Tales from Atlas Pictures

Atlas Picture house down Flaxley Road, Stechford was a magical place for me. There was a children’s programme every Saturday afternoon, to which I was allowed to go. So that was my Saturday taken up, spending my 1s (shilling – old money) pocketmoney. I don’t know how old I was when I started going, don’t know how long I went there but ……….. this is how I remember my Saturdays.
12.45 we had lunch, usually Sausage and Mash with cabbage then, and only when I had cleared my plate, would I get my shilling. Then outside we would all meet up and wander down Station Road hill to the shops, they are not there now and the factory is a retail park. In the sweet shop we jostled to choose and buy our sweets a whole 3d (three pennies) could be spent here and then we all walked round the corner to the picture house (now a Bingo Hall I believe). We usually had to queue up as the doors didn’t open until 13.30 and then we paid our sixpence (6d) and went inside although the show didn’t start until 14.00hrs. the show always started with some form of promotional film – documentary – and then we had the main features which were usually some sort of Cowboy & Indian followed by another B film (Flash Gordon was my favourite) in between which we had our ice cream which cost my last 3d then we had another short film about Road Safety which meant that we often left the cinema singing the song – Look Left Look Right and if it’s all clear – Cross the Road. Great fun, even the policeman who crossed us over used to laugh at us. Then we had the walk back up the hill, usually discussing the film and, if it was fine, arranging to meet up in the park (lots more stories there!) When I got home I was ready for my tea but, as the football results came on at 17.00hrs, I usually had to sit quiet as my dad marked off the football results on his pools coupon. That was always an interesting experience as I sometimes tried to predict the scores by the way that the commentator read them out, his voice going up for the winning team and down for the losers.
If it was fine I would then go out after tea and play in the park with my friends, usually meeting up to re-enact what we had seen on screen that afternoon.