AFTER last week's TRM recollections of the old Palace Cinema, the intrepid Richard Barnes once again delved into the dim and distant archives of Milford's history, and found an advert for that cinema in a July 1914 Telegraph.

"How to keep cool...visit the Picture Palace, Robert Street specially fitted electric air extractor, 3,000 cubic feet per minute, freeing the building from all smoke and odours, making it the most comfortable in the hottest weather.

“Licence…J F Tierney. Mgr N V Stephen. Twice nightly. A permanent orchestra has been engaged.

“Prices…Front Circle with tip-up chairs…9d; Back Circle…6d. The Pit…3d.

“I wonder why…hence the name..the old flea pit.

“Great days, Jeff."

Thanks Richard, you're on the ball, as always.

Another TRM regular with specific memories of the Robert Street cinema, was Les Haynes, who, rang to say that, when he was a youngster, he'd clambered over the cinema wall, and ‘sneaked in’ at the back.

I'm sure I could discern from his tone of voice that Les has been carrying the burden of guilt around for 60 years or more, and was glad that he'd at last had the opportunity to get if off his chest!

Or was it just another one of Les's wheezes?

He didn't say the name of the film…I wonder if it was…The Invisible Man.

Before I break away entirely from the days of Milford's three picture houses, I thought I'd dig out this one again. It was when, temporarily, the number of cinemas was reduced to two, after the Astoria in Charles Street was destroyed by fire.

Interestingly, there was an additional cinema in Milford during the 2nd World War.

A United States picture house, seating 400 people, was opened at Ward's Pier.

I bet there were lots of candy, silk nylons, and ‘how's your father’ going on…both in that Yankee establishment...and also in the seclusion of the ‘Gunkle,’ which loomed over Ward's Yard!

This week, I'm delighted to return to our TRM Trawler Corner with another vessel, this one being the John Cattling LO364. A Castle Class steel-sided trawler built in Paisley in 1918. 276 tons. 125' long.

Local owner…Iago team Trawler Co Ltd, The Docks, Milford.

Landed at Milford from May 1920 to Feb 1921 and from Jan 1922 to March 1930.

Skippers…Charles Schock…Edward Day…William Hawkins…E. C. Wales.

In April 1918, the newly built ship was delivered to the Admiralty, equipped with listening hydrophones, and armed with 1x12 pdr, 1 x 3.5" bomb thrower.

In August that year, off St Catherine’s Point, she collided and sank the trawler…Michael Clements through ramming. The Michael Clements was also engaged in hydrophone listening duties when the incident took place. There was no loss of life. Both trawlers were part of the Auxilliary Patrol Force.

In August 1939, she was again requisitioned by the Admiralty, this time for minesweeping duties.

Here's a news cutting from an unknown local paper.

"August 1927. At 1.45 am on Monday, the steam trawler John Cattling returned to dock at Milford, from whence she had departed the previous day, and Skipper Charles Schock reported that one of the firemen, David Richards, aged 32, a native of Swansea, was missing.

“No member of the crew it appears saw the man after 9am on Sunday...Richards was fairly well known in the neighbourhood of Milford, and was at one time engaged on a farm in the vicinity of Newton Noyes. For some time he sailed on Messrs Pettit's trawlers, but only joined the John Cattling on Saturday."

In May 1957, the John Cattling was broken up in Hamburg, and here, from the late ‘Stevo's collection, is a photo of her, along with a snap of busy days on the market.

Now for our teasers, and the answer to last week's was...the score was 0-0.

On the ball were Joyce Layton, Paul Butland, Les Haynes, John Glover, Charles Weatherall, Gerry Thomas, Vernon Gwilliam and Elinor Jones. Thanks to all who took part.

Here's another to test out those brain cells.

A man eats an egg every day. He has no chickens at home, he never buys, borrows nor steals chickens’ eggs. How is this possible?

You know how they say that everything seems to go wrong at once...well, I know what they mean. There've been a run of disasters Chez Dunn…enough to make you think there are house gremlins at work. Here are the most recent.

Through the bathroom window, a gust of wind blew a vase onto the basin…instantly leaving a hole you could get your foot into!

Electrics. We're still trying to trace what's causing our newly-installed box to ‘trip’.

It's a nightmare. We're almost afraid to switch an appliance on. I've had three cold showers in the last week…my skin thinks it's somehow annoyed me.

We've got our electrics expert working on the case, so I hope the solution is nigh.

If not…I'm gonna be fraught faced every time I step into the shower!

That's it for this week...I'd better go before it ‘trips’ again!