cinema experiences in the 1960's
 

The OH and I have just spent an interesting afternoon at Bedford Library discussing 1960's cinema.
There is a project running at the moment in conjunction with the University of London. They are anxious to record people's memories and there is a questionnaire to be filled in on [email protected]
If you want to read more about the project there is a website www.ucl.ac.uk/cinemamemories
OH worked as a projectionist so he saw the cinema from a different angle.

The best thing about 1960s cinema was sandwiches (Main film, b movie, main film) Nobody cleared you out, so if the film was good, you could watch it twice.

I notice that our local cinema museum is having a home movies day "there is no such thing as a bad home movie". Hmm.

The flea pit, so called because you got fleas. I was absolutely and utterly forbidden to go there so of course I did, because they showed nothing but horror films. On one occasion I was so traumatised by the film that on my way home, passing the dark churchyard, something shrieked and so did I...all the way home!

When I lived in London in the 60s, it was actually cheaper to go to the cinema than to put shillings in the gas meter at home - cinemas were always warm. Later, I got a job as an usherette, then cashier, in the Odeon on the Holloway Road. That cinema seated THOUSANDS of people, had a very busy restaurant and on a Friday and Saturday night, had queues round the block.

OC