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As a young lad in the early 1940's I would eagerly look forward to the Saturday morning, as this was when my younger brother, along with a few friends and myself, went to the 'Kinema', which was in West Ham Lane, Stratford. East London. We joined the 'Kinema Rangers' and when in the 'Kinema' we would sing along with the other boys and girls the 'Kinema Rangers' theme song, recalled Bob Margetson.
We had to queue up outside the building to get in, for what seemed like eternity. Very often, fights would break out among the boys, as most of them would try to jump the queue. All sorts of missiles were thrown at you, but you never knew where they had come from!
Once we had paid our 6d and entered the building, fights would break out again, mainly over the seats, as for some reason most of the youngsters wanted to sit at the front. I could never understand this as the films were that much clearer watching them from the back.
We'd watch serials featuring the likes of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Tom Mix, the Three Stooges and Old Mother Riley to mention just a few. Among my favourite films were 'Tarzan', 'Sabu the elephant boy' and Sexton Blake.'
As mentioned most of the films were serialised so we were kept in suspense until the following week to see how our hero managed to get out of the predicament that he had found himself in. Will he die or will he escape?
I remember on one particular occasion when on the way to the 'Kinema', my brother, friends and myself called in to a little sweet shop in Station Road, Stratford, ( a mile from the 'Kinema') to buy some sweets. The shop was owned by an old Jewish lady.
We never could afford the sweets that we wanted so we devised a trick. What we did was this...
We'd ask for some sweets that were in a large jar on the top shelf, knowing full well that the old lady had to get up on a chair to reach them. While she struggled to get the sweets from the top shelf we would stuff whatever sweets we could get our hands on that were by the counter, stuff them in our pockets and make a run for it.
The old lady gave chase but had no chance in catching us. It was months before we dared to go down Bridge Road, just in case we were spotted by the old lady. Bridge Road was a short cut to the 'Kinema' but we had to take the long way around!
I hasten to add that this was the one and only time that we ever stole anything. After that event I had a guilty conscience that haunted me throughout the rest of my childhood, as had my other partners in crime!
If on a Saturday I had no money I would sit by the radio and listen to 'Dick Barton, Special Agent' or to 'Children's Hour' before going to play in the Street with my sisters, brother and friends. I will tell more about the games and capers we would get up to in my next story, which will follow soon.
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