Battle Festival June 2004
Sixty years ago, as a projectionist at the Senlac Cinema, from 1940 to 1944,
I was showing the first Gaumont-British News film footage
from the D-Day landings in Normandy.
 (no live television in those days) 
You can imagine how excited I was to be invited by Ken Clarke to attend this very special evening of vintage films in familiar surroundings. Here are a few of the pictures I took to record the occasion for all those unable to be there in person.



1936 - The proposed cinema 

From an article published in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer in May 1936
 
 
John Clemence with Ken
Refreshments were available at the bar in the foyer

Vintage Poster from 1928



2004 - Burstow & Hewett
Originally named "The Senlac", the building was last used as a cinema in the late 1960's


Portable Projection Suite
Bell & Howell projectors provided a picture of surprising quality


Full House
A large audience thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the slapstick comedy


 Ken Clarke with John Myall
John operated the projectors to the brilliant piano accompaniment of
Andrew Youdall
 


Stars of Steamboat Bill
Ernest Torrence, Buster Keaton, and Tom McGuire


.One of the original pair of 35mm BTH Projectors
with Ivor White at the controls


A modern 16mm Projector
as used for this evening's
performance


.A clip from a 1944 newsreel showing a D-Day landing party
approaching the Normandy beaches

My thanks to Ken Clarke for inviting me, and to Robert Ellin of Burstow & Hewett who allowed me to explore the building where I spent so many happy hours entertaining the residents of Battle, and the lads and lasses of Armed Forces who were stationed here while preparing
for D-Day and the subsequent liberation of Europe.