Nick Prince… Yes. Turkish Delight. Or have I missed something. Lol
Stuart Huggett… Hang on, “Coming Sex Shows”? British cinemas were in a right old state back then.
Alan Esdaile… I can’t believe how many sex films are on this poster. I have memories of seeing ‘b’ movie horror films at The Orion.
Peter Fairless… Turkish Delight was probably a disappointment to anyone who went to see it based on this advert. It’s a very successful, Oscar- nominated, Dutch film, starring Rutger Hauer.
Josie Lawson… For any who are interested. Years ago my mother worked at The Orion first as an usherette then cashier. My gran died on Boxing Day 1965, so I took on my mothers job as casual usherette then for two weeks to keep her job open. I was 16 years and at the time, my main job not long started was in the office at Plummer Roddis Ltd now known as Debenhams. In those days I had met Mr. Jones the owner and the manager Mr Bull. Mr Bull allowed my tea break on occasion a little longer as I became quite good friends with his daughter Julie. He sometimes let us pop to a local coffee bar which wasn’t far from the main Hastings Library. When mum came back I was allowed to stay on. Eventually I left as my children were growing. I moved to Burgess Hill in 1983. Both Julie and I met there also by chance, she had moved there also.So we quite often met up. Julie was also another writer. We found out this by chance in Burgess Hill. Eventually we said our goodbyes as I moved back to Hastings in 1987 the place… I was born. Mum and Dad lived here also. Julie had moved to Africa. My mum was still in touch with Mr. Bull although she had changed cinemas, a different name back then but now called The Odeon. She then went onto, I think it was called ‘Out Of This World’ as cashier along the seafront opposite Pelham car park. As we had coffee one day she told me Mr Bull had told her in sadness Julie had traumatically been killed in Africa. I was so sad, she was such a good friend. I still remember the time she came to see me when she was on holiday here, she gave me a copper bracelet with elephants on it. Sorry for the sadness but seeing this flyer brought back the happy and sad moments. I know Nick Prince knows a lot about the cinemas as he has written and had published all about them, and I have via inbox Facebook chatted with Nick about this. To think, when I could get around easier, I used to pop in The Street with friends and have a cuppa.The place where The Orion was. Downstairs where the door was on the cafe part of The Street, I heard it led into the same steps of The Orion which when the door opened, you found yourself in Havelock Road…and no doubt still do..
John Wilde… Jeezuz bloody hell mary! I was there. We were smokin in the cinema!
Josie Lawson… That would have been after I had left. One of the reasons I left was realising how it had changed with the clientele coming to watch. The films and they had changed too.
Alan Esdaile… The days when people smoked in the cinemas. Mind you it helped to disguise the other unsavoury smells of The Orion.
Brenda Marshall… Read what I placed just now Alan. The Orion was a good cinema until it changed
Josie Lawson… The smell only came Alan when they changed the films. It was a lovely cinema before then. I worked there. Even kiddies films…