Where does the figure of 4000 hamsters come from by the way? I’m intrigued by your pet stats.

But what about getting Dulwich folk of our couches and rigging up treadmills for us to run marathons in our living rooms which are wired up to the TV/ PC and our electricity supply. It would be wonderful for our figures esp during the winter months…

First, the Cino. I am not old enough to remember it, you would have to find someone about 100 years old I should think. I am wondering if it was ever rebuilt and if it was maybe the design would have been more 1920’s style.

It looks as if the programme changed either 3 days daily or 3 times weekly. Weekly would suggest it showed full length films, 3 times daily would suggest it might have been what wa called a News Theatre. These showed the news updating it as often as they received the reels from Pathe or whoever and in between they showed shorts and cartoons.

There is a chap in the picture who would seem to be a butcher, it is unlikely that he would have come far to have a look. If there is a Kelly Trade Directory somewhere you may be able to see whether there was a butchers somewhere near at about that time.

When I used to go to the cinema it was something that most people did at least once a week. It was quite posh if you could afford to have a seat in the circle. The Odeons in East Dulwich and Camberwell were very nice but I have to admit that my favourite was the Gaumont at Forest Hill.

Good luck with your investigations,

Beryl

Thank you for your sharing your experience. Yes the Dulwich Cino did suffer bomb damage, would you know or do you remember where the Dulwich Cino was located?

It was hard to get hold of colour pictures of the Odeon, but it’s great to know that it was cream and green.

Would you say that the cinema experience was better when you were younger? What was the atmosphere like?

Shapa

The black and white picture does not do the Odeon justice. I think it was cream and green. Your picture is from the early 1950’s judging from the film showing.

The Cino picture, is that from just after the first world war?
The clothes the women are wearing seem to be from that era.
Is the Cino being demolished, did it suffer bomb damage in WWI?

Cinema going is so different now. When I went to the Odeon there was always two films and the news. That was different again from when my parents went as young people. They would enjoy two films, the news and a live show in the interval!

They would have gone to cinemas in Camberwell and Brixton.

Beryl