OneGuyFromBarlick

While at Barlick Modern in the 1960's I used to go to the Majestic, along with school mates, to see the horror B films. You were supposed to be 16 to get in but the rule was pretty relaxed.
They needed "bums on seats" methinks.

Anyroad, I've been racking my brains trying to remember what we called the cheap seats which were situated right at the front.
You know, the ones that gave you a headache but were nearest to the ice cream lady when she ventured out amid the marauding hordes (poor lass).

I'm sure there were many different names for them but if anyone can throw in a few suggestions I'd be grateful.

Stalls?

During the war when jam jars were in short supply we could get a seat in the front stalls for one clean jam jar.

Flea pit? Nolic

We used to call them the 'one and nines' cos they cost 1 shilling and 9 pence to sit there in the pre-decimal days.

I think "Flea pit" referred to the whole establishment rather than the front seats? I can't think of a name for them though I was a regular occupant.
This was what was on offer in those days. When I first found this I knew the 'baddy's' name was Latimer before it came up, despite a gap of about 60 years.
There's a PhD's worth of study of social attitudes in this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kppat7eUAmE

Reminds me of a tale my dad told me about one of his mates taking his new girlfriend to the Majastic (1950's).

Walks up to the booth with the girl and says "Two one and nines please"

The girl immediately protests and says "I'm not going in the one and nines !"

He says "OK, one one and nine" takes the ticket and walks in.....

I went to the Majestic from the late 50's through to the mid 70's and can't remember what we called the front seats other than maybe the stalls or cheap seats. I do remember what we used to do was pay for the front and then sneak further back when you had been for an ice cream or any other excuse to leave your seat. This was perfectly OK as long as you could get away with it without "Torchy" catching up with you! We percolated further back as we got further into our teens when we had properly discovered girls, the film didn't matter under such circumstances and if it was a bit scary for the girls so much the better.

We covered activities at the Majestic in some depth on the old site I seem to remember but always worth revisiting.

I understand mucky little boys with fleas sat in the front seats and sometimes piddled on the seat because they didn't want to miss the film. That's where the name 'flea pit' comes from and that's what I have been told by my parents. But that could be wrong.

We forget how smelly it could get in the pictures.... When Gone With the Wind was shown at the Savoy on Heaton Moor, Stockport just after the war the attendants came round half way through the four hour film and sprayed everyone with scented disinfectant from a big garden type spray .

In Radcliffe the cinema (pictures) was the Rex. Being the youngest of 7 and the only girl one of my brothers used to have to take me to the pictures on Saturday for the matinee to see Batman & Robin. One week I was told by one of my brothers to ask for one and a mallet (presumably to kill the bugs) so that's what I did and we weren't allowed admittance so my brothers plot had the desired affect. Eileen

Fond memories myself of the Majestic back in the late 70s/early 80s, and the Regal and Plaza at Skipton as well as the one at Rose Grove, Burnley and the one on the bend in the dip on the left on Nelson/Burnley road travelling in that direction (if I recall).

I used to go every week to see whatever films were on, including the 'X' certificates which I could generally blag my way into. This was also the days of the 'double feature' and I once saw Midnight Express and Taxi Driver at the Majestic. As those who have seen these will attest this was a gruelling experience. Memorably, I also saw The Exorcist and The Exorcist 2 at The Regal in Skipton - they put The Exorcist 2 on first!

Richard Broughton

I remember the double seats better at the back of the Majestic in the 50s!!

Quite Ian! Now we need a graphic description from Moh.....

Don't think we do Stanley.

I don't either, but it was fun !!

I'll bet it was "fun". Though myself I've never needed to use the double back seats. Oh well never mind.

I remember Flash Gordon and The perils of Pauline. I must be old....

Boris Hartley kindly officiated when we opened Centre Screen Cinema at the Rainhall Centre. Boris's family built and ran the Majestic (and lots of other cinemas).

He told the tale of his boxing glove on a bamboo pole used to cuff out of order cinema goers at the Majestic. Not sure if this was applied to the users of the double seats at the back...

For two weekends each month, I help run the community cinema at the Rainhall Centre. The cinema is run entirely by volunteers and most films are shown without charge because of the licencing rules.

The most popular attractions are children's and family films, though we have a good grown up audience for our Sunday evening screenings.

For many youngsters, going to the pictures at the Rainhall Centre is the first time they've been to a cinema. The little ones have wide eyes for the big screen (and even wider eyes for our sweet counter!). Grandparents are very appreciative of the films put on during the day in school holidays. There must be a generation of children growing up who will have fond memories of going to the pictures at the Rainhall.

We don't have any great problem with kids misbehaving, even when there's a popular teenager's film on a Friday evening. We expect our audience to be well behaved; if some of them aren't, we ask them to leave. Nowadays, regular attendees understand the rules and (mostly!) stick to them.

In the early days, when we were establishing what acceptable behaviour was with our young audience, Lindsay Gaskell did have to pause a film, put the houselights on and get some of the kids to settle down. Another time, I asked a record eleven teenagers to leave because of poor behaviour. What we've found is that the children and teenagers who are return visitors behave acceptably (even if they aren't angels...).

There are some bamboo poles used for flying flags kicking around, but I've never felt the need to put a boxing glove on the end of one!

There is a series of articles in Stanley's View on the Majestic, largely as a result of me interviewing Boris. Look for 'When the Beatles came to Barlick' as well.

I'll remind you again Comrade. The Beatles never came to Barlick...or if they did they never played at the Majestic. Nearest they got was the Imp at Nelson. Still well worth a read though. Nolic

Not to play but Boris was certainly angling for them.... In the article I think I make that plain. What intrigues me is that somewhere in an attic in Barlick that EP could still be floating round, worth about £100,000 now. Get searching!

I remember going to the Plaza to see the Glenn Miller Story then going to the Majestic to see it again. My friend and I began crying even before the plane took off which went missing with him on board. Great acting from James Stewart.

Stanley wrote:Not to play but Boris was certainly angling for them.... In the article I think I make that plain. What intrigues me is that somewhere in an attic in Barlick that EP could still be floating round, worth about £100,000 now. Get searching!

A copy of the demo for "Please Please Me" was offered for sale on the Parlogram website in 2011 for £2.500 it was in good condition and was one of 200 copies produced according to the published information.

See the post in The Day the Beatles Came to Barlick for more info.