Focus on Fred Holloway - the man who unknowingly helped Josef say 'Goodbye' to the tax man! |
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Fred Holloway, now living in New Zealand, used to be Chief Projectionist at the News Cinema in Church St. Blackpool. With the coming of TV, Moss cinemas were closing in Blackpool, so he took a job at the Hawker Hunter factory but after about a year that too was closed, and it’s at this point Fred got a job at the Ocean Garage in charge of the forecourt, plus looking after cars for stars appearing in season shows in Blackpool. |
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| Fred
takes up the story: I live in N.Z. and was, way back in the 50s, living in Blackpool Lancashire. I was employed at one of garages in Blackpool and we were noted for caring for most of the cars that belonged to the Stars that were in Blackpool for the summer season shows. My employer was a very good friend of Josef Locke and one day my employer asked me if I wanted to earn some extra overtime money. I agreed and was then told to bring our garage's Morris van to my employer's home in St Annes that evening. When I  arrived at the home I recognised Josef and with him he had a young
woman and a small child (Pictured right - Fred is in the centre).We all got into the van, plus a large wicker basket and suitcases and left to go, as I was told, to the Liverpool docks. Nearing the outskirts of the docks Josef told me to stop as they would continue by taxi the rest of the way. On saying his farewell and thanks he gave me one of the old five pound notes (White tissue paper ones) and I then returned to Blackpool. Next morning my boss asked me how everything had gone on and then said he could now tell me why I had made this journey. It seemed that the Inland Revenue were after Josef for Tax evasion and he had to leave to go to Ireland as soon as possible. When the film "Hear my Song" came here to N.Z. I went to see it and there was a scene where the police were trying to get Josef off a boat leaving Liverpool, and when the policeman was thrown overboard I felt as though I had had something to do with that episode. Just to complete this little
nostalgia, through a mutual friend, Robert Drage who used to be on many of the stages
in Britain with his dancing act, named "Drage Vivian & Irene",
he introduced me to Ronnie Ronalde and his wife Rosemary now living here also in
N.Z.. |
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| MORE ABOUT FRED: Click to learn about his life, and passion for cinema | |||
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