Lead pic: SA Rifle Club (in SA New nostalgia pics):

2nd pic: SA Junk (in SA new nostalgia pics):

Reader Sylvia Reeves knows the name of this shop, which we published on previous Nostalgia pages. See Answers.

'We would get the metal cartridge cases and poke as much film as you could get inside it, then screw the cap on the bottom of the cartridge and make a few holes in it. Lay it down on a ramp, put a match to it, and it went off like a rocket'

The days when

'rockets' shot

off cinema roof

Answers

AONE reader, who wanted to be known simply as 'John', called in with some very amusing memories of his time as a cinema projectionist in St Albans.

He said: 'I worked as a projectionist at the Capitol in London Road, which later became the Odeon, during the late 40's. We used to show American gangster films and all that.

'I remember one called Diamond Horseshoe with Betty Grable, a very early colour musical Halliwell's Film Guide contains this information: 'Diamond Horseshoe, 1945, Technicolour. A nightclub singer gives up her career for a medical student. Lavish but humourless star vehicle with standard numbers. With Betty Grable, Dick Haymes, William Gaxton, Phil Silvers, Beatrice Kay, Carmen Cavallero, Margaret Dumont.' Just a bit of trivia!

'They had a little cafteria in the cinema, run by Mrs Robinson, the mother of Jim Robinson, a fellow projectionist, and the organist was a fellow called Arthur Courtney. He would come out of the floor on this big cinema organ during the interval. He always wore a dickie-bow.

'Our chief projectionist was a bloke called Ernie, and he loved to have a go on the organ, playing marches.

'When everyone had gone home he would sit at the organ and play while the rest of us walked round the seats of the cinema, where we would often find packets of fags, half-a-crown, that sort of thing.

'When I first worked there, during the war, we would get newsreels in, and after showing them at the Capitol I would have to ride them round on a bike to the Grand Palace in Stanhope Road, then ride them back again after they had shown them. Now and again we would get one from Path News.

'We would also show short films from the Ministry of Food, which we would put between the first and second feature films, as well as cartoons.

'Anyway, all these old newsreels used to mount up, and we got rid of them round the back of the cinema. Now, the film inside them would flare up in a second if you put a match to it - which we often did!

'We had some fun there. We used to run a bit of film, like a fuse, away from the main stack, then set light to it, and it would go up like blazes. It was no problem as it was only up against a brick wall.

'We also used to make rockets which we fired off the roof of the cinema. We would get the metal cartridge cases and poke as much film as you could get inside it, then screw the cap on the bottom of the cartridge and make a few holes in it. Lay it down on a ramp, put a match to it, and it went off like a rocket.

'Another bit of fun we used to have was while we were at work. Sometimes you would get boxing matches featured on the newsreels, but of course we got to see these matches so many times that we got bored of them.

'And we knew exactly when the knock-out punch was coming, so we used to time it that we would turn the sound right up just as the big punch was being swung. It was pretty funny watching all the people in the cinema jumping!

'But being a projectionist was very poorly paid and the hours were terrible, so I didn't do it for long.'

What can you remember about the golden age of cinema in St Albans? Did you used to go to the Saturday morning cinema ritual? Call Tony on 01727 736054.

ACONTINUING Mrs C.M. Jones' memories of Fleetville, she writes: 'On the corner of Tess Road (now Woodstock Road South) was Benningtons the grocer, Mr and Miss Blakely's sweet shop, then two houses and Surridges Caf, Finch the butchers and Woolfords shoe shop, which brings us to Arthur Road. Across Arthur Road was Vernons the printers, then County Laundry.

'On the opposite side of the road, going back towards the Crown, was the Co-Op warehouse, Tuck's motor mechanic (Mr Tuck was always called Lardy), then Martins the bakers and a shoe repairer; then Betty Stevens' wool and haberdashery, a greengrocers, two houses, and then the Rats Castle public house.

'Across Sutton Road was Ballito Hosiery Mills, Lavers woodyard, West and Sellick motor manufacturers, and St Albans Central School for Girls, which was situated at the back, the entrance being in Hatfield Road.

'Next were two houses and a row of shops, including Angus' cafe, the Handy Stores and Neals or Nields anodising shop, then a garage. Further on was Mrs Chilvers' haberdashery and next door Tuckets corn chandler and household goods.

'Next came Grimaldi garage, then Calverstone hat manufacturers, who made caps for the forces, and Whites garage.

'The cemetery occupied the rest of Hatfield Road, until houses by Cavendish Road with a garage on the corner, more houses then back to Hookers Glass in Albion Road.

'Then Patience butchers, Handley the grocer, Martells coach office and the Crown Hotel.

'Some of the shops I cannot remember but what I have written is a general idea of the marvellous shopping centre we had from the Crown to Fleetville, everything we needed, and together with the fantastic shops we had in the city centre - Moores department store, Dorells, Fisks (later Blundells), Forbes (later Cameron and Hickling) and Green's of course, opposite Arthur Blott.'

What can you remember about the area of St Albans district you grew up in? Contact us on 01727 736054.

