Working at Wortley’s
THE old photograph of staff at the original Odeon Cinema in Baxter Gate has had Looking Back readers reaching for the phone.
Anita May, 70, called to say that her sister’s mother-in-law Win if red Perkins worked at the cinema.
Mrs May said she had fond memories of nights out at the Odeon, especially having one of Jock’s famous hot dog stand outside afterwards.
She, told Looking Back that she had lived in Shelthorpe all her life and, after a spell working as a packer at Riker’s pharmaceutical company in Wharncliffe Road, she went to work at Mr Wortley’s pet stores in Baxter Gate.
The shop had live animals, such as puppies and rabbits on display in the window and Mrs May said that she helped look after them: “It was an interesting job. We looked after all the little animals.
“We got the hamsters in at about six-weeks-old and you had to separate them quickly!”
Mr Wortley also supplied fishing tackle and said Mrs May said that he was a skilled and clever man. She enjoyed watching him make his own “fiddly” fishing flies.
Mrs May said she enjoyed working in shops much more than on a factory line and went on to work at various places in the town including Sketchley’s a shoe repairers in Baxter Gate and also Newman & Grainger in Churchgate which she said sold “posh lingerie”.
Ken Hall, aged 83, said his late wife Margaret worked at the Odeon from 1958 to 1959, when the couple lived in Meadow Lane.
He said that Mr Puttman was the manager at the time and was very particular when choosing his staff: “He would line them up and check that they were reasonably presented and there were no scruffs.”
“He was immaculate himself. He looked like Eric Portman the film star.”
Ken said that Margaret, who he described as beautiful with long blonde hair was very close to another Odeon staff member, Mrs Willmott.
In fact Mrs Willmott came Margaret’s rescue one time.
Margaret went round the cinema selling the ice cream. And Ken said that they were getting low on the stock of “Hostess” ice cream and was trying to get some out of the freezer when she got stuck, with her legs sticking out in the air and Mrs Willmott had to pull her out.
Margaret, who Ken, met at a dance at the old Empire in the Cattle Market, first started work after leaving school at the Hanford and Miller hosiery factory in Loughborough. She went back there after working at the Odeon for two years.
The picture of the staff had originally been sent in to the newspaper some years ago by Stephanie Rockey, whose mum Violet Parkin was pictured second from the right.
We printed it again after other Looking Back readers had submitted their own memories of the cinema.
Have you got any memories of staff members at the old Odeon?
Maybe you worked at Hanford and Miller?
Can you remember Wortley’s pet stores in Baxter Gate?
Please contact Andy Rush at Looking Back on 01509 63580 E-mail andy.rush@trinitymirror.com