When I was around 5 or 6 it was decided my friends and myself were old enough to go over town on a Saturday morning and visit the Ritz cinema for their Children's morning matinee,So off we went on the bus and arrived along with loads of other little angels going to the flicks as we call the movies.When we entered my eyes gazed in wonderment at the bright electric ights and flashing signs,this together with deep pile red carpeting was a world away from our little gas lit flat with oilcloth and a couple of rag mats for floor covering

.We purchased tickets and went through big swing doors to the stalls.It was Bedlam in there with kids running amok,we soon joined in until music started up and everybody grabbed a seat. The music got louder and then rising up out of stage floor a mighty Wurlitzer appeared.I only knew it was an organ of sorts back then. I had never seen the like of this before,so many keys and pedals and knobs to operate. We got a couple of cheery tunes before all fell silent and through the curtains a man appeared and welcomed us all.
Then the entertainment began,with Popeye and Mickey Mouse cartoons,followed by a short western,at that point lots of mock gunfights started up in the stalls,Then another interval when a lady came round with a tray of ice creams and such before the main event, Flash Gordon now that was more like it,magic before our eyes and he was in great danger at the end,A man chirped in with a commentary,"Will Flash get free in time to foil the evil Ming" he cried " Join us on the next episode to find out"
We soon found out of course that Flash was an idiot who got himself into danger every week but we loved him just the same.Film show over and on to the bus back home, no playing cowboys as on the way there but spacemen struggling with evil beings from outer space. Life was simple then and we had great fun.
P.S they were called flicks because in the early days of cinema the film used to flicker when played, flickers became flicks and the name stuck and still sticks with people of a certain age.