SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

When I was growing up in Bramley in the 1950's God Save the Queen was always played at the end of a movie and everyone stood to attention before leaving. Bet that doesn't happen any more. We were usually at the Cifton which changed movies (films) twice a week. Loved the fish and chips after

When I was a teenager (no quips about the Victorian era please LOL LOL) I worked unofficially at the Grove Cinema in Ilkley and found it absorbing and interesting, but can you imagine that being allowed in today's Health & Safety culture ??However, among the many projection room tasks was the infernal nuisance, every three days, of having to splice Her Majesty's little colour sequence onto the end of every film, and remove it before sending the reels back to the distributor.It is true that nobody, but nobody, would dare not to stand to attention while it was playing - anyone a bit tight for time for buses etc knew that they had to nip out as "The End" was showing on the film.I also had to put the 78rpm records on the music deck and the projectionist's instruction was "Put the Radetsky March on - that gets the buggers out quick !!." It did too, and I still have that disc (they used to give me them when worn) by the Boston Promenade Orchestra conducted by the famous Arthur Fiedler - oh to turn the clock back to those very happy innocent days when drugs meant aspirins etc etc.

BLAKEY wrote: When I was a teenager (no quips about the Victorian era please LOL LOL) I worked unofficially at the Grove Cinema in Ilkley and found it absorbing and interesting, but can you imagine that being allowed in today's Health & Safety culture ??However, among the many projection room tasks was the infernal nuisance, every three days, of having to splice Her Majesty's little colour sequence onto the end of every film, and remove it before sending the reels back to the distributor.It is true that nobody, but nobody, would dare not to stand to attention while it was playing - anyone a bit tight for time for buses etc knew that they had to nip out as "The End" was showing on the film.I also had to put the 78rpm records on the music deck and the projectionist's instruction was "Put the Radetsky March on - that gets the buggers out quick !!." It did too, and I still have that disc (they used to give me them when worn) by the Boston Promenade Orchestra conducted by the famous Arthur Fiedler - oh to turn the clock back to those very happy innocent days when drugs meant aspirins etc etc. I was brought up in the fifties. Before we had TV we went to the pictures every Saturday night. We always stood for the National Anthem - however it was in the aisle with our backs to the screen as we queued to get out.

I seem to recall the television (only seen in black & white then) ended each night (well before midnight!) with the National Anthem. Talking of the old days of TV I miss the white spot disappearing off the screen!

The National Anthem was also played at the conclusion of dancing at local dance halls after the last waltz.

For a modern comparison - the Thai national anthem is played before the start of every movie, and standing is compulsory - people have been known to be arrested for refusing to stand! On the other hand the vast majority of the population including teenagers are happy to show respect in this way .... personally as a child of the 50's I vaguely remember our National Anthem but I think it must have been phased out whilst I was quite young.

Perhaps our national anthem would get more respect if it had a more stirring tune and was about our country rather than a person. i've always preferred Rule Britannia myself.

Or Colonel Bogey.

There has been talk of adopting Jerusalem as the English national anthem as opposed to God Save The Queen, which is the British national anthem.

Leodian wrote: I seem to recall the television (only seen in black & white then) ended each night (well before midnight!) with the National Anthem. Talking of the old days of TV I miss the white spot disappearing off the screen! It carried on way past the black and white and pre-midnight eras. I remember it throughout the 80s and early 90s - according to wikipedia the BBC (ITV had stopped playing it some years earlier) last ended the days broadcast this way on , believe it or not, the 8th November 1997!!!!