Kenneth Andrews 1926 -
2014 Theatre executive. Born 10 June 1926. He began his professional career in cinema management at the Odeon and Gaumont cinemas in Weston-Super-Mare, Cardiff, Swindon and Bristol. He assisted in the development and operation of first cinema advance booking exercise in England and reintroduction of live shows into the Empire Cardiff. By 1961 he managed the fourth Tenpin Bowling Centre opened in England at Kingswood, Bristol and subsequently managed the largest Tenpin Bowl in Europe, the forty-lane Top Rank Bowl in Streatham, London. During his three-year tour he devised and operated a training school for Bowling Centre managers. Kenneth progressed through area management from 1964-1967 as Assistant Bowling Controller to Circuit Controller of Dancing and Bowling Division of Top Rank, administratively in charge of twenty-four bowling centres, twenty-seven ballrooms and two ice rinks. A change of venue and company in 1967 took him to the Fortes empire where he became chief executive of Belle Vue (Manchester) Ltd which comprised a large entertainment complex of 80 acres including zoo, fun fair, eight banqueting suites, ballroom with 5,000 capacity, exhibition hall of 100,000 square feet, speedway/stock car stadium with a capacity of 20,000 and Kings Hall with a capacity of 5,800 which housed boxing, wrestling, circus and political rallies. Belle Vue had permanent staff in excess of 300, which rose by part-time employment to 1,200 in the peak season. |
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