The Cathay cinema was not just a tenth of the cost in London, it was about five times better. There was no popcorn on the floor in Singapore. It was carpeted and spotless. The seats had cushions. Some of the better seats allowed you to recline, like on a business class flight.
I first moved to Singapore in July 1997 from London. It was a step up in more ways than one. Singapore’s streets were cleaner and the rents were cheaper.
The pound was then equal to three Singapore dollars. A cinema ticket cost $2 at Orchard Road’s Cathay. This was about 10% of the cost of a ticket in Leicester Square (GBP6.50), which was the epicentre of London.
