Cinemas in the 1930s

A WATERLOO resident has been sharing his memories of former cinemas in the area following our recent four-part series.

Lincoln Holmes wrote to Memories to reminisce about his visits to the picture houses in the 1930s.

He said: “There was great excitement when the Regent Cinema put posters up to advertise the coming of Trader Horn and his jungle animals.

“The queues went up to the gates of Merchant Taylors’ Girls school.

“Trader Horn was standing on the roof in pith helmet, khaki shorts and tunic with a riding crop in his hand which made it all very exciting.

“This film was the first big game film we had ever seen with close ups of wild animals and must seem tame to our blase modern world.�

Lincoln told Memories the cinema was one of his greatest pleasures in the 1930s as he did not have a television and listened to the radio through earphones.

The film Frankenstein “frightened the life� out of Lincoln even haunting him on guard duty during the war he said.

He added: “The Corona, Queens and Winter Gardens were our local picture houses and were very well attended.

“The Queens did not have a balcony but the best seats were at the back, especially the back row where there were double seats.

“This was the best with your girlfriend, but not so hot when the attendants sprayed air freshener all over you in place of air conditioning.

“We called it the Flit gun as there was a flea exterminator of that name at that time!

“The Winter Gardens did have a balcony and I have a torn off stub in my scrapbook for the back row, dated January 29, 1938, price 1/3 in old money.

“It must have been a particularly entertaining session to be in my scrap book!

“The Stella was not on my list as it meant going on the bus, but my wife regularly walked there from Litherland Park with her sister.