Why was it called The Blood Tub?

Further to our recent articles about 'The Bump' (The Alexandra) and 'Jack Darbys' (Picture House) cinemas, we have been taken to task by several readers for not mentioning that the Picture House's was known as 'The Blood Tub'. We always understood this to be a general term for a certain type of movie theatre, rather than a specific Gornal nickname, so got in touch with cinema historian Ned Williams who replies: "Blood Tub" is a generic term and was use to denigrate hundreds of cinemas everywhere. It was often used to nick-name theatres that provided a steady diet of melodrama and the nick-name was transferred to cinemas that showed a steady diet of action films. Flea pit is also a generic term with "Flea Pen" forming a Black Country variant. It is certainly an memorable phrase, particularly for impressionable children, Yampy correspondent Barry Clarke explained to us recently: When I was a small lad, I was told that it was called the Blood Tub because a cow was slaughtered in the building. Apparently, some cows were being led outside when one of them broke away and somehow got into the cinema. It proved too difficult to get it back outside and was slaughtered in the "Picture House", hence the "Blood Tub" name was given. It goes to show what old folk tell the younger element. I remember being told the story in 'The Sunshine' pub. The customers knew that I would listen to anything they told me and being young and innocent I would believe them. One interesting point emerging from our appeals for Gornal cinema memories is that nobody has mentioned any films they saw, yet many people can remember the 'courting seats' at The Bump in great detail (now what does that tell us?). Barry, for example, informs us that these 'oss boxes' were: double seats at the rear of the cinema tucked away from the main seating area in a little snug of there own. When one partner got up from the seat the partner also had to get up. Those were the days! Barry also remembers Ada at The Bump, on till and torch duties. She lived just down the road from the cinema. Keep those memories coming! Did anyone actually get to see a film at any point, or were the back seats the only attraction? If you have a photograph of Jack Darby's while it was still showing films we would be especially grateful. Email us at admin@yampy.co.uk.