Cinemas and theatres in MaidstoneOdeon or ABCI remember five cinemas in Maidstone. One burned down in Pudding Lane which brought much distress. They gave cards away at Saturday morning pictures which now had to stop. This was the Odeon, I may be wrong it was a very long time ago. Would much appreciate it if someone could put me right on the name. Thank you someone has put me right it was the Ritz and here is the photo to prove it. 
Photo courtesy of KFRS Museum Regal/WardonaThere was the Flea pit in Earl Street again I can't remember the name so if anyone can help out I would much appreciate it. This rather less than grand cinema always had a commissionaire standing out-side. Not sure if this was to keep riff-raff out or to keep the punters in. I think this was the cheapest one to use, if it wasn't it should have been.
After consulting various people it seems this was called the "Regal/Wardona" Ritz
The Ritz in King Street always seemed quite posh and one of the last two to be closed in the town. I do remember there was an alley-way down the side which led out towards the river Len and of course the Len Works (Furniture makers). I remember waiting to go into the cinemas on one occasion, there were some older girls waiting (They must have been all of seventeen) and they had tattoos on their arms and hands. So what's new now. I was obviously impressed to have remembered so long. The PalaceThe Palace stood half-way down Gabriels Hill where Robert Dyas stands today. Very grand looking from the outside I recall, this seconded as a theatre. I remember one or two events, one a pianist who attempted the longest playing of a piano (about two weeks I think) non-stop. Day after day we would go to look at the pictures that were placed out-side. Obviously to encourage the punters to pay to enter and to be amazed and entertained. As time went on he would be swathed in more and more bandages and drooping more and more over a tired looking grand piano. Can't remember how long it went on for, perhaps someone will let me know.Also at this venue we would watch the latest craze as they brought over the Grand all American Yo-Yo champions. Riveting stuff in those days I can tell you. John Roberts
I think the Palace first opened as a theatre and when they died out turned into a cinema, then just after the war re-opened again as a theatre. In those days, they had to have a firefighter present in attendance at a live performance, which suited us. I remember when Cinderella the pantomime was on, Drakes zoo would supply a pony to pull the carriage, it was our job to heave the pony onto the stage and then heave it off again after the performance. They kept the pony out the back of the theatre in a stall, we had to groom it as well as heave it on and off the stage. Granada and the Fiesta
The last that was in use I believe was the Granada (Sing up you Grenadiers). Again this doubled as a theatre venue and many Great British and American Stars were spot-lighted here at different times including Cilla Black, Gene Pitney, and Cliff Richards and so on and so on.
In the good old days there was a coffee bar which seemed to high-light the "with it" theme of the Granada, this coffee bar they called the Fiesta. In the days of the mods and rockers the coffee bar was not an entirely safe place to hang out, as proved by the number of times the entire glass front was broken. Happy days, I can feel a tear coming on. Flooding in the sixties caused the Granada to close for sometime, eventually re-opening as two cinemas. This changed again when the bingo craze caught on one side bingo and one side cinema.
Colin Mason Maidstone I remember it well: The flea pit in Earl St. was also called the empire and I think the Ritz in king St. was called the Central before it was renamed the Ritz when I was a kid it was the ABC but was always known as the Ritz. I was a grenadier and remember Saturday morning pictures from the late fifties until the early sixties. the best thing about the Granada was the organ and the sing songs. Your site has brought back happy memories spent many years ago at the Granada and the Ritz although I didn’t like the Ritz as much. I remember in the sixties they shut the Granada for a refit of the screen and projection and sound equipment ready to show the sound of music which ran for many weeks. The organ at the Granada was a Compton I think. Regards Colin.
colin Maidstone I remember it well: regarding the granada cinema in maidstone i stated that organ there was a compton in fact it was a christie and after the floods in the late sixties was shiped to queensland australia.
