Medway cinemas

[Lutonman]

Lyn L your talking about the Odeon at Dockside, they do have some days where the prices are lower. We rarely go these days. But the complex has various size cinemas. Mainly bookable on line these days.
No been to the Strood one for a very long time, name has changed a couple of time already. we were due to go early this year but then COVID struck. A friend had booked it out for his 70th birthday and selected a film he wanted (Zulu) to be shown. A really good idea but still not able to go yet.

[Lyn L]

There is a cinema at Dockside in Gillingham, but as a very infrequent user of any at all now, I have only been once and was astonished at the price  think it was almost £10 ! BUT the seats are like armchairs. There is also one in Rochester  Cineworld which is close to the river but Strood side of the river and almost next door to the M2 bridge. Another one I haven't visited ! lots of different businesses there.


As for Rix's in Gillingham High St, it was furniture/ carpets and hardware store. Had been there for a long time , a very old building and compulsory purchase by the Council meant demolition about 1962, what they then built in place from St Marks church down towards the library look dreadful now but I suppose it had to go. Mr Rix had a hardware shop in Twydall and asked me if I wanted to go and work there, but I had no experience in nuts and bolts only furniture so I declined. Hadn't a clue where Twydall was anyway .


From members on here I have had photo's sent me but not of the actual old shop , only close by ones. Really don't think a new thread on it would help anyone, no one seems to remember it at all.

[shoot999]

Lyn, Thanks, so there are no cinemas left in Gillingham, how sad. Is that the same for the other Medway towns? The name Rix rings a bell but I left Gillingham when I joined the RAF in 1947. What sort of shop was it? -will have to start a thread on shops remembered,like Lefevers, but that might be boring.

Good idea. The 'other' site only allowed us to talk about a particular shop which pretty much killed any chance of social history. I remember someone started one about  60s boutiques in the Medway Towns; and all of us on the thread got told off! lol

[Dave Smith]

Lyn, Thanks, so there are no cinemas left in Gillingham, how sad. Is that the same for the other Medway towns? The name Rix rings a bell but I left Gillingham when I joined the RAF in 1947. What sort of shop was it? -will have to start a thread on shops remembered,like Lefevers, but that might be boring.

[Lyn L]

Yes Dave, the Plaza is now Aldi. Did use that one  , the Odeon is now a snooker/ pool /darts venue I think also used that one and the Grand went long ago so never used that one and I believe it's a Tyre place now. Haven't been to Gillingham in a long while. Lived there before I got married  and my first job after leaving school was in Rix's on the corner of Saxton St and the High St , no one seems to remember it though.

[Dave Smith]

Thanks Lyn, interesting how the mighty have fallen! As you are well up on Gillingham, the other cinemas there were the Plaza- an Aldi now?-the Embassy, that became an Odeon & the Grand, "the flea pit", although I never heard of anyone getting any.

[Lutonman]

Certainly was for a while a B & Q store, I don't think for too long though.

[smiler]

   I don't remember it being a B & Q store I'm sure you're right Lyn L I just can't remember it.

[Lyn L]

Yes the building is still there.
 Now it is Camping International out door pursuit centre and has been for a good while. The cinema itself had a few name changes and after that shut, it became the Bowling Alley.
The Palace changed to the Gaumont and that closed in 1961. Then Bowling Alley, B and Q store and now Camping store.

[Dave Smith]

I notice that on Monday, they are showing " A Matter of Life & Death" on the tv. I well remember seeing it when it first came out in 1946 at The Palace, on the "top road", Chatham. Is it still there?