Winter maintenance is progressing well. Many thanks to the band of volunteers who turned up on Sunday - more of the same please. Anyone who can lend a hand should contact Rolly Squibbs on 842170 or Mike Stace on 844484.

          Whilst all this is happening, several of our members are taking part in an instructors course run by the WYA. This takes place over a series of weekends, resulting in a full instructors qualification globally recognised.

          The social scene continues to flourish. Last Friday's darts practice went very well. Let us hope that the form shown will be repeated this evening when we play the Chemist at home. Participating members please note. Captain, Terry Evans and other key members will not be available for selection. Terry expects the reminder of the team to rise to the occasion.

          Last Saturday's cheese and cawl lived up to expectations. The discerning participants were treated to a cawl of the highest order. Many thanks to Terry Evans for his culinary efforts - what a talent!

          Following on from last year's successful venture, the format for this year's event on Saturday, March 13th, will be basically the same. Chief referee, Mark Dashfield, has intimated that the jigsaws this year will be identical to ensure 'fair play'. Also, team sizes will be restricted. Proceedings will start at approximately 1.45 p.m.

          This was a great deal of fun last year so why not 'chill out' by doing something different. We look forward to meeting you.

          The next culinary extravaganza will be the eagerly awaited Soup Frenzy, which will take place on Saturday, March 27th. Don't miss this opportunity to taunt your taste buds. Mike and Deanna promise me that last year's soups will be surpassed. I can't wait!

          There are still a few annual subscriptions due. Please contact membership secretary, Julia Dashfield, on 844918, for further details.

          Anyone interested in joining this dynamic club should contact any member for further details. We look forward to meeting you.

          GP14

          A new era has dawned on Tenby's popular Royal Playhouse.

          Projectionist for over 50 years, manager John Hill has retired on health grounds, although he will continue to assist his replacement, Stephen Williams, as he seeks to realise the cinema's full potential.

          Film technician and DIY enthusiast Steve Williams took over from Mr. Hill on Friday, January 16th.

          Married with four children, Cardiff born Steve moved to Tenby in 2002 and has been living in semi-retirement in Heywood Lane.

          Before that he had spent many years in the filming business, starting in a Birmingham cinema at the age of 16; two years later he was the youngest chief projectionist in the cinema union NATKE. In 1971 he achieved a position with the BBC as a film technician at the Television Centre in London.

          From 1973 to 1984 he was a cameraman for BBC2's Open University, progressing up to technical producer.

          At the end of that period he bought a 16th century coaching inn in North Wales and set up an independent production company specialising in high adventure air sport. For nearly 20 years he travelled all over the world filming hot air balloons, paragliders, helicopters and speedboats for television clients BBC, Channel Four, Trans-world Sports and Sky Television.

          His decision to semi-retire was because the filming business was getting "rather dangerous" for a father with four children.

          He told the story of one time he was nearly shot:

          "In China my wife and I were filming the Paragliding World Cup and Paragliders over the Great Wall of China. We were filming the contestants at a train station and I wanted a shot of one of the big old steam trains coming into the station with the British team standing on the platform. What I didn't know was that it is against the regulations to stand on the platform when the train comes into the station. A very young officer came up shouting and waving a gun, then put the gun on my nose and cocked it. Naturally we stopped filming."

          Later, in Yemen, Steve suddenly found himself in the middle of a gun battle: "All the time I was worried about the £40,000 camera sitting in my lap."

          Semi-retirement in Tenby, therefore, was more about safety than relaxation, and life for Steve Williams is about to get busy again.

          It all started last year when he joined the Rotary Club and mentioned to cinema owner Graham Fry that he had a history in the cinema and was keen to see the projection room at the Royal Playhouse.

          "He asked me if I would be interested in running it," said Mr. Williams, "as John the manager was due to retire and he had been looking for someone to run it for three years. If he didn't find someone the cinema would close down, so I agreed."

          Retiring projectionist John Hill commented: "Steve is no stranger to the cinema business; I wish him well."

          During his time at the coaching inn, Steve used his DIY talents to renovate the historical building. The transformation was so successful, the inn was listed Grade 1 for architectural interest. He has similar ambitions for the Playhouse.

          "I hope to restore the cinema to its former glory," he stated. "It's a beautiful old place, it just needs finishing off."

          Removing a little paint reveals solid mahogany. Steve is convinced that stripping back to the wood is going to transform areas like the pay box.

          The Playhouse building contains many secrets. Possibilities for the future could include turning the disused snooker room and leisure complex into a second 200-seater cinema. There could also be a 50-seater film club housed in the former squash courts.

