Many years ago.

I'm talking really local,

Not Warners Village Studio.

The Picture House, the Palace,

The Princess in th'arcade.

All changed their programmes twice a week,

Six films, in all, that made.

Plus t'matinee on Sat'day,

We called it tuppeny rush.

If you wanted to get a good seat,

You had to shove and push.

Jam packed full of screaming kids,

Waiting for the show.

All the latest serials,

Most made by R.K.O.

Roy Rogers, Zorro, Superman,

Flash Gordon and Tom Mix.

You had to go to find out,

How they escaped from last weeks fix.

If the noise got too loud,

On would come the light.

Mr. Rimmer said. "I'll stop the film,"

That shut us up all right

When years passed by you'd graduate,

From sitting up near t'screen.

To "t'clutching hand" row at the back,

Where you hoped not to be seen.

Double seats they had there,

You sat beside your girl.

Hoped she wouldn't smack your face,

As you gave romance a whirl.

The Palace was the one to watch,

When it rained, you stayed away.

With its corrugated iron roof,

You missed all that they would say.

The Princess were "The Flea Pit",

Why? I cannot say.

It used to be a theatre,

Till Variety died away.

Three cinemas in Horwich?

It's true, but i'm afraid.

It only goes to further prove,

The "progress" that we've made.

Alan Johnson

Winter Hey Lane

Horwich