Remembering town’s cinema treat

The first photograph shows The Empire shortly after it opened, which Ken believes was on February 14, 1913 rather than 24. He says: “Charles Thurston’s The Cinema Palace was actually his travelling show which is why this name was used whilst building. His three cinemas were built where Charles held his best fairs. He died in 1928, the year I was born.

“Charles was well known in Biggleswade, always smartly dressed. James Harris, the Biggleswade showman was his brother in law. We still have two James Harris’s, his descendants, based in the town.”

The second photo shows us the Christmas Treat in 1937 and Ken features as a boy in the picture. He adds: “Looking at my cuttings, in 1927 they were described as ‘a treat for poor children of Biggleswade’ and I seem to recall that tickets were handed out at the tuppenny rush. I was reminded today that the children’s shows were in the morning although it is quite possible that the childrens’ shows started in the afternoon, but moved to mornings when they transferred to the Regal as this cinema had an afternoon matinee.”