大象传媒

I am writing this story on behalf of my Father In Law, Walter Surples and it is a small recollection of his times spent in the R.A.F. cinema corporation.

When I was called up to do my National Service in the R.A.F. I found that my civilian occupation made me in demand. I was a cinema projectionist and as I was soon to find out, most of the cinemas on the R.A.F. sites were run by service personnel. First I had to complete my square bashing and after ten weeks at Compton Bassett Camp, Wilts. I was posted to R.A.F. St. Athans, South Wales where I applied for a job in the cinema. I was told that I coud fill in when anyone was off ill.

In the winter of 1946 there was a heavy snowfall which lasted for 4 days with drifts up to 5ft. Supplies of food began to run low and it was decided to dig a way in to the local railway station Lantwit Major. All other duties were suspended and a start was made to the 4 mile dig. The first day, we started at 9am and worked for two hours. We then rested, had lunch and worked from 2pm to 5pm, unfortunately it was my first day on trial at the cinema and I found that my arms were so sore from the digging that I could hardly lift the film reels up to the top spool box. I therefore decided to dodge the snow dig and and made my way to an empty classroom for the next four days were I would wait for the return of the snow squad and join them on the trip to the canteen.

I did not get much chance to work at the cinema because of the amount of studies we had to do at night. However I was posted to R.A.F. Bicester and my luck changed. I put my name down for part-time cinema work and two days later I was sent for and told the operator was being posted to Gibralter and I could take over the job. It meant that I could have time off from some of my R.A.F. duties to run the cinema and I was also in charge of the money for the ticket sales which each morning I had to take to H.Q. I was also allowed to sleep in each morning until 8am instead of 7am and got a duty supper between 10-11pm each evening. Nine shows were run each week, and in addition to my R.A.F. pay, I got 5 shillings a show. The 45 shillings a week was as much as my R.A.F. pay!

The R.A.F. Cinema Corporation took over the the running of the cinemas soon after and a civilian manager was sent to take over the cash side of the job. I reverted to being a projectionist only but was still paid the 5 shillings a show. I found that I had to do more of my R.A.F. duties but I retained a lot of my priviliges.

When I was demobbed, I applied for a job with the R.A.F. Corp and was sent for manager training at R.A.F. Padgate. After 6 months I was sent on relief manager duties. My first posting was a nasty suprise, when I was posted to R.A.F. Aldergrove in Northern Ireland. The previous manager had taken all the takings and sales cash and gone over the border to Southern Ireland. I found a locked safe, no keys and a staff that hadn't been paid for two days. I had to get money sent from London and the safe was replaced, the other being taken back to the makers.

The camp was very large and my accomodation was at the farthest point from the cinema so I arranged to have a bed etc supplied and I slept in one of the dressing rooms but was kept awake by the noise of rats under the floor boards. This went on for 3 months until the problem was sorted.

One night, the Rectifier broke down and the show had to be cancelled. A rectifier is a large glass bowl 4ft high and 2ft wide with mercury retained in its base. I was unable to get one in Belfast so one had to be flown in from London. It took four men to carry the crate in, the pilot had been instructed to fly carefully for fear of damaging it. It was delivered in one piece and I phoned an engineer detailed to fix it. As it was only 3pm by then I felt I had plenty of time as the evening was only scheduled for one show at 7pm. However, after making several calls, I was unable to contact the engineer. It was now 5.30pm and although I was assured by his workmates that he would turn upI began to worry so I removed the damaged rectifier from its cage and carefully put the new one in position. I did not contact the leads, leaving the engineer to do this and balance the mercury as it was a tricky procedure to get it balanced right or it wouldn't work. It was now 6pm and still no sign of the engineer so with only an hour to go before opening time, I decided to have a go at connecting the leads etc. Having done so, I sat back and waited. At 6.30pm I was about to cancel the evening show when the engineer rolled up, drunk as a lord, said I had done a good job and switched it on. It worked prefectly, more by luck than anything else. The engineer got me to sign his work sheet and off he went. It was still working when I left as a manager was appointed from County Antrim and I resumed relieving at staions up and down the country for the next two years.

I worked mainly R.A.F. camps but also worked at at U.S. bases Mildenhall and Lakenheath and a Canadian base North Lufenham at Rutland Leics. I remember the American bases had visits from stars who were in England at the time and although the food on R.A.F. camps was good, it was nothing compared to what you could get on American Camps. All camps had the odd live concert put on about once a month as a change from the films mostly by touring concert parties.

After two years relieving, I got my own base at R.A.F. Lindenholme. I enjoyed myself at Lindholme and remained there for over two years with good and bad times.

Lindholme was a Bomber Command station, in fact it was H.Q. for Yorkshire area. 3 miles away from here was Fighter H.Q. station Finningley.

The pilots kept the Lancaster Bombers in top condition but they were eventually being phased out, in 1948 jets were replacing them. One of the flying routines was called 'circuit and bumps'. The plane would approach the runway as if to land, rev up and go up again. The main road between Doncaster and Finningley ran through the landing strip and traffic lights were in place to warn traffic of planes about to land. There was also a danger area marked for no traffic to proceed. However one day, a woman driver ventured onto the danger zone as a bomber appraoched. The top of the car was sliced off and sadly, the womans head. The entire station and especially the pilot were upset about this for weeks and afterwards and R.A.F. Police were posted at the traffic lights in addition to the lights.

When I left the R.A.F.Cinema Corp. I returned to my home town of Bolton and took up cinema managing, however cinemas were already in decline through television and dozens were closing each week. When the cinema I worked at closed, it became a skating rink.

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