AREADER Sylvia Reeves (ne Faulkner) called in to say the second-hand shop was actually called Payne's. Mrs Reeves grew up in Midland Terrace, a long-gone row of terraced houses that lay between Payne's and Harwood's sweet shop in Victoria Street, near the junction with Alma Road.

Mrs Reeves remembers that Mr Payne only put the stuff outside the shop on Saturdays.

She thinks the old man in the picture pointing with the stick is Mr Payne. Who is the other man?

Next to Harwood's was Seeby's taxi firm, then Midland Railway pub, to which she was sent every Sunday lunchtime with an enamel jug to buy ale.

How was Festival of Britain marked?

Questions

QREADER Alan Bacon asks: 'Do any readers know how St Albans celebrated the Festival of Britain in 1951?'

QWHAT can readers remember about the Penny Bazaar in Chequer Street, St Albans?

QONE reader remembered that Luptons shop on the corner of Catherine Street and Etna Road used to have the initials 'SPQR' above the door. What did this mean?

QREADER Eric Randall, who was in the Scouts during the war with mates Roderick Ward, Jack Cross, Bob Anderson and a young Bickerton, said the Scouts were involved in lots of war work like helping out ARP wardens. How else did local youth movements contribute to the war effort?

QREADER Gordon Myland paid £15 for his first car - an Austin 7, which he bought off someone in Sopwell Lane. He said other popular 'first cars' were Ford V8 Pilots and Moggy 1000's. What were your early motoring days like?

QDOES anyone remember Finley's bike shop in Keyfield Terrace? Which other bike shops can you recall?

QTHE phrase 'Sleeping at Mrs Greenfield's' cropped up in a recent conversation with a Nostalgia correspondent. Do you know what it meant?

QCAN any readers remember a character called Pop James, who lived down Sopwell Lane?

QDO any readers remember the old steam wagon, believed to be a Foden, kept at the old gas works on the site of Sainsbury's in Everard Close, St Albans? One reader said it used to deliver coke all over the city.

QCAN any readers remember Herbert Warwick, a former band leader of St Albans City Band?

QDO any readers know the origin of the name Garden Fields, used to describe the area around Bernard Street and Grange Street?

QYOU know what they say about the 1960's - if you remember them, you must be aged at least 40. What was it like growing up in St Albans during the swinging years? One reader recalled seeing The Rolling Stones play on the same bill as the Everley Brothers and Bo Diddley, at the Odeon in London Road, in about 1963. Do you know of other famous bands that played here?

QDOES anyone know the piece of local folklore about a character named Jim Brooker, who always walked around in shorts, carrying a briefcase, and who once strapped a load of dynamite to himself and tried to blow up St Albans?

QDO any readers remember the Bill Clare Trio, a local dance band? Reader John Skinner's dad Jim used to play the drums in the band, which also consisted of 'two blokes with accordions.' Who were they? Maybe these names will ring a bell: George Mason, Stan Hunt and his Dorchester Band, Stan Pollard, Jim Stanley and his Paramount Dance Band, Bill Brooks and the Harmony Aces (which later became the Roy Scott Band), Geoff Stokes and Reggie Goff? What about The Commanders, The Debonaires, the South Lancs Dance Orchestra, The Downbeaters, Teddy Tibbet's band and Frank Harwood's band? What can you remember about the golden era of dance music?

QCAN anyone remember the gun emplacement in Abbots Avenue, off Cottonmill, during the last war? St Julian's Church has been built on the site.

QFAMOUS physicist Professor Stephen Hawking, who wrote A Brief History of Time, was a pupil at St Albans School. What other boys and girls from local schools went on to great things?

QCAN any readers remember the old airfield off the Harpenden Road, set up in the 30's, from which such exotic aircrafts as Tiger Moths used to take off? The airfield was about half-a-mile north from the Ancient Briton, on the right as you head towards Harpenden. The site is currently being developed as a big sports facility.

QOUR question about local nicknames has brought some interesting examples, like the Claybanks, Mobs Hole, the Battlecourse, the Fleapit, Snob's Island and the Dardanelles. Which other long-gone nicknames can you remember?

QDID steam trains ever stop at St Albans train stations? What are your personal memories of the golden age of steam?

QONE reader said there used to be a fire wardens and an ARP look-out station in Ashwell Street, St Albans. Can any readers give us details?

Tell us your stories

AS a weekly forum for popular social history - a unique service in St Albans - the Nostalgia page relies on calls and letters from readers.

So if you enjoy reading this, and have any memories that you would like to share, please do call in.

Any memories are welcome, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem.

Often it's only by knowing the small details of a subject that we can build up the bigger picture.

You don't have to leave your name if you don't want to.

All calls, letters and photos will be considered for publication.

Photos will, of course, be returned.

If you have any answers to any questions listed here, or any questions of your own, call Tony Drexler on 01727 736054.

Don't worry about the cost - we'll call you right back.

Or write to Questions and Answers at Observer Newspapers, The William Henry Building, Porters Wood, St Albans AL3 6PQ.