I can remember the Saturday matinees at the Regal, Mighty Mouse was my favourite. The cowboy movies were great, with the goodies in the white hats and the baddies in the black hats. Remember we used to thump our feet on the floor at the gun chases.

Marie and I lost our sixpence to get in one Saturday, so we missed out on I think it was Cinderella, what a disappointment.

We used to go to the lolly shop round the corner and get barley sugar sticks they lasted for ages.

regards Betty

From: <lynda@xx.com.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2000

I remember that most of the matinees we went to were at the Countess and it always seemed to be James Bond or Elvis movies. Then we would get a run of Walt Disney movies now and then. For a special treat my parents would take us on a Saturday night then across the road for a "special" fish supper at the cafe. I always associate the Countess picture Hall with greasy fish and chips and luke warm, milky tea now!!

From: "Ewan Steed" <genealogy@xx.co.uk>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2000

I well remember 'The De-luxe' in New Street Stevenston (the local flea-pit as it was called) or even the Grange. Remember the chip shop at the corner - the best in the 3 towns as we used to say - I think it was called 'Reid's'. Mark you the chippy opposite the Countess (up a wee close) was no too bad.

Nowadays the best is definitely at the tope of Glasgow Street in Ardrossan.

Used to always go to Saturday mornings in the Deluxe - westerns or comedy usually. With some with episodes that went on week after week. We used to pay with 'jeely' jars and lemonade bottles.

Ewan

From: mcguire Dk
To: Threetowners
Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2000

How dare those selfish people talk about their 'Saturday morning sixpenny matinees' and their sticky sticks of barley sugar! It was because of them that I sometimes had to work practically all day on a Saturday at the Regal or La Scala cinema. They raved and ranted and threw all their litter including sticky unfinished sweets on the floor which I among others had to clean up before we opened again for the Saturday evening performances. All this for the princely sum of about £3 a week. Sixpence well spent eh? Betty.

Does anyone else remember back in the mid-fifties when the Pavilion (before being turned into a bowling alley) used to have a summer review? I remember in particular one with a comedian called Billy 'See See Me' Rusk he was quite an entertainer and a good laugh.

Regards
Tony

From: "Hugh McCallum" <hewmac@xx.com.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2000

Hi Tony,
I'm not guilty of leaving a mess at the La scala or the Regal cinema. No, we left our mess at the Lyric. Mainly smith's crisp packets which were cunningly bust during the quiet period of the movie in the ear of the person in front, That usually meant a long wait. Afterwards we'd go round the corner to the Deep-sea Chip Shop in Glasgow Street and ask for a penny's worth of crisps. This was the little bits of batter taken from the top of the fat after the fish had been fried - Lovely with vinegar. If we were really hungry we'd visit our elderly Cunninghame relatives with the Irish accents who lived above Auld Ezzie's shop a few yards further on. There were odd tobacco smells from that shop and foreign seamen in and out looking for other things. A young lad notices these things.

Hugh McCallum

From: "Sandra Glover" <sandglow@xx.co.uk>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2000

Hello all, I remember performing ( if you could call it that ) in the old regal round about 82-83ish. I was in the school choir at Stanley primary in Ardrossan and we performed Sweeney Todd. The dressing room and corridors down stairs was like a rabbit warren and very old fashioned. The individual changing room were very small and all of us getting changed into costume were a bit crammed in. It was a bit like stepping back in time. I thouroughly enjoyed it though and I fell very privelaged to have been in part of the building that not many people get into. I don't even know if
that part still exists as I have never been in the metro nightclub. Hope that wasn't too longwinded and boring.
Regards to all
Sandra

From: "David Young" <david@presto1.xx.co.uk>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2000

Hi folks,
I remember all the Saturday mornings from mid 40's at the La Scala mainly, but also most of the other ones. I remember one time I was at the Countess, Saltcoats with my mother. I can't remember what the film was but in those days as you may remember, we always got two big pictures. It was during the interval between films that they used to play records and on one occasion, they played the laughing record by Spike Jones and his City Slickers. Well, everbody got the giggles and in the end the whole cinema was in an uproar. I was sore with laughing. Also I remeber the Beach Pavilion Summer shows and Billy Rusk was my favourite. But does anyone remember the Arbroath Follies of 1948? That was when I started geting interested in theatre. I used to sit every Saturday night in the back row on those flip down wooden seats. I used sit on the back of the seat, still turned up in order to see better as I was quite small then. I still have my autograph book with the cast of the 1948 show.
David Young.

From: "Arthur N. Laughlan" <arthur@laughlan.xx.co.uk>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2000

Hi All,
The topic for this week has brought back memories for me . I worked as a 15 year old assistant to the projectionist in the Countess way back in 1949. I must admit I did not stay very long and moved the same year over to the Grange, doing the same job. I decided that the job was interfering with my social life and took a job as an apprentice plumber for a while before the wanderlust took over and I went to sea with Shell Mex. I must say that my time in both cinemas had certain advantages which I'm not willing to divulge now.

Bye for now
Arthur Laughlan

From: "Hugh McCallum" <hewmac@xx.com.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2000

Hi David,
Ditto on the records played in the Countess between the films. I'd not be surprised if I was there that night 'cos I remember much laughter there when that song by Spike Jones was played. I can't remember the exact title but the first few words were < clears throat > " I went to your wedding". I'm sure we share that memory David - thanks for reminding me. I also saw the movie 'Rock Around The Clock' there and recall the hush that came over the audience when "the Platters" sang 'Only you'. The media wanted to hype up teenage rage at that time - hey maybe that's were the labelling started on young folks.

At the Summer Pavilion in Saltcoats my favourite entertainer was Benny Garci. I think he went on to star in the "Black and White Minstrel Show" on TV in the 60's and 70's. We loved it and would go to the Pavilion for every change of program which was weekly? That would have been around 1954. I remember going to some live stage shows at the Countess too, but that was a bit later and I think an annual event.
Hugh McCallum

From: "Margaret Lyons" <lyons@xx.com>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2000

Hi to all,
I remember Saturday matinees at the Regal, Hop-a-long Cassidy, and Flash Gordon in outer space. Shades of things to come!

The Pavilion played a big part in my life, too. To supplement the family income my mother took in 'summer visitors', mainly the folks who came to perform at the Pavilion. Wish I could remember the names. One I do remember was Betty Lawrie, the resident pianist and singer. I can still remember the words of "Up the wooden hill to bed-for cheer" and "He wouldn't believe me when I told him I was married", part of her repertoire. Her husband was a Sergeant in the Glasgow Police Force.

She had a daughter, Beatrice, about my age, and we used to hang out at rehearsals. In those days it was my dream to be a chorus girl! My sister and I took tap-dancing lessons from Greta Townsend in Saltcoats but, alas, never made it to the bright lights!

The MC at the shows was Hector Donald or McDonald, my sister thinks he owned the Pavilion.

I also remember when the Grange in Stevenston and the Viking in Largs were opened. Harry Kemp lived on South Crescent at that time but had once lived on Ardrossan Road, in "Willesdene", later the home of Dr. Michael McCann, who was present when I first saw the light of day.

Margaret.