Page 17 - CinemaRecord #80

About every four months there were visits by
Westrex Servicemen to carry out a service on
the projectors and sound rack. I learned quite
a few tips on servicing on the equipment from
two gents I remember, Ron Haymes and Ron
Lorimer.

At regular times I attended union meetings at
the Trades Hall buildings in View Street, on
Sunday mornings along with other theatre
workers from all of Bendigo’s cinemas. It was
a great social gathering even though all cinemas
were operated by separate companies, all staff
got along.

One day Allan, the assistant from the Lyric
contacted me, he wanted to know if I could
help him catch some pigeons that were in the
auditorium of the Lyric. I said ok so he arranged
to meet me at 11am the next morning as by this
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their cleaning.

I met him next morning and he was armed with
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I followed him up to the bio which was a small
room with limited space between the projectors
and lighting dimmers. He removed a pane of
glass from one of the projection ports, aimed a
desk light onto the opening, and before turning
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pigeons inside.

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on the window sill squinting in the bright light,
Allan grabbed it and after about 20minutes had
all in the rubbish can. He then said that it’s now
time to dong them on the head. He took one out
and wrung its neck and dropped it back in. Allan
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Unfortunately I had not realised the strength
needed to do this, I pulled the poor things head
right off and promptly let it go.
There was a lot of cursing from Allan as the
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Cinerama at the
The Bendigo Lyric Theatre from afar. Melbourne Plaza.

CINEMAREC ORD 2013 17