Former Tain Picture House projectionist Dan Patience reels back the years as spotlight falls on search for expert who could restore vintage equipment that brought joy to thousands in Easter Ross town
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A former projectionist at the old Tain Picture House has said ‘au revoir’ to the two projectors he last operated more than 60 years ago, writes Sarah Smith.
Dan Patience loaded his last reel in December 1956 before joining the RAF the following January. The projectors continued rolling until the Picture House closed in 1968.
Now after years gathering dust, the huge, cumbersome machines have been dismantled and placed in storage in the hope that they can be cleaned and restored and returned to the cinema when it is brought back to life as a community asset.
Dave Macrae is Community Liaison Officer at Tain and District Development Trust, which is leading the Tain Picture House Restoration Project alongside Tain Heritage Trust and Tain and Easter Ross Civic Trust. He said the Trust had contacted the BBC’s Repair Shop in the hope that it could find an expert to restore the projectors.
“We have heard nothing back so far. We will continue to search, but it’s obviously a very specialised area.”
Before the projectors were dismantled, Dave invited the former apprentice projectionist along to see the machines he was so familiar with in his teens.
And Dan, who is 82 and lives in Craighill Terrace, Tain, had forgotten nothing as he explained their intricate workings. “This is where you hand-feed, wind and lace up the reels. If it wasn’t done correctly the picture could be hazy or out of focus with the sound too loud or too quiet.
“If anything went wrong, there were buzzers which the usherettes would press to let us know if the sounded needed to be turned up or down – one press for louder or two presses for quieter.”
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Dan, who worked under the eye of head projectionist, Sandy Stewart, has many happy memories of his two years at the Picture House. He can remember films being repeated again and again to satisfy audience demand - not just the classics like Gone With The Wind, but also those with a local connection, including Dan’s favourite, Geordie, which told the story of a
Highlands schoolboy, Geordie MacTaggart, who was bullied for being a weakling. He took up body building and was so successful that he went on to become an Olympic hammer thrower.
“One of the best jobs was playing ‘Happy Birthday’ on a record player when we had been told it was someone’s birthday. This happened during the break and everyone would join in singing, said Dan. “One of the worst was to find someone drunk who had fallen asleep during the show. But there was rarely any trouble and it was a great place to work.”
He and fellow apprentice projectionist, Jimmy Hollingsworth, had a close shave with their boss when, in a hurry to get to the pub for a celebration, Jimmy forgot to re-wind the national anthem - which was usually accompanied by the sound of audiences rushing for the exits.
On the following night, Dan played the reel as usual after the main film finished. Because it hadn’t been re-wound, the audience were treated to a vision of the Queen riding her horse upside down and the anthem playing backwards.
“I thought I’d be in trouble but the manager just laughed. People had said it had been better than the main film and was the only time they had waited until the end.”
After he left the Picture House, Dan was posted to Akrotiri in Cyprus with the RAF. There was a large cinema/entertainment venue for more than 1000 seats but no-one who knew how to operate the projection system.
“I was able to step in and run the cinema there and I met a lot of stars who came to entertain the troops. Arthur Askey, Bill Hayley, Bruce Forsyth and one of my favourites, Lita Roza. Not bad for a lad from Tain and his Picture House training!”
Now Dan is hoping that the projectors can be restored and returned to their old home. Anyone who knows an expert who may be up to the task is asked to contact Tain & District Development Trust.
