In the 1930s Boreham Wood's population enjoyed few things more than a trip to the Gem cinema in Station Road.

The building was converted into a public convenience many years ago, and has since been transformed into a florists, Eau de Toilette.

With its nickname the fleapit and its collection of early silent movies such as the Keystone Cops, the Gem was fun for a generation that knew nothing of television, or radio. One regular visitor, FC Hart, wrote about his early experiences at The Fleapit in a 1981 edition of the Boreham Wood Post.

"I reflected with nostalgia that where trap No 2 in the gents' now stands, was the exact spot upon which the honky-tonk piano once stood," he wrote. "I cannot remember a single performance being given without something going wrong," he continued.

The projection system was not connected to any electricity supply, and hydrogen gas was used instead, but usually ran out halfway through the performance.

Eventually the owner bought an old car engine and used it as a generator, but it was also prone to breaking down during the performances.

The Gem was replaced by a new cinema built in Shenley Road in 1936, the Studio cinema, which closed in the 1980s.

Anyone with photographs of the Gem is asked to telephone the Borehamwood & Elstree Times on 020 8953 3391.

November 9, 2001 16:59