empire

I remember it tosh, used to go regularly, it was owned by Cyril and Winston Whittaker, father and son they also owned the Palladium as well. Its hard to imagin that Ossy had 3 cinemas in those days, the 50s, then they turned the Empire into a dance hall. nearly opposite was a cafe called the Cavern, expresso coffee, pinball tables and duke box great times tosh, I remember them well
 
jaysay said:
I remember it tosh, used to go regularly, it was owned by Cyril and Winston Whittaker, father and son they also owned the Palladium as well. Its hard to imagin that Ossy had 3 cinemas in those days, the 50s, then they turned the Empire into a dance hall. nearly opposite was a cafe called the Cavern, expresso coffee, pinball tables and duke box great times tosh, I remember them well
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i looked after Winston for about 2 years before he died, a very angry man with one leg and god forbid you should mention Fred Skinners name to him, he'd go up the wall
 
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the cavern cafe was virtually across the road from the empire, a west indian lady used to have it, had a top juke box, we used to go in at dinner from the tech, until we graduated .............to the "Prince Of Wales":D, only went the empire once or twice, was enough dance halls in accy n travelling wasted valuable drinking time.:D
 
flashytart said:
i looked after Winston for about 2 years before he died, a very angry man with one leg and god forbid you should mention Fred Skinners name to him, he'd go up the wall
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Where abouts did he live flashy, I know he used to live in Ossy at one time because he used to pop in Ossy Con occasionally
 
jaysay said:
Where abouts did he live flashy, I know he used to live in Ossy at one time because he used to pop in Ossy Con occasionally
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he ended up at Altham Rest Home up Burnley Road in Clayton, died around 1993/1994
 
flashytart said:
i looked after Winston for about 2 years before he died, a very angry man with one leg and god forbid you should mention Fred Skinners name to him, he'd go up the wall
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It sounds like he had Altzheimers or Dementia to some extent --sad - he was respected and liked by the young people he provided entertainment for in his younger days.

You will be familiar with the signs of it, Flashy, having worked with old people. I saw it in my father - stubborn, argumentative etc, which was a complete change of personality for him.

(there are signs that an Accy webber has the same - no name mentioned ;))
 
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he had definate signs of dementia but could be as nice as pie most of the time, i just dont think he liked Fred Skinner very much though
 
Homophobia (Fred was gay) was the norm in those days - partly because homosexual practices were illegal.
 
oh yeah i know Fred was Gay, i think they must have been rivals at some point from what Winston used to say, i also used to look after an old guy called Jack Bonney (different nursing home) who was VERY good 'friends' with Fred Skinner
 
Bit of a coincidence, it's my Mums 90th Birthday next month and my sisters and I are digging up old photos etc to pop on to a clip board. We have found out that in 1929 she was a tap dance and singer act at the Empire In Oswaldtwistle, she must have been 11 years old at the time. She also performed at other venues in the area under the name of THE DOT or THE LITTLE DOT. Her maiden name was Monica Slinger from Claton-le-Moors.
 
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