ABC Minors

[joette]

"We are the ABC Minors & we meet on Saturdays"
Our ABC was on Kilbowie Road in Clydebank & off we would trot before the days of Sat.Morning TV & Videos.With our money clutched in hand we would either 1If flush jump on the bus from the" Fifley"
2If not flush eitherA. walk or B.jump on bus & look out window when the conductress came for the fare
If B you risked chance of humiliation & being chucked off the bus"gane get aff" which was ok if you were at least halfway there with time to spare but if in a hurry & only gone a stop or two disaster!I never thought of it as stealing just as a way of making the pocket money go further.I had such an angelic face that the conductress woudl just assume that Mum/Dad was upstairs.
I can't remember how much the entrace was but it must have been a modest sum as my pocket money was very limited unless I had had a trip to Grandpa's when I would always leave with at least half a crown.
We would watch the trailers,the adverts,the serial(to make you want to come back next week) & the main feature.There was also the chance to sing the ABC Minors song & have Happy Birthday sung to you.There were also "turns"on who would be heckled by their peers & have paper pellets fired at them.
This kindled in me a lifelong love of the Cinema.I lost my heart to Sean Connery aged about 9 on hearing his voice before seeing his face entering the cinema halfway through the film.Remember when you could watch the film as often as you wanted?
I started going alone at about eight when nobody else wanted to see West Side Story.I sang & danced in my head for weeks(tone deaf & two left feet.)
I loved the larger than life images & could transport myself the way I can when reading a guid book.
My first X was "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" when I was 13/14.What innocent times! I think "To Sir With Love" was an X too & my Big Sister & I went with two boys we met in Saltcoats on holiday.I was twelve but always looked more grown-up & she had well warned me that I was not going up to High School after the hols but onto College.We had our photo taken in one of those photo booth thingies.We had the first two snaps then Margeret & her Beau nipped in for the final two.They walked us home to our digs & we chatted on the wall outside where I had my first grown-up kiss! My parents would have horrified if they had known but big sis was trusted to keep me safe which she always did-no funny stuff!
I still get excited on a trip to the cinema & I must admit the seats are comfier but I do miss the collective voice of all those weans.What the heck is the rest of the song?????

[nancy]

Hi Joette,yes i also remember with fond memories the days of the ABC Minors on Saturday mornings,and guess what Got a full time job in cinema after getting married,which included working Saturday mornings at minors(for extra 3/6) I would take my small son with me and he could watch cartoons for free!The other usherettes would do likewise.Well after all we only got 3/6 for 3 hrs work,and some of the screaming kids could drive you mad.The song went like this. We are the boys and girls well known as/the minors of the ABC/and every Saturday all line up/to see the films we like and SHOUT ALOUD WITH GLEE / We like to laugh and have our sing song/just a happy crowd are we/we're all pals together / we're Minors of the ABC. After show finished we would nick into Silver Lounge Cafe for a wee snack,take my son to my mums,be back for afternoon show,go to Storie St chippie Teatime,then go back and work till almost 11 o'clockThis was the ABC cinema in Paisley High St,which met the same fate as most others and became a Bingo hall. I's so expensive for kids going to pics now!My daughter,son-in-law and 4 kids paid almost 30 pounds for a cinema visit the other week Paisley has no cinemas left,so you have to travel to Linwood or Glasgow!Yes there's something to be said for the good old days.I also remember my mum taking me to Paisley Theatre Friday nights.Seeing Jimmy Logan and going back home and making the family sit and watch me dancing and singing,and wanting to be a chorus girl That's the other thing Paisle'ys now without,a theatre Happy memories Cheers Nancy

[nelmit]

Hello Joette and Nancy,

Must be the time of year

You can find the ABC Minors song and many others, in a previous post, by clicking ..here

Regards,
Annette M

[joette]

Well I almost had a convulsion laughing at these some I knew & others brand new.Thanks Annette.

[nancy]

Hi Annette Wondered why i'd missed previous ABC post,but on checking back,i see it was a yr ago i also had PC virus Had a good wee read at them and a wee chuckle Cheers Nancy.