by Jim Ross

Created on: November 18, 2008   Last Updated: November 19, 2008

It's hard to imagine not visiting somewhere for a long time. Yet, this was the case, only a few days ago. I still find it hard to believe but it's true, the last time was 1983 - and that was 25 years ago.

The thought of seeing the old place again brought back many memories some sad, some happy. It also brought back the memory of supernatural goings on, and that brought a smile to my ageing face in remembering just how shit-scared we all were during that time - no one seemed to evade "its clasp."

For days beforehand, I was both nervous and excited. Something I have never experienced before. It felt like the first meeting with an old friend I'd lost contact with so many moons ago, and indeed, I had...

I was curious, what would I find, how much would the place have changed, would there be anyone still present that I knew of from such a long time ago? Instinctively, of course, I knew there'd be no one left - most of them have crossed-over now, and there are only a few of us left - the mind often boggles as to whom the bells shall toll for, soon!

Entering through the main doors nothing seemed out of the ordinary - it was as I remembered, the only differences noted, were a carpeted floor and a fresh lick of paint covering the walls and ceiling.

The main stalls foyer where the public bought their tickets, sweets, hotdogs and popcorn for the kids, had indeed changed. Instead of being one complete area it was now divided into two - one for purchasing tickets to play bingo, the other for playing the dreaded one-arm bandit machines. Nearby, was the entrance and exit doors to rear lower stalls and this is where my adventure into the past begins.

A strange feeling surrounded me upon entering through the doors. The first impression was: "I don't remember this ceiling being so low, I thought it was higher." But, after a few moments it was soon realised, nothing had changed in its construction; it was only a trick of the mind creating confusion in the present as dictated to by the past. As my feet slowly tread the carpeted floor towards the front of house again I was beseeched with the thought, "This place was bigger than this it looks tiny now?" Was it another trick of the mind, or did my mind envisage something grandeur, as remembered in the past? I really don't know the architecture is still the original as first seen in 1973, as it was in 1932. It would seem where there is a memory short-fall the mind makes up something for it, possibly to ease the burden of mental cellular

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