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| Leaving Ritz Cinema, and lovely Thirsk, is hard to do. |
In asking Helen out that second time, James Herriot had felt
that an evening at Ritz Cinema would be an easy date in which the two could
simply relax together. Instead, they faced
all manner of distractions. A cinema
that opened late. Boys who made crude
noises all evening. Giggling Maggie’s knowing
glances. A farmer who kept turning
around and insinuating his cow had died due to Herriot’s negligence. Sweltering heat. Smelly old couches. A deafening sound system. And, ultimately, being assaulted by a drunk. This fiasco hardly sounds like the beginning
of a promising romance. Compounded with
the disaster of the Renniston, many young couples might conclude that they
weren’t meant to be together. Yet for
Helen, that evening only increased her interest in James. Why?
I suspect most everyone in Thirsk, from James’ employer
Siegfried to Helen’s father, wondered why she chose James over the
wealthy Richard Edmondson. Whereas their
first date at the Renniston Hotel cost James a month’s salary, she could have
dined there with Richard every night. Herriot
hardly paints Ritz Cinema in glowing terms. Had Helen wished to see a movie, Richard could
have driven her in his Bentley. They
would have cruised through the countryside, in comfort and style, the envy of
all they passed. Eventually, they would
have reached a larger city, one with an elegant cinema befitting their
wealth and status. In choosing James, Helen rejected a life comparable to that of the English royalty.
The conventional wisdom seems to be that if an opportunity
exists to better oneself, one should grasp it with both hands. Yet, whether in regards
to our choice of career, spouse, or lifestyle, some of us follow Helen’s example. She saw something in the young veterinarian’s
character worth pursuing. Choosing James not only limited her financial prospects and lifestyle, but also meant she’d
have far less time with him than with someone who had inherited wealth
and didn’t have to work to keep it. Yet,
for her, the little James could offer her meant everything. Nothing else mattered.
In all the trials of the evening that James Herriot records in All Creatures Great and
Small, what strikes me is that he never complained. Instead, he modeled tolerance and
respect for others. A couple times, most
significantly when the cinema showed a low-budget Western instead of the
film about Scotland he had looked forward to seeing, he grew irritated. Yet each time, Helen assured him, “I don’t
mind. It doesn’t matter.”
After our evening at Ritz Cinema, I chatted with a young worker at our hotel just outside Thirsk.
Although he had lived in the area for several years, he had never
visited Ritz Cinema. Instead, every weekend
he hopped in his car and headed East across the North York Moors. He
told me about the novel and high-tech aspects of the modern multiplexes he
frequented with his friends in Scarborough. As it was far closer, I suggested he give
Ritz Cinema a try. Yet for him, those modern
features, not to mention spending time with his friends in Scarborough, meant
everything.
We had visited Ritz Cinema to experience a Herriot connection. While the other incidents in his life are told no less colorfully than his second date with Helen,
this was an event that we could, to some extent, replicate. In doing so, we not only sampled
an aspect of local life, but celebrated an event that signaled the true
beginning of James and Helen’s romance. If that had been all we experienced, we would
have left satisfied. Yet the
staff worked hard to made us feel comfortable and valued. The other patrons were considerate. The movie started and ended on time; we weren't inundated with commercials. The
temperature was comfortable, the ambiance pleasant. In short, the evening proved a joy from
beginning to end.
I can’t help but think that, if I lived in Thirsk, I’d regularly
attend Ritz Cinema. With its affordable
admission prices and concessions, with all the extra acts of service they
offer, and with their ability to satisfy modern expectations while still
retaining their historic and unique identity, my wife and I felt perfectly at home
there. As Helen might say, next to that,
nothing else matters.
Where I’d like to belong,
Dragon Dave
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