Cinemas- Gillingham

[Dave Smith]

Mentioning films we particularly remember seeing at these cinemas. "Alf's Button Afloat" at the Grand in 1938, "The Way to the Stars" at the Palace in the 40's & cowboy films( my favourite Hop a Long Cassidy but also Gene Autry, Tom Mix, etc.) at the Plaza.

[KeithG]

Born at 19, Duncan Road in 1948 and had a few Cinema`s around of which the "Grand " was my favourite I was 8yrs in 1956 and my Mum got breast cancer and she had to go for tests i was bundled off to the Cinema as minor`s were protected then so i had no idea what was going on.
The picture i first saw at the Grand was "The King and I" i loved it so much i went 12 times Mum didn`t mind as i was out the way!
I got thrown out once as i realised the floorboards made a noise if you stomped on them and i went running stomping down the aisle the noise was so much the usherette found me with a torch and threw me out....

Didn`t really go to "The Plaza" at the bottom of the road it was so dark in there and a very lovely clean smell used to waft around, i also liked the red uplights up the sides on the walls.
Yes, i do remember the trains going past when in the "Odeon" as then i knew it?
Only once visited the Top Road Cinema and saw "Journey to the Centre of the Earth"
When we moved to Frindsbury i then had the Wardona down in Strood High Street but i didn`t really like it there as it was quite dirty and had it`s day.
My local Cinema eventually became the Gaumont at Star Hill....superb picture house.


Picture inside the Grand 1920.....

[shoot999]

That cinema on the top road, a strange cinema. What was it called ?
You could sit in the front seats & you were so far back from the screen, like being in the 1.9`s.
I never really liked it. Very long & cold.

Started off as the The Palace in 1936 and closed in 1961 as the  Gaumont.


It would have been early 60s when I went bowling there, so must have been converted quite quickly.

[grandarog]

Loads of us played ookey from Gillingham Tech at the top of Gardener Street to watch the afternoon performance of Bill Haley's Rock arround the Clockat the Odeon. A teacher was sent to retrieve us but failed . Big B*ll**king the next day but that was to late.

[castle261]

That cinema on the top road, a strange cinema. What was it called ?
You could sit in the front seats & you were so far back from the screen, like being in the 1.9`s.
I never really liked it. Very long & cold.

[shoot999]

I used the Plaza in Duncan Road for a time as it was the easiest to get into for x rated films if you were underage; and you could occupy yourself during the intermissions watching the mice (rats?) running across the stage.


The only other one I can recall going in was the the one on the top road; but that was only once it had been converted to a bowling alley. Although still at school I occasionally played for the CAV team there.

[Invicta Alec]

I once went to a cinema in Gillingham (late 1960s) around the High Street somewhere. I'd been told that because of its proximity to the railway line you could hear the odd train rumbling through while watching a film. I was sceptical about this but it was true. The sound was minor but the slight trembling of the building and seats was obvious.


Which cinema was I at?


Alec.

[Dave Smith]

Whilst agreeing in principle to 1 cinema, 1 post, I think the blogs would be too "thin". So how about this? Those I remember in the 30's & 40's were;- The Plaza, on Duncan Road, opposite the end of Franklin Road. An old one so a bit "tatty"- but they had a lot of good cowboy films! The Embassy- later the Odeon- in Gardner Street. One of the new ones, mid 30's I imagine & quite nice. Had a Saturday morning - "tuppeny rush"- club. The Grand, on the corner of Skinner & Jeffery Streets. Old & tatty, called " the flea pit" but I never heard of anyone getting them! The Palace, on the "top road"( Watling Street). Although appearing to be in Gillingham, really it was in Chatham as it was "over the road". A nice new one- 30's again. All the new films were shown in the new cinemas & B movies generally in the others.