Social spaces define how rested a neighborhood is.
Fun places leave everlasting memories in children. Growing up in the 90’s, now not in this neighborhood but in this town, we had makeshift cinemas- business people were very innovative and highly entrepreneurial. Well, most of us had television sets for watching the regular soap operas ‘Maria de Los Angeles’, the dramas ‘Tausi’ the reality shows ‘Omo pick a box’ cartoons ‘Teletubbies’ and for our parents to watch daily news.
But nothing would beat those makeshift cinemas where we would be instructed to sit down, a white curtain would be rolled over and ‘Rambo, Jackie Chan or the gods must be crazy would play’.
In all honesty, I think the movies had no audio but it was really exhilarating to be seated in that space with hundreds of children, laughing our hearts out. The charges were Ksh.30 for a Saturday/Sunday afternoon of pure bliss, must have been hard for my parents then to set aside 120/= every weekend for us to just be their children- the 4 of us, now that I am an adult I deeply understand and appreciate their efforts.
Well, Sunday afternoons, the showground personnel would rent out the communal space and bring in horses and camels for riding, a Ferris wheel and a swing. Those days, I loved going to church because that was the incentive, after mass, we would eat out then head for the ‘enjoyment’. There were lots of us, children and parents all socializing- I really miss my childhood but glad to have lived through the happy experiences.
Needless to say, by 2004, the showground staff stopped popping up with the facilities, construction works had begun in the communal space, now a well renowned butchery and hotel, the makeshift cinemas? The era of DVDs killed the business, the famous ‘cinema place’ opened its doors to other business- a retail and cereal shop.
From my perspective though, not as an urban planner but as an entrepreneur, the makeshift cinema seems like a viable business idea, if one for adults becomes available, I am sure I would frequent it. Nothing beats the traditional laid-back era.
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