O & So

One of Ilkeston's classic architectural buildings that just screams the 1930s at you is the former Ritz Cinema on South Street. There used to be four cinemas in the town in my youth but only one, The Scala, now remains. A nursing home now stands on the site of the New Theatre on Lord Haddon Road whilst the King's Cinema on Bath Street has been replaced by the Albion Shopping Centre.

The Ritz however is still open as a place of entertainment and for a considerable number of years now has operated as a Bingo Hall although I have never crossed its threshold since it changed. It was here though that I saw my first X-rated movie, a black and white horror epic called "Cyclops". Back then you were supposed to be 16 years of age before you could be admitted to see an X film but with a number of school friends we managed to gain access around about my fifteenth birthday. I think the most exciting thing about the outing was the fear that we would be found out as the film itself raised more laughs than frights and these days it would probably be shown as children's entertainment. How times have changed!

If you're wondering about the title of this piece it just refers to the missing letters on the vertical sign making it read the "BING. . ...CIAL CLUB" and if you look closely you'll see the "T" & "Z" of "RITZ" are missing their lights too.