Working in Kilburn
Many years ago, in fact decades back in the 1960s, I was a young Assistant Manager in the cinema industry. I went on to have a long and successful career in the business.
As an Assistant, though, I had to go out sometimes to other cinemas to be temporarily in charge while the Manager was on his days off, or on holiday, or off sick or whatever.
It was a very good way of accumulating experience of different places and different circumstances.
One of the places where I did a couple of days was the Grange Cinema at Kilburn.
Kilburn is in North West London, on the Edgware Road, which is actually the old Roman road known as Watling Street.
Kilburn had the largest cinerma in the country, the Gaumont State, and it was there that I had my initial interview for joining the Rank Organisation way back in 1963. The interview was with Walter Jacobs, the Area Manager.
But I was never in charge of the Gaumont State, no matter how briefly. Instead, I once spent two days as Relief Manager at the Grange.
This was a very small cinema on the opposite side of the road. To be honest, I don't think it struggled on for long after my visit, although I'm sure that was not my fault!
If anybody reading this has any connection with Kilburn, or North West London in general (Born? Lived? Worked? Ancestors? Relatives?), I will be very pleased to hear from them.
Posted by colin on Friday 14th March, 2008 at 8:38am