The Whole Story of The Famous Kinema Ballroom in Dunfermline (now in its 78th Year!)
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| 1930s
'The Kinema Ballroom' was opened on Friday December 23rd 1938 with a 'Grand Opening Carnival Dance' (8:00pm - 1:30am) & tickets for "Fifeshire's Super Dance Hall" sold for two shillings and sixpence (2/6). The late 1930s was the exclusive domain of the highly popular jazz / swing & big band sound. Saturday 8thApril 1939 saw "scores of dancers turned away" from the door of a packed Kinema. This first era of the Ballroom lasted only one year however as the decade ended with a period of closure on Saturday 30th December 1939 until Wednesday 29th July 1941. During this time it was used to billet soldiers from some Scottish regiments while some Polish soldiers were billeted at the Carnegie Women's Institute. The then Manager, Mr George Hylands, was quite concerned about the soldiers stomping around on the new sprung floor that had been installed and had it protected by a linoleum floor covering during the period it was used by the soldiers. (I'm indebted to David Gilchrist - Mr. Hylands' grandson, for this info).
Residencies The resident bands worked pretty much seven days a week at this time with only an occasional night off when another guest act performed. How many live performers could achieve that today?
Single Performances
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