Sean Hawkins

Yes. Anyway, great. Thank you very much indeed. I do like this.

Yes. Anyway, great. Thank you very much indeed. I do like this.

This could have been the little cafe, just possibly in here.

This could have been the little cafe, just possibly in here.

It certainly did have little changing rooms and I think it ran around here, this western end.

It certainly did have little changing rooms and I think it ran around here, this western end.

And also, of course, Rygate Garage, which was immediately here. Their workshops were here.

And also, of course, Rygate Garage, which was immediately here. Their workshops were here.

I don't know. I don't know how noisy it would have been particularly. It might get a bit smelly with the petrol. They sold petrol there.

I don't know. I don't know how noisy it would have been particularly. It might get a bit smelly with the petrol. They sold petrol there.

Well, yes, I think it began to be. It was a kind of bypass for the town. And, of course, you could go round Bancroft Road and then back up Bell Street, or you could come down Bell Street into Bancroft Road. It was quite an interesting little way round the town still, but it serves a different purpose.

Well, yes, I think it began to be. It was a kind of bypass for the town. And, of course, you could go round Bancroft Road and then back up Bell Street, or you could come down Bell Street into Bancroft Road. It was quite an interesting little way round the town still, but it serves a different purpose.

It's still a cinema, and it still offers something that a lot of towns have lost completely. I mean, yes, Rygate has changed, but... I know many other towns, my hometown Yeovil and Somerset, you can hardly recognise it. Everything's demolished that ever was worth preserving. The only things that survive are things that are absolutely hideous. Reigate has at least been saved from that.

It's still a cinema, and it still offers something that a lot of towns have lost completely. I mean, yes, Rygate has changed, but... I know many other towns, my hometown Yeovil and Somerset, you can hardly recognise it. Everything's demolished that ever was worth preserving. The only things that survive are things that are absolutely hideous. Reigate has at least been saved from that.

And that's a wonderful thing, I think.

And that's a wonderful thing, I think.

No, the road was more or less constructed at the time that the pool was constructed. And the car park, which was behind the cinema, was actually a land that was acquired by the council. But there was an agreement. Because Bancroft had bought this land... It was agreed that users of the cinema could park their cars here free of charge.

No, the road was more or less constructed at the time that the pool was constructed. And the car park, which was behind the cinema, was actually a land that was acquired by the council. But there was an agreement. Because Bancroft had bought this land... It was agreed that users of the cinema could park their cars here free of charge.

They didn't have the system that we have today of charging anyway. It just was very fortunate that the council in a way welcomed, which they might well have said, well, we've got one cinema already, although it was rather old-fashioned by that stage. It was known as the Flea Pit. the Hippodrome, but it did have its clientele. People did like it.

They didn't have the system that we have today of charging anyway. It just was very fortunate that the council in a way welcomed, which they might well have said, well, we've got one cinema already, although it was rather old-fashioned by that stage. It was known as the Flea Pit. the Hippodrome, but it did have its clientele. People did like it.