The old cinema

It was Peggy my long-while penfriend in Arkansas who made me think of what my next picture would be. She asked if the street had changed much and I said no, it was very recognisable from old pictures, but thinking about new builds, I reckoned that the old cinema must be about the most recent of the High Street buildings - though thinking about it now, I know I am wrong!

Anyway, today's pic is of the old cinema, regardless. Like many others around the country it was built in the 1930s, obvious by its Art Deco style of architecture. I just think it's a shame no-one thinks of keeping the paintwork looking nice. My friend David says that he was the last person to have it painted and that would have been about 12 years ago when he lived in the flat above the shop, some time after the conversion! I think it would be good to take a leaf out of New Zealand's Art Deco city's book and paint the building in pretty colours. I do like the Art Deco style! Shame this isn't the best of examples, with Semi-Chem now occupying the shop at street level where presumably current film posters were once displayed outside in glass cases and Art Deco doors led into the foyer. I wonder if anyone still has a photo of the original frontage.

I don't remember when it was still a cinema as it must have closed about 25 years ago maybe, and I've only been here for 22. When I was a youngster, Peebles was a place we visited often, generally for tea after a weekend "walk in the country", so it's little wonder I remember the tearoom above the baker's - and that's where a more recent build comes in, more anon! - but don't remember the cinema, the station, the mills, for example, all of which are gone now.

We have to go to Edinburgh or Galashiels these days if we want to see the latest films, though occasionally an old or classic film is shown at the Eastgate theatre.

Talk again soon.