ABC Eccles
52 Church Street,
Eccles,
M30 0DF
52 Church Street,
Eccles,
M30 0DF
2 people
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Showing 1 - 25 of 34 comments found
Hi all, Just found this site this evening and recognise a lot of the names from various posts. DELBOY, please reveal yourself, you seem to know a lot about my past!. The story about the Savoy Sale ice cream girl is entirely accurate, and thank you for calling me a ‘splendid bloke’
I would love to hear from anyone who may remember me from either Eccles, Sale, Stockport, Ardwick, Broughton or Deansgate during the 60’s.
I have emailed David Stirzaker and sent him a photo of our days at Eccles, as well as David and me the photo also shows Kevin Utley, who was the Manager, D.Carter A/M and a Ken (surname escapes me)T/M.
My personal email is
Hi, If ‘terry’ should read this post, could he please let me have John McIntosh’s email address. I last spoke with John in 1963 when we were both at the ABC Sheffield and he was promoted to the Playhouse Dewsbury.
Hi Doug – Contact me via my e-mail –
Dave Moss? Surely you mean Derek Moss!
Derek was a splendid bloke who was, around the time I knew him, assistant manager at the Broadway and trying his luck with a most delightful ice-cream girl from the Savoy Sale. I forget her name but I do remember her black hair and her pink overall.
I also recall she was married to (but separated from) an appalling thug who spotted Derek dropping her off at home one evening after work.
The ensuing debacle included Derek knocking the guy down with his car, followed by the guy jumping up again with an injured leg and stoically chasing Derek’s speeding car down the road for some distance.
Happy days. ;)
David Yes you still have my cufflinks. Red and white mother of pearl rectanglular. How are you?
Jimmy Gold made me the offer of becoming his house mananger at the new ABC Leeds. I turned it down and subsequently left ABC in April 1970. But I have always tresasured my memories.
Just came across this website by chance. I worked at the ABC Eccles and many others in the Manchester area during the late 60’s. I did not know I still have dgcarter’s cufflinks.
This site has a circa 1955 photo.
A vintage photograph of the auditorium in 1966:
View link
The circle in 1966:
View link
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!
Will do! It’s a small world.
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.
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
Anybody else I might know as well as Roger? I knew most managers on the Manchester and Yorkshire districts from the late 60s.
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.
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.
Yes, indeed it was. I still keep in touch with Roger!
Was that the same Roger Newcombe who was at The Savoy Sale a few years earlier?
No, Alan Thirlaway was Manager when I first went to Huddersfield, then when he retired, Roger Newcombe took over.
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?
Don – Did you ever work at the new ABC in Doncaster.
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.
Yes, it was Derek Warner that I relieved for his days off.
(abcman)
Did a two day relief at the ABC Eccles in 1972 when I was Assistant Manager at the ABC Huddersfield.
Richard Roper
(abcman)
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
Many thanks
Deborah Bhatti