          But if the site were ever to be developed for another purpose and the cinema knocked down, any restoration work would still have been worthwhile, according to Mr. Williams.

          "Even if they were to knock it down the next day, I'd still get enjoyment out of doing it up."

          At the age of 69, Playhouse manager and projectionist John Hill is hanging up the reels after 50 years. He retires reluctantly on health grounds, and gave the Tenby Times a glimpse of life behind the beam.

          A child of Pembroke Dock, John Hill came to live in Culver Park, Tenby, because of an air- raid. It was not long before he would embark on a long career behind the scenes in Tenby, providing entertainment for thousands, but recognised by only a few.

          As a young teenager, John loved visiting the cinema, and he was always fascinated by what was going on behind the beam. In April 1949, when he was not quite 14, he started work at the South Beach Pavilion, assisting chief projectionist Fred Hartland.

          Before its demolition in 1979, the pavilion stood some five or six storeys high overlooking South Beach. The cinema had become the focal point of a complex of restaurant, dance-hall and amusements.

          Mr. Hill recalled "The Pavilion was thriving in those days with regular dances held in the ballroom, and the cafes and shops busy with visitors. What is now called a car park was occupied by Holmes Bros. Fair during part of the summer months. Part of the land behind the Pavilion was a camping area. The campers were supplied with fresh bread daily from the Pavilion's own bakery. Television had not yet arrived and the queues on most Saturday nights went from the cinema doors up the steps and down the road past Egypt House. In those days, most of the customers smoked; it's a wonder the projector beam ever reached the screen - passive smoking had not yet been heard of.

          "Film stock in 1949 still consisted of highly inflammable nitrate film, safety film only just starting to replace it. The newsreel at that time was shared between the two cinemas - a process that needed split-second timing - it was not an unusual sight to see a young boy rushing up and down Trafalgar Road, either on foot or a bicycle, clutching a wooden box containing this highly inflammable film banging around inside it."

          Little did John realise, but Shanly's Pavilion, as it was known, already contained members of his future family. He took over the position held by Billy Russell who had been called up. Billy later became his brother-in-law. And it was at the Pavilion that John met Betty Rees, an usherette, whom he later married. They celebrated their Golden Wedding over a year ago, and have three children; two sons and a daughter. Other staff at the Pavilion included Sid Davies and Gwyneth Richards (later Gwyneth Batchelor).

          After three years at the Pavilion, John transferred to Manorbier AKC army cinema. where he worked with Billy. The manager, John Darcy, later produced and directed the pantomimes which were popular in the Tenby area.

          In May 1953, just eight days after his 18th birthday, Mr. Hill was offered the post of chief projectionist at the Royal Playhouse in Tenby's White Lion Street. It was the start of a strong attachment which has lasted for over 50 years.

          In those days the Playhouse was owned by Gatehouse Estates. The company incorporated the Royal Gatehouse Hotel, the Royal Playhouse, the old De Valence Pavilion, and the Gatehouse garage and car park, run by Mr. and Mrs. Ossie Carew. Also owned by Gatehouse Estates was the Little Theatre, which later became Booths Arcade; today replaced with flats.

          Managing director was Barbara Fisher's father, Harry Weight.

          "Saturday morning children's shows were very popular when I started at the Playhouse," John remembered, "and large numbers of children turned up each Saturday to watch them."

          "A lot of other things have been staged at the cinema over the years, including pantomimes, bingo and wrestling and, of course, the gang shows."

          From 1954 the manager of the Playhouse was Douglas Greasley, who had been an electrical contractor with a shop in Warren Street. John Hill worked alongside him and part of the job was doing electrical work in the Gatehouse Hotel.

          December 1954 saw the installation of Cinemascope. Tenby Playhouse was one of the first cinemas to benefit from the new technology.

          One thing that used to fascinate Harry Weight was the new magnescopic masking, which enabled the edges of the screen to be adjusted to fit the film ratio. Mr. Hill remembered how Mr. Weight used to ask for a demonstration frequently, just to see the sides, top and bottom moving mechanically.

          The new screen was installed by Douglas Greasley with the help of John and his colleague David Warlow who had joined the Playhouse in September 1953 and remained there for six years.

          "We spent weeks together screwing the conduit together and feeding the electrical cables through," explained John.

          Originally films would be shown on 2,000 foot reels, using two projectors and carbon lighting. Each reel would last 20 minutes, then the projectors would be changed over. Sound came from valve amplifiers.

