Victoria Cinema

Memories of this cinema go way way back into the early sixties. Most of my family worked there.I spent long summers in and around this cinema. At the time I was there Mr Batty was the manager. The usherettes wore dusky pink overalls and had name badges,they were always beautiful and smelt of 4711 cologne, seamed stockings and stilleto heels,lipstick and powdered faces. There was a decent sized sweet shop were beautiful picture boxes of chocolates tied in purple satin ribbon. Also the saturday tuck shop was always open for the kids. I will always remember the foyer and its freshly polished tiled floor and hanging crystal chandelier. I would always sit on the end seat on the back row were I could be watched over by my aunty marg. Margaret was an usherett,and she would sit on a pull down seat from the wall whilst the film was on. She carried a huge torch that shone so bright as she would light the way showing people to there seats. I would sit mesmorised looking at the golden curtains and the diamanted sequined pattern. The oil lamps lit on the side of the walls and music playing before the film. This was more than fantastic,also the cinema was haunted by the white lady.x

Remembering some of the staff Eddy Reddy casual projectionist I apologise I can’t remember the man that was permanent Margaret Reddy Vera Burgess Emily Holmes Milly morris Mrs Bancroft Sorry I was only five when I use to sit in the staff room with these ladies two of them my aunties and eddy my uncle The staff room was very dingy beneath the seating above….it was very hot in there, and there were a cinema cat. The was a wardrobe door that had a mirror and it leaned on the wall There was a huge storage room also I remember there was a press and the sole of my shoe was loose my uncle eddy glued it and stuck it in the press He always said there was a tunnel under the cinema screen stage

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