, it was some five foot in length and the yobo’s had uprooted it got the outer doors open and hurled it up the passage and the bang I heard was it hitting the inner doors, so I dragged it back out and put in the bin house, another eventful night over. Eventually the cinema was turned over to bingo and the cinema manager was not deemed suitable to operate the bingo hall so Mr Aston managed it initially and June and went back to our jobs at The SHELDON.
Yes this picture certainly brings back memories.
I lived in 'Mount Pleasant'.
I and my brothers and sisters, all used this cinama at some point in our youth.
I used to love to go regulary on a Saturday to watch the 'lone ranger'.
Maybe someone has old pics of the 'Kinston picture house' and its surrounding area that I can download.
I lived in 'Mount Pleasant'.
I and my brothers and sisters, all used this cinama at some point in our youth.
I used to love to go regulary on a Saturday to watch the 'lone ranger'.
Maybe someone has old pics of the 'Kinston picture house' and its surrounding area that I can download.
Last edited:
Alf
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
If you put Birmingham Cinemas in the SEARCH BOX top right of the page there are loads of pictures and stories.