Independent Cinema for Everyone

Allen Pollock has been a cinema-goer since 1942. He’s written a fascinating account of his memories of cinemas in Plymouth, and was kind enough to sit down and record it with us. Allen has been a Volunteer Usher at Plymouth Arts Cinema since 1978. Archive footage provided by The Box.

Your Cinema Memories

What are your favourite memories? We’d love you to share them with us. What was the first film you ever watched? Which films make you laugh or cry? Do you remember your first trip to the cinema? Which films do you turn to when you need some comfort and want to see some familiar faces on screen? Please add your reply in the comments below or send us an email!

“I have just rewatched Allen’s memories of his cinema experiences. It brought back so many of of own memories of my love for film. I was born in Plymouth after the war, 1948, and have many happy memories of Saturday morning pictures at the ABC cinema with my friends. My earliest memory of going to the cinema, was with my family to see Disney’s Snow White, at the Belgrave on Mutley Plan. I remember being so scared of the wicked queen’s Mirror,Mirror scene Who’s the fairest of them all, I had to be taken out of the cinema. But I was hooked. I would take myself off to see whatever I could. My main epiphany of my love of film was going to the film club at the Swathmore Centre. Watching European and independent films was magical to me. So different to mainstream films. I left Plymouth in 1966 for study in London. The National Film Theatre had recently  opened and was just up the road from where I lived. There were many independent cinemas in London during that time and I would spend so much of my free time watching films. After  I retired from working in London, I came back to the Plymouth area, (South East Cornwall) and was delighted that the Arts Centre was thriving and now moved to Plymouth Art School. Nothing compares to the anticipation and excitement of watching films in the dark on a big screen with an audience of likeminded people. I look forward to September when it will open again . Thank you Allen for your film memories. I was so moved to hear your thoughts.”
Sue Dobinson

Reminiscing with The Box

Reminiscence is a really worthwhile activity which, in a more formal settling, can benefit everyone involved. It’s something we all do informally too. How many times have you started a conversation with a family member, friend or colleague with those immortal words: ‘Do you remember when?………..’ Reminiscence is the cornerstone of some of The Box’s engagement work including its ‘The Box on The Box’ programme. Currently live streaming to care homes across the city each week, it uses amazing film footage from the archives to support reminiscence activities led by its curators, archivists and learning officers.