Comments from gusbowe1

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gusbowe1
gusbowe1 commented about Royal Picture Theatre on May 1, 2013 at 11:01 pm

This was also owned by Gus Bowe of Ryde Rialto fame.I think he bought it in 1936.Gus died in 1941 so I assume operation of it passed to his sister Mrs Stocqueler and some of his brothers. I thought I could remember the Royal Theatre advertising in the 1960s

gusbowe1
gusbowe1 commented about Victory Theatre on Nov 25, 2012 at 11:49 pm

Gus Bowe, the original proprietor of the Victory, died in 1941 after an accident.He is buried in the family plot at the Field of Mars Cemetery,North Ryde. Gus had four or five brothers (who all remained bachelors as did he) and one sister. His sister, Mrs Stocqueler, went on to run the Rialto Theatre,Ryde with one of the brothers, until its closure in 1960

gusbowe1
gusbowe1 commented about Victory Theatre on Nov 25, 2012 at 11:32 pm

The original screen was still in place until the 1980s takeover by Freedon Furniture.The last movie at the Victory was “Farmer Takes a Wife” (1935)and I think was mainly used as an overflow house for the nearby Palace in Jordan St Gladesville. The Victory saw many uses after closure.The auditorium was a box factory (30s-50s), a car repair shop 50s-early 60s, a bathroom furniture factory 60s -early 70s,Nock and Kirbys building centre 70s-80s and then Freedom Furniture. There were separate shops on either side of the front doors were two, one a lolly shop (on teh corner) and the other unknown except that in the late 30s one of my aunts ran it as a dress shop.In the mid 50s or so the two shops were removed and the foyer space opened right up as a showroom and offices for ‘Atom Motors’.Atom Motors had a used car lot immediately next door. The foyer space was added to about 1961/2 when the stairs to the dress circle were demolished completely cutting off this area and its hidden treasures. Atom Motors folded about 1963 and ‘Tom the Cheap Grocer’ took over operating until the 1970s. Sad we have lost the Victory and all its history for a daggy grog shop – as if Gladesville really needed another one