Colin Crosby Heritage Tours

Antique Lovers Hear About Cinemas

I gave my "Adventures of the Bearded Cinema Manager" talk recently to the Leicester Antiques Association.

The Association meet at Judgemeadow Community College, in the Leicester suburb of Evington. This is a former village, and subject of my "Old Evington" Guided Walk.

I told members about my cinemagoing as a teenager in Southend, and my loathing for my work as a clerk in the City of London after leaving school.

I joined the Rank Organisation as Trainee Manager at the Odeon Gants Hill ten days short of my 21st birthday in 1963, and had to contend with enormous business over the first few weeks with hugely successful films including "The Longest Day", "The Great Escape", "West Side Story", "From Russia With Love", "The Birds" and "Tom Jones".

Over the first few weeks, I had to gain a working knowledge of all the staff jobs, which itself led me into all sorts of adventures.

Then on my first day after promotion to Assistant Manager at the Odeon Barking, I worked on my first live show, which just happened to be four young chaps from Liverpool known as The Beatles.

I had a long career in the entertainment business, and quite a lot of it was great fun!

Posted by colin on Tuesday 24th April, 2007 at 9:15am