Saturday morning pictures

I really wanted to go on Saturdays as most of my school friends did. My mother considered it 'common' and I was sent to the ice rink for skating lessons instead. Later, of course, I was pretty damn glad about the choice. Loved skating!

I loved Saturday mornings at the cinema. Yes it was very rowdy and noisy , that was all part of the fun atmosphere.

Perhaps I am a little younger than some of the posters, as we only went to the pictures in the winter time - summer time out playing or at my grannies farm - and it was in the afternoon. We had 1 shilling - 5p today. and it was 9pence to go in and that left 3pence for the serious decision to be made. Would it be 2oz of sweets or save it for a bag of chips on the way home. I was used to debating and sorting even at that age, and so there would be some days that my sister and I would spend one 3d on some boiled sweets to share in the cinema and the other 3d for a bag of chips to share on the way home. The actual cinema pictures I remember these days are the Pathe Pictorial news and of course the various things like the man banging the gong etc.

7 old pennies for a morning's fun, loved Sat am pictures. Always a bit chaotic lots of noise and laughter and remember being told off when got home because sis and I inevitably had chewing gum or something on our coats.

I was always desperate to go but when I got there, it was always a bit depressing with wartime films ( in 1958! ‘The Balloon Goes Up’ for example; bouncing ball singalongs - ‘It’s June in January’ - and I still remember the words.) I didn’t like the mayhem of many of the other kids - but I did like ‘Zorro’!

I remember going with my much younger sister. A man sat next to me and rubbed his hand up my leg. I crossed my legs thinking it was an accident and it happened again. I moved seats, so did he. Never went again. Didn't have the courage to inform an usherette at that age. Never told anyone.

Can’t ever remember Saturday morning cinema! Pocket money wouldn’t have stretched. Do remember going to see Summer Holiday one Sat pm though, and getting into trouble for staying to watch it again (and the B film) as you could then. My mother was worried and very irate! I must have been early teens and was with friends, so I’m not sure why.

I can remember singing Roll out the Barrel and the national anthem being played and a film appearing at the end showing the queen on horseback and everyone standing up.

6d to get in. When my mother could afford it we went. It was SO exciting. There was a shop near the picture house that used to sell watered down squash in a plastic cup for 1d. Wed get one on the way home.

At the pictures, if it was your birthday, your name would be called out and you would go to the front and be given a lollipop 🍭 I went on my birthday once and was upset not to be called up. It was only in later life that I realised someone had to actually tell them if was your birthday!

I used to go to Saturday morning pictures, passed a bakers on the way and the ‘big boys’ used to buy bread and randomly hurled chunks at us girls when the lights went down, none of us hurt, we used to squeal… 😳🤣 we would come out covered in crumbs, great memories 😀

I too loved them, plus they did them on Wednesday's during the Summer Holidays.
The Cinema was next to Woolies so sweets purchased prior to going in, with my sister and friends. I recall we got a Shilling each, 6d to get in and 6d for sweets.

I remember the short films which were ones like Laurel and Hardy, I also remember seeing some Elvis films and Road too... Which I thought were funny.

Oh! just remembered, there was an interlude half way through and a man playing an organ used to pop up through the stage (I think) one minute he wasn't there and the next, he was, playing exciting music, like 'William Tell', which whipped the audience to a frenzy.

Oh I was dragged along by my older siblings no doubt encouraged by my parents wanting a bit of peace.

At some point kids were invited up on stage and got a prize. When you went in you were given a raffle ticket and I always threw mine away because I really didn't want to go up on the stage with the creepy man.

Yes, one Saturday morning I had the winning ticket and my sister was furious that I had thrown it away! I think she was desperate to get up there!

The other thing I hated about it was the chocolates and ice- cream on display in the foyer. We could never afford to buy them so maybe that's another reason my sister was angry?

I'm not sure she ever forgave me really.

So no, not such a happy memory for me...!

I used to get a shilling for Saturday morning pictures, 3d for the bus I think it was sixpence to get in and 3d to spend on sweets or ice lolly we used to walk home so had extra sweets.

My Big Brother took me to Saturday morning pictures. He always dumped me to go and sit with his friends.

The noise and missiles being thrown around were horrendous.

I loved 'Robin Hood' and there was always a long-standing thriller series that finished on a cliff edge so you had to go back the next week to see what happened...

Another who never went to Saturday morning pictures, we lived too far away from the nearest cinema, on a Saturday morning we had to do chores for which we got pocket money that we spent in the sweet shop.

I absolutely loved Saturday morning pictures.
It was the highlight of my week.
A group of neighbours children would go together.
We were given a shilling, 5 pence in today’s money.
It was a penny each way on the bus, 6 pennies for the cinema, these were the better seats, the cheap ones were 3 pennies for.
Then at the terminus, there was a cafe, used by the bus crews, where we would have a butty using up the remaining money, my favourite was beetroot, this was in the days of rationing so no coupons were needed.
I also only remember the Flash Gordon and cowboy films which I didn’t really like.
Children at the front would throw things into the beam from the projection room which made flashes on the screen.
I remember it like yesterday, they were very happy days.

Yes I went .... it was mayhem! Noise and things being hurled around!

Ahh I m glad I m not the only one Esmay I wasn’t unhappy but a bit isolated I suppose. My grandad often took me out on Saturdays and bought me my first camera when I passed my 11+ he was a good photographer and would take me for walks by the sea to take photos. I suppose I lacked child companions but I made up for it as I got older and more independent
I ve always loved photos and have bookcasefulls of albums

My mum and dad wouldn't let me go to Saturday pictures because they said the children were rough. I'm sure I was just as rough but mum had delusions of grandeur.

Bluebell
I also missed out on Saturday morning cinema for the same reasons as you .
Rewind TV runs the old Flash Gordon films
I used to go horse riding with my father on Saturday mornings and that certainly made up for it .

We lived opposite the cinema, (large pub) I used to love Saturday morning pictures.

Cannot remember the manager being there, it was usually the under manager who we knew.

Unfortunately the family dog (before my allergy became severe) also crept in to the performance. I remember the embarrassment as the announcement came over tannoy could Miss ##*#*# please come and collect #*# from the circle and take him home 🤭🤭🤭.

He was an escapologist, turned up in my junior school playground a couple of times every week, along with the Town Hall next door (he had a penchant for weddings 🤷‍♀️)

Yes! "Here we come along on Saturday morning greeting everybody with a smile" Remember it well. Old films and science fiction series with cardboard sets, pretty much all in black and white. I wonder what the current crop of children would make of our hours of entertainment. Saturdays were the best day of the week for that and the fact I got my 2/6 pocket money.

I ve always felt I missed out as I never went to the Saturday morning cinema, as an only child not living anywhere near a cinema and going to a different school to all the kids in the area we moved to, I was a happy enough child, but a bit isolated in terms of companions, I had friends at school but they didn’t live near me.
Anyway mustn’t dwell on it it is what it is I d have loved to have these memories though