          For the greater part of John's time at the Playhouse, he has been helped by many members of his family. His father, Garfield, was assistant manager in the late 1950s. This was the era when pantomimes were staged at the Playhouse - titles like 'Dick Whittington' and 'Mother Goose', starring, amongst others, the late Archie Rees.

          Douglas Greasley retired in 1964, leaving John to carry on the good work. He had a short break when the Fry family took over the enterprise, but they soon called on his services once again in 1969. On buying the cinema in March 1978, the Frys appointed John as managing projectionist with responsibility for bookings.

          His daughter, Susan, born 1955, was employed as a cashier, while various other members of his family have been involved over the years, including his wife, sister, brother Billy and his wife Jan, brothers-in-law Pat Rees and David Martin, eldest son Peter, nephew Barry and niece Julie, as well as Billy Russell's wife Bernie, and Philip Diett and his mother.

          "Without my family, I probably wouldn't have managed," admitted Mr. Hill. "They have all been involved, one way or another."

          In the mid 1990s he was diagnosed with severe asthma and emphysema. It became necessary to take more of a back seat role, so Susan took on the role of cashier-manageress, with Barry working as a projectionist.

          Today, Tenby Cinema is not so very different from when John started out as a projectionist. They have yet to enjoy the enhancements of a digital system. "'But not for a while yet!" predicted John Hill.

          Technology was upgraded in the 1970s, however. December 1974 saw the introduction of the long-play system, still in use today. 14,000 foot reels, which last up to two-and-a-half hours, were created by trimming and joining the ends of several 2,000 foot tapes. The end result is a continuous film, using only one projector. Nevertheless, lengthy narratives such as Titanic and Lord of the Rings still have to have an intermission, while the dual spindled tower is rotated and a second reel made ready.

          Carbon lamps would not be able to cope with two-and-a-half hours continuous illumination, so were replaced by Xenon lamps. Amplifiers were modernised from valves to transistors.

          Right up to the late 1970s, gas was still being used to light the emergency exits. Veterans of the Playhouse may remember doorman Bill Nash, with his waxed moustache and, of course, the sellers with trays of ice-creams.

          John Hill looks back 20 or 30 years to find the zenith of cinema popularity.

          "We had five shows at night during the summer of 1985," he recalled, "ending perhaps at 11 p.m. One man told us he had spent six of his seven-day holiday at the Playhouse - he watched all five late shows plus the main feature."

          Sundays proved a popular time to open, as well. Double features of old films were billed as 'Sunday Specials'.

          The big screen had a new rival in video cassettes, but that did not stop 'Ghostbusters' from being a massive success and encouraging people back into the cinema. Similarly, with today's DVD releases only four months behind, and widescreen televisions in many living rooms, there could be doubts about the future of cinema. Yet queues seemed never ending for last October's 'Finding Nemo'.

          "This job really has surprises!" remarked John. "But with the success of the popular 'Harry Potter' stories and the outstanding special effects in 'The Lord of The Rings', it all goes to show: given the right films, people still will come."

          Credit must surely go to Mr. Hill and the Playhouse staff for continuing to bring Tenby all the latest blockbusters, despite competition from large multiplex cinemas.

          In September 2000, fire regulations made it necessary to close for nearly a year. On restarting, other members of the family now had other work commitments - Susan as manageress of the DIY Hardware store and Barry behind the entertainments counter at Woolworths. Mrs. Hill took over as manageress, with niece Julie Davies as cashier.

          "It's been a family affair for many years," commented John.

          Members of his family will continue to work at the cinema, after Mr. Hill retires, to work alongside Steve Williams, who comes from North Wales, to take on the role of managing projectionist.

          "It wasn't my intention to continue on a permanent basis," John Hill revealed.

          In addition to his other illnesses, he has osteoarthritis of the lower spine. It has not made the job any easier since film reels are far from light. For the last three years owner Graham Fry has been looking for someone who could take over the running of the reels.

          "You really have to be cut out for it," said Mr. Hill of his lifetime career. "The hours are unsociable, the pay is not impressive."

          Not a job for everyone, perhaps, but it did all right for William Phillips, who spent two years at the Playhouse, took a post in Cardigan and recently took over the Palace Cinema in Haverfordwest.

          And for Mr. Hill it has been a responsibility of which he is very fond. He is particularly glad of the free hand he has enjoyed over the last 25 years, under Fry enterprises. Yes, he is definitely reluctant to say goodbye.

          "But old age catches up, and it's time for me to hang up my film reels," he said, adding "but I'll still always be on hand."