I was brought up in Brighton during the Thirties and the recent correspondence regarding the town's cinemas has left me reeling with nostalgia.

As a boy I recall being taken by my aunt to see Alice In Wonderland at the Lido in Hove.

It had a very long auditorium and, to me, the screen seemed the size of a postage stamp.

As I grew older, I was "allowed" to go to the pictures five times a year - on the four bank holidays and on my birthday.

I used to pore over the adverts in The Argus (where else?) to find out what was on and where.

I usually plumped for The Duke's and felt no end of a toff as I tendered my 1s 6d and climbed the narrow stairs to the circle.

Heather Angel and Deanna Durbin were my pin-ups in those days.

The last film I saw there was the musical Camelot some years ago.

As time went on, I visited the Academy, West Street (Flood Tide), the Regent (Bank Holiday), not to mention the Cinema De Luxe and Prince's News Cinema in North Street, as well as the Rex at the bottom of North Road.

I recall the Astoria being built and the first film shown there was, I believe, The Private Lives of Henry VIII with Charles Laughton. There was also the Palladium on the seafront.

I never went to the Arcadia but some of us scallywags used to go round the back of the cinema, stand in Park Crescent and listen to the soundtrack, which was quite audible in the street.

Finally, I saw Things To Come and The Great Dictator at the Curzon, Western Road. It may be that this movie motivated me to volunteer for service in the RAF rather than wait to be called up. Charlie Chaplin has a lot to answer for.

-CEW Wood, Shoreham