JFK Assassination

[braveheart]

Do you remember where you were when you heard that JFK had been assassinated? I was working part time at a cinema earning a bit of pocket money that night and can remember it clearly.

I was working up in the circle that night, a place I knew well as I had many a kiss and cuddle up there in my young days As I remember it, it was a bout 7.30-8.00 ish when the projectionist stopped the film and put a hand written note on the big white screen informing the audience that JFK had been shot and killed in Texas and out of respect the rest of the film would not be shown that evening.

As I had worked at the cinema over quite a period of time, as you do you get to know the other people who worked there, so I thought I would pop in to the projection room and see old Bobby, the projectionist. As I got in there he was sitting in his highchair with a really stunned look on his face and tears running down his cheeks, I felt very sorry for him. After he realised I was there he turned round and said " are you ok wee man? here I have something for you " The note he put up on the screen was actually the inside of a woodbine packet. He said " keep this as a keepsake to remember this day " I still have it to this day as I can remember seeing it when I was riffling through and old suit case in the loft that I keep hundreds of old photos in.

I have a small thing in common with the dead President, my initials are also JFK! Some years ago I had an opportunity to leave him a personal message in a book of condolence at the 6th floor museum in the school book depository in Dallas, Texas, while on a business trip in 1993 the 30th anniversary of his death.

Take care,

John

[amelia]

Hi John what a brilliant story I wonder if your woodbine packet would be worth anything. About having the same initials it's a wee bit weird then there is probably thousands with the same initials but with having the woodbine packet

What picture hall did you work in there isn't many left now I think the last one to go was the one in Clarkston road there are new houses built on the spot but they kept the facade of the building they are doing this on a lot of buildings the Plaza was one of them. They only have picture houses in East Kilbride, over in the Forge at Parkhead they have just opened a new build in the Fort out the Edinburgh Rd way I think yu go away Carntyne an the schemes out that direction they are supposed to be building on at the Pollok shopping centre, they should have built one up here as we were the biggest scheme in Europe at one time, they have nothing up here for the kids even the shopping centre is a coup you've got to either go to Asda at Toryglen or into Rutherglen or over the town even Shawlands has changed it's all pubs, bookies charity and eating paces. I sound as if I am on my high horse here
Amelia

[braveheart]

Hi Amelia,

Yeah, it is a bit strange sharing the same initials as him, but remember I was known as JFK long before any one in this country ever heard of Kennedy!

The picture hall I worked at was The "State" I think that was on Castlemilk Drive, but you know, for the life of me I cant remember the name of the area! Maybe one day the fag packet will be worth something, but I doubt it. Nice keepsake though.

It's terrible that Castlemilk had no real facilities to talk about considering, as you say, the biggest housing estate in all of Europe. To hear that not much, if any, improvement has been made in all of these years is shocking. I'm afraid it is typical of Governments and City Councils to treat the working class in this way, although they think it doesn't matter and we wont complain too much!

Take care Amelia,

John

[DannyGill]

Hi John+Amelia,
Was such a sad occasion when President Kennedy was assassinated , I remember I was sitting watching the TV with my Ma,Da and sister in south Nitshill when the news came over it was such a shock and everybody had a numb feeling about it. I was 15 years old then and a 1st year apprentice bricklayer and when I went into work it was such an eerie feeling. Then when Lee Harvey Oswald was also shot it was all so unreal, the previous year we had the Cuban missile crisis and I remember sitting in Holyrood school and we asked the teacher a Mr Keanie did he think there would be a world war and he said probably !!!. . Can you imagine what was going through our minds when he said that!! remember we were only 14 year olds, President Kennedy was a man of the people who wanted to move the world forward and people knew that he would be good for everyone, yes it was such a sad time when President Kennedy left us prematurely .
Regards.
Danny

[freddy]

Hi chinas . Loved John`s story about the woodbine packet.I was at sea in the merchant navy when the president was assassinated. The year before that I was on a ship named RMS Essequibo just off Cuba which America was blockading at the time.American jets used to dive bomb the ship for identification purposes. Sometimes it seemed as if they would come right through the wheelhouse windows. We identified ourselves By stretching a red ensign on top of one of the hatches.Kruschov had put nuclear missiles on Cuba which could reach the American mainland.JFK ordered the blockade of Cuba. The world held it`s breath.Thank god Kruschov backed down and we are all still here.So you see Danny Mr. Keanie was nearly right.By the way he was my science teacher as well.

[DannyGill]

Hi Freddy,
Yes it was a very edgy time the Cuban Missile crisis and fair play to Mr Kruschov for calling back the Russian ships, later on I believe the U.S.A. dismantled their missiles in Turkey [which could have targeted Russia]. Over all President Kennedy would have made more good changes if he had served a second term as President but tragically this never happened.
There's a coincidence Freddy us having the same science teacher=Mr Keanie, I think he lived over in Bridgeton for I used to pass him in the morning/evening when I was walking down Polmadie Rd to get back to my house in Fauldhouse st. I always found him a bit eccentric Freddy don't know about you.
Regards.
Danny

[braveheart]

Hi Freddy and Danny,

Yeah I agree with you both, I think we were a lot closer to a nuclear war than we have ever been since, scary! The problem was JFK knew he couldn't back down, which I think Kruschov expected him to do. I still remember that strange feeling that something was going to happen as we got closer to the deadline, thankfully disaster was avoided.

By the way Danny, Just purchased your book on Kindle today, but She who must be obeyed has got her hands on it first....Damn! So will be a little while before I get a chance to read any of it mate!

Take care all.

John

[JosieStuksis]

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[DannyGill]

Hi Freddy and Danny,

Yeah I agree with you both, I think we were a lot closer to a nuclear war than we have ever been since, scary! The problem was JFK knew he couldn't back down, which I think Kruschov expected him to do. I still remember that strange feeling that something was going to happen as we got closer to the deadline, thankfully disaster was avoided.

By the way Danny, Just purchased your book on Kindle today, but She who must be obeyed has got her hands on it first....Damn! So will be a little while before I get a chance to read any of it mate!

Take care all.

John

Hi John,
Yes scary times m8, I thought at the time I'm only 14 years old and I wont live [because of nuclear war] to have a life and travel, thankfully there was no nuclear war and I did have a life to enjoy and travel. Hope you enjoy my life story when you read it John.
Regards.
Danny