
Street games were all the rage during the summer months. We would play all night after school until darkess put an end to it all.
For news and indoor entertainment there was the wireless or radio. We listened to lots of great programmes when we were indoors, like "Journey to the Moon":- Dick Barton, and on a Saturday night it was a rush home to listen to "The Jack Jackson Radio Show". Then of course there was "The Dancin'".
But, for sheer entertainment and escapism there was nothing to beat a night at "The Pictures". Cinemas were ten a penny so we were never stuck and although most cinemas had queues we simply stood in any old queue and hoped it was a good film.
Any film would do, as long as it was not a British film. Some of these were absolute rubbish, at least for us kids they were, who were brought up on a diet of cowboy films starring John Wayne, Hopalong Cassiday, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and gangster films with the likes of James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Edward G Robinson.
But the daddy of them all was Errol Flynn. The very first film I was allowed to see on my own was also the first film in technicolour I had seen was "The Adventures of Robin Hood" in the Grand cinema in Cowcaddens Street. As it was a continuous performance I stayed in to watch it three times. My poor mother was frantic. I was in there for nearly six hours. A good clip round the ears soon cured me of doing it again. The rule of thumb was that you always went out at the part you came in.
After that, the world was my oyster. From where I lived there was a cinema within 250 yards in any direction and I was allowed to go journey to all of them.
The Cambridge in New City Road , up to the Grand in Cowcaddens Street, the Star and the Phoenix in Garscube Road, the Magnet and the Astoria both in Possil Road, down North Woodside Road to the Seamore, up to the Roxy and the Blythswood both in Maryhill Road, back down to the Electric Picture Palace (or the Electric as it was better known), also in Maryhill Road but a pure dump, and last but not least, on to the Gem in Great Western Road which was bit more "up-market" but well worth the visit.
So there was never an excuse to be bored, there was always something to do and enjoyment to be had.
Tommy