hastings news

Derek Clemans… I went to see Slade in flame there.

Dizz Corinne Ryder… me too!

Peter Houghton… Didn’t they used to call it the flea pit?

Alan Esdaile… That was The Orion, Pete.

Nick Prince… no the Curzon was the best in the borough at the time of closing

Janine Anne Scott… My Grandma was an usherette there in the 60s.

Dennis Torrance… Sad when it went Remember wet winter Sunday afternoons in there with old girlfriend they used to bring tea trolley around great service and some great films

Alan Esdaile… remember the tea trolley. Used to get the old film posters from the manager.

Christina Prentice… My auntie Winnie took me there to see escape from witch mountain!!!!

Mike Mitchell… Ah that wonderful tea trolley pushed along by a lady in a checked nylon house coat. Tea always came in cup *and* saucer no less!
And the manager was always standing outside in dinner jacket and bow tie to greet you. Happy days!

Nick Prince… The Curzon closed seven days after the Penguin did. A week later, the White Rock Pavilion showed its last film. It wasn’t uncommon to get several films a year there

Kevin White… My dad was a projectionist there in the 50’s or 60’s.I used to get in free as a kid as he knew the manager at the time. Mum used to send me down there with some sandwiches during the summer holidays when I was getting on her nerves,bless her cotton socks.So quite often

Ralph Town… I saw a re run of “Man who fell to Earth” in 77 too.I got press book,poster,photos THE LOT!

Patrick Turner… I worked as a projectionist there in the 60s great times. Patrick Turner also Brian Warne

Colin Bell… My local cinema, only lived a few hundred yards away. That Manager was a lovely gentleman, and tea & biccies in the intermission, I hate Multiplex’s in comparison!

Ian Quinnell… I used to go to school (PR) in the 60’s with a guy whose father was manager of the Curzon and I think the Classic in Queens Rd. Think his surname was Searcy or similar

Colin Bell… Yup, thats the guy in the closure article Ian.

Patrick Turner… I also went out with 1 of the usherets in my youth

Kevin White… Patrick Turner, did you know my dad Ivor White,it may have been the 50’s when he worked there though,I’m not sure. He was also a projectionist at the Ritz where Ocean House is now, where he met Richard Attenborough. He also worked at the Roxy at Silverhill where the Carpet shop is and at Battle cinema. This is Ivor showing a young Sir Richard Attenborough, the projectors at the Ritz cinema in 1948. This is taken from our family website. http://whitehouse2002.co.uk

supplied by Kevin White

Patrick Turner… Sorry Kevin l do not remember your dad. He might have been just before l was. l am pretty sure it was 1962 when l was first there. I think her name was Sandra, can’t remember her surname.

Kevin White… Patrick, I think dad was there a few years before you were there.I also realized that some of my info was wrong about the cinema in London Road,where Ocean House is now,it wasn’t the Ritz,because of course that was in the town centre where ESK is now,it was the Regal Cinema.I remember sneaking in there as a kid when it had been standing derelict for a while. I could have only been about 7 or 8 at the time,there were three or four of us and we climbed in through a broken window into some sort of storeroom, and as we opened the door to go exploring, there was a loud shout from inside the building,we turned and ran like hell. We legged it down into Kings Road and went and hid in Woolworths. What idiots we were.

Alan Esdaile… Woolworth in Kings Road, another memory.

Kevin White… Used to love going and getting a bag of pick n’ mix sweets for a shilling or something like that.

Jane Hartley… Saw Towering Inferno on TV the other day. Took a younger friend who was too young to see it without an adult, to the Curzon to see it.

Sian Hayward… My mother worked there as an usherette serving teas and coffees from a trolley. Seems very quaint!

Patrick Turner… Sian, What was her name.

Linda Boiling… My Mum (May) was an Usherette at The Curzon around 1965 for many years and my stepdad (Wally) used to change over the advertising posters outside. My sister and I used to see the films for free over and over again. Can remember seeing Oliver as loved Jack Wild, The Sound of Music, Dr Zhivago and many more. They worked for Mr Searcy, his son Ian worked there and his daughter Kay. When my sister left school she worked there for a while too. I can remember that at Christmas the children from Malmsbury House Childrens home used to go to see a film for free. Really sad when it closed.