SIR - The photo of Skipton Cinema in this week’s paper (Nostalgia, February 20) is a brilliant nostalgic piece. I remember my mum buying me a gaberdine raincoat from the Wil-be-Fort shop shown ( this is now part of Flutez Fizz Bar).

I recall that in the early 1960s it was an Odeon and I remember going to see the film Summer Holiday starring Cliff Richard in 1963.

I also remember going to Saturday morning pictures there, which were special shows of cartoons and short films for children (no daytime television then and on our own - no adults).

In late 1960s and early 1970s it became Classic and then Regal again with the upper floors of the premises being divided into two separate cinemas thus doubling the amount of films that could be shown and downstairs became a Bingo Hall.

I think it was converted to a night club around 1990.

In the 1940s my dad’s brother Frank was a projectionist at the Odeon cinema prior to being called up for military service in 1939-45 war. Uncle Frank was given the same job in the army.

In the days when Craven Herald was a broadsheet newspaper with a full page of adverts on the front page the film programme for the coming week was always advertised at the top of the page in the very middle and in pre social media and internet days it was the first thing many people would look for on a Friday when the paper was published to see what films were to be shown.

The Plaza ,which of course is still very much alive , also advertised on the front page. It would be good to see a front page reproduction.

There was a third cinema in Skipton “The Premier Picture House” .

This was by Bus Station where Job Centre building is now. It closed and Co-op ran a grocery store in it in late 1960s called Dales Discount Store .

It still had a stage visible at one end and two private upstairs boxes at the other end. An ornate gateway arch was still visible outside with cinema’s name on it with the Co-ops sign fastened on top.

I believe the photo you published is probably late 1940’s as a search of the internet reveals the film being shown when the photo was taken was released in 1947.

Thanks for a great piece.

Brian Stott

Skipton