ABC Eccles

I was assistant manager of this cinema in the late 60s, it was a magnificent building and a wonderful cinema.

The Broadway Theatre opened on 30th July 1932 and the opening film was Sydney Howard starring in "Up for the Cup". The theatre was equipped with a Christie 3Manual theater pipe organ which was opened by Thomas Dando.

Don;
I have a note here that the last manager of the Broadway (from 1968 until it closed in March 1974) was Derek Warner who had taken over from Kevin Uttley.

That's right I started as kevin's Assistant, then he left to join the Insurance Industry, and derek, a local lad who had gone down to manage the ABC Banbury came up and took over. Last I heard of derek, he was managing the Unit 4 at Hyde.

Don;
I was with ABC's rival circuit The Rank Organisation in the mid to late 1960's. After doing relief manager work mainly in the Midlands; Birmingham area I get to be Manager at the Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Liverpool, built as a variety theatre in 1896, bcame a cinema in 1929 and seated 3,000. It is now demolished.

I have lived in London for 36 years! I did get to know managers and assistant managers from other circuits when travelling around, but as time goes by you loose contact. I didn't know Kevin or Derek, just have references to them in a book I have on Eccles cinemas and thought it might stir a memory for you!

I knew most of the ABC Manchester circuit (misnamed as it covered an area from Liverpool to Hull and from Carlisle to Chester, as I was the manchester Area relief manager, as well as nominal assistant at Eccles. I've just been looking at the CTA site, and was amused by the concept of being knighted using a Carbon (wass it positive or negative) to the tune of the ABC minors song.

LOL,
Thats's what you get for getting involved a cinema/theatre buffs. I am a founder member of the CTA from way back in 1968.

scroll to page 15 for vintage photo of auditorium of this theater. I especially like seeing the Art Deco chandelier!
http://www.theatreorgans.com/southerncross/Journal/ChristieBookOfGoldenNotes.htm

Hi Howard

That picture brought back memories, unfortunately by the timne I arrived, the Art Deco chandeliers, the curtains, and , unfortunately, the Organ had been removed. The chandeliers had been relaced by standard ABC 'starburst' type chandeliers, and the curtains by a Gold coloured Festoon, with a set of Tabs behind them for stage shows. But apart from being repainted, the auditorium itself was still pretty much the same.

Don, I'm very glad you enjoyed the photo & posted your recollection. That's why I linked the vintage photo.

Hello Don

I am researching my family tree and I wondered if you knew of my grandmother Phyllis Storey and her sister Elenor Owen who I beleive worked at this cinema in Eccles in the late sixties early seventies. I think they worked as usherettes and on the kisk. If you rember anything about them please could you email me at steffipuss@aol.com

Many thanks

Deborah Bhatti

Did a two day relief at the ABC Eccles in 1972 when I was Assistant Manager at the ABC Huddersfield.

Richard Roper
(abcman)

Yes, it was Derek Warner that I relieved for his days off.

(abcman)

I often wonder what became of Derek. He was at the studios on Oxford Road manchester in 1979 but I lost track of him after that. Strange you sghould have come from the ABC Huddersfield, that's where I was before i moved to Eccles.

Don - Did you ever work at the new ABC in Doncaster.

No. My ABC career was Wakefield (porjectionist), Huddersfield (Trainee Manager), Eccles (Assistant manager) Manchester District (relief manager).

Was Fred vere still at Huddersfield when you were there?

No, Alan Thirlaway was Manager when I first went to Huddersfield, then when he retired, Roger Newcombe took over.

Was that the same Roger Newcombe who was at The Savoy Sale a few years earlier?

Yes, indeed it was. I still keep in touch with Roger!

I used to relieve him regularly in 68/69. He and his wife also ran a B&B just down the road at the other side of Washway Road.

He's retired now and lives in Eastbourne. A few of us old ABC Managers try and meet up once a year for a reunion.

Anybody else I might know as well as Roger? I knew most managers on the Manchester and Yorkshire districts from the late 60s.

Unfortunately quite a few of them have died, like Ken Pickering and Jimmy Gold. Did you know Alan Peel or Dave Riby. Still keep in touch with them

I knew dave riby. Jimmy Gold was the District manager in my day (before he went off to manage the ABC Leeds). Ken Pickering I knew of (I think at one point he was at Ardwick). There was also Bill Williamson, Dave Stirzaker, Dave Moss, Harry Ellams and a host of others whose names have gotten lost in the mists of time. If you ever come across Dave Stirzaker ask him when I'm finally going to get my cufflinks back.

Will do! It's a small world.

I followed Richard Roper into Huddersfield as A/M and knew a lot of the people mentioned; am still frequently in touch with John McIntosh (ABC Wigan), Frank Chambers (ABC Leeds - before Dave Riby) and, until recently, my very good friend, Brett Childes (Odeon Sunderland) who passed away on October 04.

I went on to manage ABC's theatres in South Shields, Chester, Newcastle upon Tyne (Haymarket AND Westgate Road) and Darlington; sadly,the latter appointment was as a result of Cannon's strategic withdrawal -true to form - from that city, when Odeon and Warner Bros were left to fight for supremacy; I am pleased to say that Odeon won when they moved to 'The Gate'development, although that has since become the 'Empire'following the M&M's intervention upon the Odeon/UCI and Cineworld/UGC mergers.........all so complicated!

A vintage photograph of the auditorium in 1966:
http://flickr.com/photos/oldcinemaphotos/3130939652/
The circle in 1966:
http://flickr.com/photos/oldcinemaphotos/3130937956/

This site has a circa 1955 photo.