Part 2 of the history of cinemas and entertainment in Laindon.
The Laindon Picture Theatre became known as the Radion in 1938. A formal renaming ceremony took place in August that year, with Laindon Carnival Queen Elsie Sykes taking part. The building gained a distinctive illuminated feature above the entrance, helping make it one of the most recognisable structures on the High Road.
Sunday film performances were introduced in 1938 after an earlier attempt to obtain permission had failed. By the late 1940s and 1950s the Radion operated screenings on most days of the week, with afternoon or early-evening opening times depending on the day.
During the Second World War the Radion's external lighting had to comply with blackout regulations. After the initial wartime closure of entertainment venues, cinemas again became a major form of affordable escape. Newsreels, films and serials offered local residents entertainment during a period of rationing, restrictions and uncertainty.
Saturday morning children's shows became one of the most strongly remembered parts of Radion life. Former residents recalled westerns, cartoons and serial adventures, together with children's clubs, fancy-dress competitions and talent events. With around 680 seats, the cinema could be packed with local children.
In 1951 the Radion underwent a major refurbishment reported at about £7,000. The work included new seating and carpets, changes to the screen and stage, replacement lighting, a rebuilt box office and a new canopy and exterior lighting. The investment was intended to modernise the cinema at a time when film-going remained a major part of British leisure.
The Radion also hosted talent contests, Remembrance services, carnival ceremonies and occasional professional wrestling. In 1952 Laindon Carnival Queen Brenda Buckenham was crowned at a ceremony on the stage. This wider use is important because the Radion functioned as one of Laindon's largest indoor public gathering spaces.
Projectionists worked with large 35mm projectors and had to manage film reels and changeovers by hand. Michael Marchant, who worked there full-time from the late 1950s into the 1960s, later recalled the physical demands of the job and the gradual fall in audiences as television became more common.
By the late 1960s the building was also being used for bingo, with regular sessions beginning in 1968. The change reflected a national trend in which older single-screen cinemas increasingly experimented with bingo and other uses as cinema attendance declined.