ABC CINEMAS ABC MINORS ORIIGINAL SONG

The year is around 1968. The place is your local ABC cinema. The venue - the ABC Minors Childrens Matinee, to which thousands of grateful parents dispatched their little brats with 1/- worth (5p!!) of pocket money that was a small price to pay for a peaceful Saturday morning! First up was the famous ABC Minors song, which complete with lyrics flashed on the screen with a bouncing ball projected from an old carbon arc lamp and slide lantern !

We are the boys and girls all known as..
Minors of the ABC...
And every Saturday all line up...
To see the films we like and shout aloud with glee..
We like to laugh and have our sing-song...
Such a happy crowd are wee..eeeee
We're all pals together...
We're Minors of the ABC.

After this thoroughly rousing number, the cinema's manger (or, most likely, the hapless assistant manager!) would host some obligatory birthday singing and talent shows along the lines of skipping contests culminating in a hail of flying objects from the kids in the audience!

All the British ABC cinemas have either been demolished or changed to the Odeon brand but, miraculously, an original 45rpm record was rescued from the projection room of a cinema being demolished which takes me back to the simpler childhood days of Saturday morning fun at the local ABC Sidcup cinema. Enjoy!

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• abc
• minors
• song
• cinemas
• advert
• projection
• room

[CADD2011]

We used to go to the Ritz at Brighouse every Saturday morning with our gabardine’s coats tied around our necks by the sleeves, the coat became batman's cape and we used to slap our thighs pretending we were on horses, though I'm not sure Batman ever had a horse!!! If your family were rich, you could go to the Ritz in the morning and the Albert or the Savoy in the afternoon as they all ran children’s clubs on a Saturday. We wern't rich!!

[britplastic]

Great memories of the ABC MInors at the Regal Cinema in Levenshulme, Manchester. I remember the outings to Southport. We went by coach, played on the sands and took part in sandcastle competitions, went on the Pleasure Beach unsupervised and ended the day with a visit to the ABC cinema on Lord Street to watch a film!! Surprisingly no one got lost or left behind. Ah, the freedom of a 50s childhood!!

[jimDNSmith]

Never thought I'd hear this again! Yes, a great memory - I'm going to teach my daughter this song.

[john111257]

oh how much we thought we were the bees knees

[truddles16]

@oscardoobidoo It was my birthday every week! We got those penny chocolate bars at the Liscard ABC.

[sueaddinall]

Haha brilliant! What a great memory! Gonna sing it all day now lol

[nigelsherwen]

Another world.......great Saturday mornings that didn't cost the earth...and luminous badges! .....probably collectors items now!

[rpmxer2]

Like you hwane I used to go to the Regal on the Cowley Road in Oxford in the 1960's and I went back there last November to see Marina and the Diamonds in concert,what great memories going back through the Regal's doors.

[barmcakedude]

Great memory. I thought this was an early 60's song and recall the manager on the stage at Preston giving out birthday presents. Lucky bloke!

[MrCous3]

ABC at Walham Green Fulham......fantastic days, screaming A-B-C......lol