Lillian Connelly remembers old Folkestone and some of its cinemas:
Charles Tyrwhitt UK

I was born in the old town in 1922 , in Fenchurch st, my paternal grandfather and my father were both born in Sandgate in the same wee house ,it is still there, my mother was born in Folkestone. We lived for my first 12 years in Radnor st, had lots of fun playing on the sands,the area was very old and in 1934 the old places were torn down and the new fishermens cottages built, those who were'nt fishermen went to new homes on the Hill RD estate. I attended Dover Road girls school and we had a very intense education, thanks to our head mistress Ms Wright and her dedicated staff, sad to say the school no longer exists. On leaving school i went to work at the Odeon, there were four cinemas in town, the Central, Savoy, Playhouse and the

Odeon. Prices were 9 pence to 2 shillings for the stalls and 2 and sixpence for the circle.

As a major resort, Folkestone had plenty of existing entertainment buildings. The town hall (1861) exhibited films from the Anglo-French and American syndicate. The Victoria

Pier Pavilion (1887-1954) showed moving pictures from 1908.
The later Marine Gardens Pavilion and the subterranean Leas Hall also showed documentaries which did not compete with the commercial cinemas. The former Pleasure Gardens in Bouverie road (1888-1964) remained a live entertainment venue, but after the last show in 1964 it was demolished. In Grace Hill, Players Motor garage (1902) was adapted into a 400 seat cinema. It was Renamed Savoy in 1927 and was later gutted by fire after showing a movie of that name! The owners rebuilt it and renamed it the Super New Savoy. The attractions on reopening were 'The Burgomaster of Stilemonde', John Russell and his orchestra, and Percy Milton on the Dutch organ. The savoy survived the war, but one unfortunate schoolboy was killed when a ventilation motor fell on top of him. His distraught mother was with him, and years later her ghost is said to have alarmed the staff!

The short lived Queens cinema (1912), 78 tontine street, had less staying power. Closed in 1917 it became a Temperance hall and by 1937 Day by Day printers. After the war a plastics factory took over and the building still survives in 2 gabled sections. On 14th august 1912 the Playhouse opened. Faced with Bath stone, with glass topped verandahs, thick pile carpets, and tip up seating, the venue was very impressive for its time. In august 1962 it was dismantled and a supermarket put in its place. Folkestones only really super cinema was the Astoria, Sandgate road. Admission was 9d. Associated theatres acquired the Astoria in 1936.