PILOT CINEMA

[Diddly Dom]

It'll be sad to see it go,and replaced with more flats,good news for us posties,more work etc,but id love to see it re-opened as a cinema,the last film i saw there was also the excellent 'close encounters of the third kind'!!

[9535]

My dad told the story of him leaving the pilot on the night of the floods in 1953. He walked down the steps in the dark & found himself knee deep in the flood water he didn't realise was there!

[michelle1986]

My great great grandmother Millicent Barker use to accompany the silent films on piano at the Pilot!

Has been interesting to research the place since in my memory is only ever been a nightclub and now in the sad state it is.

[EWW]

I never knew they had silent films at the Pilot as it opened in 1939
many years after the silent days. Maybe they put on special events.

[Trev]

Hi To All.
I was in the Pilot of the night of the big flood's in the 50s with my sister and parents. I can remember the film stopping, the lights all coming on, and the then manager coming onto the stage to say that flood waters had reached the top of the front step's and we where to evacuate the building by the side exit doors, as the ground was that much higher. We where then met by the local north end fishermen in small rowing boats. At that time I lived in North Everard street, which the flood waters did not reach. We where then taken by boat down Pilot street, through the town, then down London road. We had to go through the then Doctors house, which was next to the motor bike shop Lawrence and fails, which took us to the rear of Valengers road to get home. The last film I saw at the pilot was the sound of music.

Trev.

[rutlander]

My dad used to tell me that he helped people on that night, I was only 2 they used rowing boats to rescue people from that end of the street, we lived in no 3 pilot st, and the water stopped at our front door.

[EWW]

There are other threads on here that also mentions the 53 floods.
I talked in one about being in the cinema that night also Trev.

My sister Phyllis and her husband Tom Davis took me as a treat.

We also were put in a rowing boat to get further into the town to
go and see if our gran was OK. We did not go far in the boat and
were put down where we then made our way to the Friars where
our gran lived. She was OK and would not leave the alms house
where she lived.

Never going to know now but would love to know
who the rowing boat belonged to.

[Rusky]

I stumbled across this page yesterday, which shows the state that the Pilot has gotten in to:

http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/lei ... 012-a.html

[Mivalanchi]

I see today on the Borough Council web site (Planning Applications) that Freebridge Housing Association have put in a plans for the Pilot (Zoots) site for more houses.
The outline plan and computer impression looks really intetresting.

[EWW]

The last lot were turned down because of lack of parking spaces Miv.
What changes have they made too the plans for this application?

[Mivalanchi]

The application details are on the following link.
Or you can enter into the planningsearch ' John Kennedy Road '

http://online.west-norfolk.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=MSJWK7IV07800

[EWW]

Las time it was 28 dwellings and now is 25. The three less must be for
the parking spaces needed to get it accepted.

[John Gittens]

Regarding beryltheperil's comment regarding the Pilot having Live Shows - are you certain you are not thinking of the Theatre Royal?. I do not ever remember of Live Shows at the Pilot but yes to the Saturday morning pictures.

[EWW]

I went there with my mother who just happens to be beryltheperils mother
and saw Michael Miles in the show Take your pick. There were many other
shows there over the years I believe.

[rospaul]

....... I went with my parents to see “Me & My Girl” by the Kings Lynn Players at the Pilot, 1954 I think ?