Celebration at the Longford Stretford

The Longford Theatre / Cinema has been open for 8 months (in 1937) and the staff have been on their first outing. What better way to celebrate than with a celebration party at the cinema to celebrate the person who organised the celebration. Reported below in the Kinematograph Weekly.

Big tribute to Stretford Manager

W.Gordon Smith, manager of the Longford cinema, Stretford, near Manchester, received a novel presentation from the directorate and staff on Wednesday, July 28, in the form of a framed group photograph, taken on the occasion of the recent outing, signed by every member from the managing director, H.Jackson, down to the smallest page boy. It bore the inscription “presented to W.Gordon Smith on behalf of the directorate and staff of the Longford Theatre, Stretford, and associated cinemas by his worship the mayor of Stretford Ald. Albert Smith, J.P.C.C, as a memento and token of esteem, on the occasion of the first Longford staff outing, June 18, 1937”.

The gift was handed over by the mayor of Stretford in the foyer of the theatre, before an audience comprising representatives of the trade, the press and the staff. Only two speeches were made by the mayor and by Gordon Smith and then followed by luncheon in the Longford café. The toasts were proposed by G.V.Holland (secretary of the circuit) and H.F.Russell (president of the Stretford chamber of commerce), and responded to by W.Gordon Smith and Mr Middleton (Stretford Guardian), the whole of the speechmaking lasting no more than five minutes.

As already recorded in the Kine, Mr Gordon Smith was presented with a pair of gold cufflinks and Mrs Smith with a sapphire dress pendant, on the day of the outing. The staff committee responsible for the arrangements for last Wednesday’s function comprised Messers, Lesley Pembroke (chief receptionist), J.Clare (stage manager), T. Pooley (Electrician), and O.O.Rains (representing the uniformed staff). One of the trade guests was A. Sokolov, of the Electric Cinema Printing Company.