End of an era at Cleethorpes' Parkway as 'queen of the cinema' retires

ANGELA RETIRING AFTER 21 YEARS AS SENIOR MANAGER

- By PETER CRAIG

Staff at Cleethorpes' Parkway Cinema marked the retirement of senior manager Angela Johnson

THE curtain has come down on a glittering 21-year career for a senior manager at Cleethorpes' Parkway Cinema.

To mark the retirement of Angela Johnson, staff wore special "Angie's retirement" T-shirts, played The Rolling Stones' classic Angie and presented her with a large cake to mark her long-service and dedication to the entertainment industry in the resort.

Angela said she felt overwhelmed on her last day and joked: "A staff member said to me I had started at Parkway before they had even been born!"

She paid tribute to the legendary cinema owner, the late Gerald Parkes MBE, who opened Parkway in Cleethorpes in 2004 and had headhunted her from Scunthorpe's Vue cinema to join him at the multi-screen cinema in the resort.

"The interview was in his back garden and he showed me his pond and said I could have the job. I went to shake his hand and he gave me a hug. That showed me I wanted to work for him. What a legend he was," Angela said.

Having worked in cinemas in Sheffield and Scunthorpe and become a training manager, Angela has recruited all the staff at Cleethorpes, including general manager in charge of Beverley, Cleethorpes and Louth, Andrew Cooper. He was her first-ever employee.