I grew up in a small mining town in the Midlands, times were very hard, but everybody around us was in the same boat.  Four four or five copper pennies, we could have romance, adventure and laughter and forget for a little while the hardships and problems of everyday living. For the kids, the Saturday matinee was the highlight of the week..Tom Mix, Ken Maynard, Flash Gordon and I am sure you remember many more. During the war years, the local picture place inspired us with patriotism (OK so it was mainly propaganda, but we didn't know that) and gave us real life heroes, both male and female....who could forget Mrs Minniver.... Our local cinema had no organ, but when pocket money permitted a trip to the Granada in the centre of the town remedied this, and we would watch open mouthed as the organ rose  and the organist, usually in white swallow tailed suit, swirled around with coat tails flying and took his bow....My favourite guest organist was Robinson Cleaver....any of you Brits remember him... There is little wonder that the cinemas hold a very special place in the hearts of people of our generation. I am grateful that I left my home town before these cinemas, were either destroyed or converted to more mundane uses. A few days ago I received a surprise package of scanned photographs from a friend of my own age.  He had located an old book of Mansfield cinemas....some with interior shots, a gift most happily received and appreciated. jingles - Brit by birth, Australian by migration and with two American grandchildren.