Rene Newman Country: New Zealand Maidstone I remember it well: Haven't read about the Palace cinema in Gabriels Hill, it was opposite The Golden shoeshop and the Ship Inn, landlady nice but tough,Everyone enjoyed her beer and behaved themselves.Ater the stinking atmosphere from the smokers of a cinema visit the beer tasted even better. Back in the 30-40's the Empire cinema in Earl St. was known as the bughutch and Mr.Feast constantly shouted "keep quiet in the tuppenies' and shone his torch on the culprits. The pennies sat on the forms at the front and came out with a stiff neck after watching the film from almost 180 degrees I experienced that, good practice for watching our boys win the Battle of Britain fight. Anyone remember Fishy Baker's just below the Palace?great meal in a bag for a tanner. Cheers.
Hi Rene I mention the Palace in Gabriels Hill further up the page. Must admit I had forgotten about the fish and chip shop though. Thanks for the reminder.
Rene Newman Maidstone I remember it well: Cinema locations? Back in the 30's,40's I remember them as the Central-King St.. Ritz-Pudding Lane.Palace-Gabriels Hill,Granada 200 yards further on the left and the Empire in Earl St.Commonly known as the Bughutch or Fleapit. I have reread the other comments and am a little confused and wonder if Gaga time is here.
Yes your probably right we are all a little gaga.
Mike Matthews Maidstone I remember it well: The Granada was my main venue for saturday morning pics. I think there was summat also going on at one of the other pic houses but cant recall. Hop-along-Cassidy, Roy Rogers, Flash Gordon (alias Buster Crabbe), Old mother Reilly, I could go on. When the Granada was putting on the shows I was lucky enough to see Billy Fury, Marty Wilde and I think Joe Brown on the same bill. My old man took me and I think even he enjoyed it. I recall the Granada being built. Something was knocked down to make way for it but I cant remember what it was. (vague recollection it was an older cinema) I Recall going to see the guy playing the piano marathon, I thought it was in the Regal but not sure.
I think the marathon was at the Palace in Gabriels Hill Mick as were the famous American Yo-Yo Stars.
Keith Lampard Maidstone I remember it well: The Granada Cinema was quite magnificent before its refit in the 1970s and i'm sure that under the brown paint and the false floor much of it is still there. It was often used for live shows so it must have all that is needed for a theatre. I've since found that it was a significant work for one of Britain's most successful Cinema/Theatre design teams: Cecil Massey and Theodore Komisarjevsky. (See the interesting wikipedia entry on the latter) What a shame that this great asset is in such a sorry state.
Doug Lindsay Maidstone I remember it well: I recall all the cinemas too. Both the Cental in King St and the Granada had quite fancy restaurants as well, I was taken for my eleventh birthday treat to the Granada restaurant, great view over the Bus Station too! Another regular each year at the Granada was the staging live for a week or two of the 'Billy Cotton Band Show', we loved it as kids, and I think we had 'Educating Archie' live too at some point. Then later, in the sixties I recall seeing the Rolling Stones at the Granada, just as they were becoming famous. The Granada was a Grand Place indeed before it was rebuilt as a multiscreen cinema. The mention of the Fiesta Coffee Bar reminds me that it was a much later addition. There used to be a row of four shops under the Granada Restaurant facing Lwr Stone St, they were Meesons the sweet shop, Lindseys the surgical appliance shop (!!), The Espresso Bar (the first coffee bar) and Haversnack the original cafe type place frequented by bus drivers & conductors and workmen. The Espresso extended first into Haversnack when it closed, then into the other shops to become the much larger Fiesta, that was by about 1958. The chap who played the Piano marathon at the Palace in Gabriels Hill was Brendan Meehan I think, yes we did go and see him each day too!
Cliff Vanns Maidstone I remember it well: I remember the old ABC cinema in King St (now Boots) when we queued down the alley down to Len Cabinet works to get in for Saturday morning pictures.
Anna Collins Maidstone I remember it well: I remember in 1973/4 the ABC in King Street ran a lot of the martial arts films that came out after everyone had seen Enter the Dragon.
Brian Kerridge Maidstone I remember it well: Many years ago I was assistant manager at the Ritz with manager Tony Bridger and fellow assistant Harry Bolton
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