I was speaking to a gentleman tonight who has some photos as above. He really burst my bubble when he told me he was often Santa in the playhouse. Bit scarey to think I used to sit on his knee. :015: :015:
He's 91 now and used to be the manager of the Empire and the La Scala I think, and he worked in the playhouse. They were all owned by Caledonian Associated Cinemas and they had over 30 cinemas at one time. This man is called Mr Findlay and is a real gent. Great memories, he was talking about what a gurney sod Harry Lauder was, among others.
I told him about this site, so if you have any questions on any of the 3 venues I'll pass them on next time I see him. He did say he has photos of the restaurant at Christmas though, I'll ask if I could get a copy. He also said he has a photo of all the staff in the La Scala when he was manager there, they all stood on the stairs for a group shot. Although he was not the youngest by far he is the only one still living which is a bit sad. This photo has a clear shot of the board with the ticket prices starting from 1 shilling up to 2 shillings for the balcony. :015:
He has been asked to write down some of these stories and I hope he does, too much information over the years to not pass on.