Cinema going and other pastimes

Yes, visiting the cinema is still a trend.

I think the two Leisure Cinemas are made good use of (although not as much as in the past), but when a top film is released and it receives good reviews, the populace flocks to the cinema and the film runs for a number of days.

So all is not doom and gloom when it comes to cinema going and now there is room for more, the idea of an open air cinema is back on the cards.

The promoters of cinemagoing here intend to make use of the Alameda Open Air Theatre during fairer climes, and hold performances there – not unlike the olden days when we had one in Grand Parade and one or two other places during the hot months.

So there is faith in the physical cinema still, whether indoors or outdoors.

But yes, much of our entertainment of ‘going to the pictures’ is now to be found without having to leave our homes - on our laptops, mobile phones and elsewhere.

Netflix (a great favourite), and other distributors abound and downloading is very trendy.

However entertainment trends in general, in our city as in most places (excluding popping to the cinema in Bollywood countries, where it’s more than vibrant), have changed.

Other forms of entertainment have practically been lost or are very much less popular.

Dance venues like the CSCA, the DSA, and one or two other venues where dances were almost exclusively held, are no longer.

We also had verbenas in ‘el patio policia’ (the old police barracks, now expensive apartments), Humphries and elsewhere, and even discos are no longer to be found – we now have another type of club performances as a place to go to and be entertained.

Dance academies and groups were not in abundance as they are now. Neither was art as vibrant as it is at present. Drama was really concentrated in the Calpe Institute at first, situated where the courts now live and then the Drama Festival took hold and Group 56 became quite prominent, getting the genre into the swing of things.

Plays were performed at Ince’s Hall and, to this day, we still recall the Yanito play ‘La Lola se va pa Londre’ and one or two others.

In the years that followed, the Drama Festival took a bit of a dip but now, thankfully, we’ve witnessed a return of our thespian brigade taking to the stage again.

In the 50s and 60s, we also had more of a patio life during good weather especially, where bingo or ‘la quina,’ card and other games were enjoyed amongst neighbours.

During those afternoons and evenings, plans were made to go the La Almoraima for the day in the springtime when it wasn’t too ‘en el campo’ for picnics. Bags of food were taken over where we enjoyed donkey or horse rides and a very pleasant day out in the open.

Sometimes further into summer, many would go in groups to beaches around the hinterland along the coasts on both sides.

Not many could afford exotic holidays in those days except for a few days in the UK perhaps to visit family or just stay in London for a short trip.

Coffee mornings weren’t very popular either in the 50s and 60s to the extent we see now, because there weren’t any cafeterias (or coffee bars as they were called then) to frequent.

The many servicemen stationed here plus those visiting in Royal Navy warships took up the many bars and drinking places and Main Street also was usually crowded when the sailors came ashore.

Locals used to walk up and down Main Street for a couple of hours in the evening before heading off home. Now, our Main Street empties by about 6.30 or seven!

And so to the great favourite which was cinemagoing.

There were three, then there were four cinemas in town: The Naval Trust Cinema (el ‘Nayva’), which later became the Regal Cinema, the Theatre Royal and the Rialto Cinema. Then the Queen’s Cinema was built, so there were four. That one was the last to go.

There was also the Globe Cinema near Europa Point which was exclusively for the military and MoD families on the Rock. However Albert Hammond and I managed to get in once to see The Tommy Steele Story.

In those days, when a good film was announced, we would buy tickets ahead of the showings to make sure we got a seat and I remember standing in queues if it was a real favourite coming soon.
Cinemagoing was so popular then. I even remember going to see the same film twice. I have great memories of films like The Robe, Ben-Hur, The Cruel Sea, The Man Who Never Was, Where the Boys Are and some others.

It was exciting looking forward going to the cinema in the 50s and early 60s.
So yes, there are many who will always say the good old days were the best. But I guess there are those living their lives to the full today, who will say the same about now.

Nostalgia can be a lovely pastime.

But it’s time to observe what’s around, now.

There’s a serious need for a zebra crossing by the Evacuation Memorial roundabout on Waterport Road. There are hundreds of cruise passengers in the area coming and going - to and from town. The crossing there gets very busy.

Many tourists stop to take photos of the very attractive No.6 entrance (even more pics taken than of the Convent sometimes, as I witness from my windows). Why can’t we have the lovely polished cannons placed there on either side of the entrance uncovered, exposed and on view all the time, and not just during - the more infrequent function these days – of when the Convent guard is in attendance? It’s a real shame.

And ladies, would this slightly large anchor pendant situated opposite Watergardens be a good choice for you to wear as an earring? I notice some of you wear rather large hoop earrings sometimes, so why not a reminder of ships and the sea around us. They are part of our heritage after all.

Have a think about it!