The Market Hall Cinema in Brynmawr is the oldest cinema in Wales. When I was growing up the cheap seats were removed every Saturday to make way for a produce market. It was reopened in 2017 by Welsh and Hollywood Actor, Michael Sheen.
Going to The Pictures
Cigarette smoke fights with the leftover smells of the morning market.
Cries of ‘Two for a bob- get your greens here!’ hang in the air.
Images of pigs heads, ‘liver and lights ‘and faggots refuse to budge until
the projector whirrs.
Always two films, the small one endured, we must get our money’s worth.
The hardness of the seats soon forgotten as the lights go out and the exit signs
Glow gaudy green.
Plush seats are for “them with money”, the back row reserved for snoggers.
Latecomers are shown mouse-like to their seats by the usherette’s threatening beam.
Mrs Davies lets us in for an ‘X’, though we’re only fourteen.
We scare ourselves with Hammer Horror, rob banks with Bonnie and Clyde,
and we all secretly want to be Susan George in Twinky.
