Post by sean1981 on Feb 1, 2012 15:07:25 GMT
Cinemas in the area
Thinking back to things that we took for granted, now gone, I was aware of the cinemas in Keighley. I went to all of them in my time, though as they began to close one by one, we were left with The Essoldo, Ritz, and Regent which were all near to each other on Skipton Road/Alice Street. In earlier years though, I had been to the Cavendish, Cosy Corner and The Oxford up Oakworth Road. Others may have fond memories of these cinemas, with the double courting seats (Regent I think) but I wanted to relate my memories of the two cinemas we had in Haworth.
The Hipperdrome (old 'uns) was on Belle Isle road. Just off Bridghouse lane, though we walked from home via Mill Hey and over the railway foot bridge. The Bronte Cinema (new 'uns) was on the top section of Victoria road, just up past Regent Street.
Keighley cinemas ran a Sunday film (dad always said it was something from the war days) but the Haworth cinemas only opened Monday including Saturday; with a matinee for the children early on Saturday. People with the money to spare in the area bought shares to build the Bronte cinema and I heard that they had their money back after just one year of trading. With the queues each performance going round the block that is not surprising.
Monday and Tuesday saw the same film being shown for two days, so if one was minded it was possible to go to the old 'uns on Monday, new 'uns on Tuesday (each cinema had the same two day system of showing different films) then back to the old 'uns Wednesday etc all week. I am not sure if anyone had the money or time to do that but it was possible to see 6 different films in the week.
The Bronte was quite new looking and had a stage so that the screen could be rolled up and the stage made ready for concerts. I remember being at one performance with my best friend Bruce Sutcliffe, my parents were sat in the row behind I remember, and in fits of laughter because the soprano was funny to us. They were trying to give us a little culture if we had but realised it.
Because the cinema was built on a slope there was a dry well area around back which was closed off at the side by a gate; of course we lads could climb down the steep wall to explore there and find what we thought were bullets from the cowboy film (don’t laugh we were quite young) They turned out to be the stubs of carbon from the arc lantern/projector I later found out, with a copper end and the pointed carbon they looked the part. It was just one of the things for us lads to keep in our pockets. I was once banned; yes even a good lad could be banned back then; while at the loo my friend and I spotted a damp area with the plaster looking flaky and just pushed it as you would and a bit fell off. On the way out the usherette spotted us and said we were banned in future, she had watched us go to the loo and checked up on us. Imagine my surprise when next I went with my parents and she spotted me and said, ‘he may not be admitted.’ It took a lot of explaining to get in, even with my parents showing surprise that they had a ‘vandal’ in the family.
The Hippodrome was and old building and not as posh as the Bronte, it too was built into the side of the hill below the park woods only this time the dry well area was flagged over with slabs at an angle. What an exciting place to crawl along, providing you were not caught; it needed nerves and a torch of course.
This was the type of place where if there was too much noise the manageress (Mrs Heap) would walk out front while her husband would stop the film and turn the lights on. We were told that we would be thrown out if we did not quieten down, bear in mind this was not a children’s matinee I refer to.
I have no idea why I had a thing about eggs as a child, perhaps because there was a time when we did not see them. However one time we sat down in the cinema and I had sneaked an egg into my pocket; too late I remembered when I sat on it. I had some explaining to do when dad took me to the loo to scrape it out (no doubt along with other items I has squirreled away.
A final fond memory was the only time I remember going to the Oxford with dad on his motor bike. He explained to me that he was placing a piece of cigarette paper between the points to stop anyone starting his bike and riding off. After the film he spend 15 minutes trying to start the bl***y thing, running it off etc before remembering the piece of paper.
I still can sing the ABC minor’s song from the Saturday morning films at the Ritz.
Happy days,
John
Thinking back to things that we took for granted, now gone, I was aware of the cinemas in Keighley. I went to all of them in my time, though as they began to close one by one, we were left with The Essoldo, Ritz, and Regent which were all near to each other on Skipton Road/Alice Street. In earlier years though, I had been to the Cavendish, Cosy Corner and The Oxford up Oakworth Road. Others may have fond memories of these cinemas, with the double courting seats (Regent I think) but I wanted to relate my memories of the two cinemas we had in Haworth.
The Hipperdrome (old 'uns) was on Belle Isle road. Just off Bridghouse lane, though we walked from home via Mill Hey and over the railway foot bridge. The Bronte Cinema (new 'uns) was on the top section of Victoria road, just up past Regent Street.
Keighley cinemas ran a Sunday film (dad always said it was something from the war days) but the Haworth cinemas only opened Monday including Saturday; with a matinee for the children early on Saturday. People with the money to spare in the area bought shares to build the Bronte cinema and I heard that they had their money back after just one year of trading. With the queues each performance going round the block that is not surprising.
Monday and Tuesday saw the same film being shown for two days, so if one was minded it was possible to go to the old 'uns on Monday, new 'uns on Tuesday (each cinema had the same two day system of showing different films) then back to the old 'uns Wednesday etc all week. I am not sure if anyone had the money or time to do that but it was possible to see 6 different films in the week.
The Bronte was quite new looking and had a stage so that the screen could be rolled up and the stage made ready for concerts. I remember being at one performance with my best friend Bruce Sutcliffe, my parents were sat in the row behind I remember, and in fits of laughter because the soprano was funny to us. They were trying to give us a little culture if we had but realised it.
Because the cinema was built on a slope there was a dry well area around back which was closed off at the side by a gate; of course we lads could climb down the steep wall to explore there and find what we thought were bullets from the cowboy film (don’t laugh we were quite young) They turned out to be the stubs of carbon from the arc lantern/projector I later found out, with a copper end and the pointed carbon they looked the part. It was just one of the things for us lads to keep in our pockets. I was once banned; yes even a good lad could be banned back then; while at the loo my friend and I spotted a damp area with the plaster looking flaky and just pushed it as you would and a bit fell off. On the way out the usherette spotted us and said we were banned in future, she had watched us go to the loo and checked up on us. Imagine my surprise when next I went with my parents and she spotted me and said, ‘he may not be admitted.’ It took a lot of explaining to get in, even with my parents showing surprise that they had a ‘vandal’ in the family.
The Hippodrome was and old building and not as posh as the Bronte, it too was built into the side of the hill below the park woods only this time the dry well area was flagged over with slabs at an angle. What an exciting place to crawl along, providing you were not caught; it needed nerves and a torch of course.
This was the type of place where if there was too much noise the manageress (Mrs Heap) would walk out front while her husband would stop the film and turn the lights on. We were told that we would be thrown out if we did not quieten down, bear in mind this was not a children’s matinee I refer to.
I have no idea why I had a thing about eggs as a child, perhaps because there was a time when we did not see them. However one time we sat down in the cinema and I had sneaked an egg into my pocket; too late I remembered when I sat on it. I had some explaining to do when dad took me to the loo to scrape it out (no doubt along with other items I has squirreled away.
A final fond memory was the only time I remember going to the Oxford with dad on his motor bike. He explained to me that he was placing a piece of cigarette paper between the points to stop anyone starting his bike and riding off. After the film he spend 15 minutes trying to start the bl***y thing, running it off etc before remembering the piece of paper.
I still can sing the ABC minor’s song from the Saturday morning films at the Ritz.
Happy days,
John
