As I have said, we founded the Theatre with not a farthing in the kitty. Seven people on an evening in 1945 had enough faith in my idea to start the scheme. We realised we would have to be practical. We would have to conjure money from somewhere. On that point we had no illusions.

We soon received some donations. The first was a guinea from Mr Charles Hamilton, who in 1965 became a Stretford Councillor. I have always been grateful for that guinea. Other donations followed, not in a rush, but they were an encouragement. The first steady money to come our way was the subscriptions of the members. These have always been small.

During the first few years we ran a series of whist drives, beetle drives, dances, coffee mornings and social evenings. Times change, and these types of efforts seem out of favour today. Individual sympathisers do still hold functions in their homes.

One form of making money never seems to lose its attraction. At every show, at every performance, we raffle something. Human nature being what it is, few people can resist the lure of the raffle ticket, unless religious convictions prohibits participation. It is amazing what objects are given to us to raffle. A set of false teeth was once sent to us. We felt few would buy tickets for them so they were quietly cremated.

I must mention one of our great benefactors in the realm of raffles. Some twelve years ago I received a donation via the post from a Mr Ash. I did not know of anyone of that name. On investigating, I found he had a jeweller's shop quite near the Civic Theatre. I called to thank him. He assured me of his sincere desire to help the Theatre. From that day, whenever we had a show he gave us something to raffle. After his tragic death that we all felt as a personal loss, his widow has generously undertaken to continue Mr Ash's custom. Such generosity is heart-warming.

Occasionally we conduct a larger competition. A very popular contest is a Stop-Watch Competition. This is a profitable method of raising money, if it is properly organised.

A series of 720 cards is printed. Each card represents one minute of twelve hours. For example, at the top of the card may be printed 'Ten hours, seven minutes'. Then, there are sixty lines on each card, numbering from one to sixty. Each line represents a second. We charge a penny a line. On each line is written the name of the donor. Thus your line may read 'Ten hours, seven minutes, ten seconds'.

A watch is wound up, set at twelve o'clock and sealed in a box. It is most satisfactory to have a fixed period for selling the cards. A month is about right. If one can enlist, say fifty people to help, the cards are distributed and the campaign starts. When the cards are collected, the watch is taken out of the box and the reading checked. The person whose name is on the second when the watch stopped is the winner. We usually allow the winner to choose a watch to the value of twenty-five pounds. Should there be no name on the exact line, the name on the first line after the exact line is counted as the winner.

The cards cost around five pounds a set. If every line is sold one hundred and eighty pounds are collected. With costs around thirty pounds, a profit of one hundred and fifty pounds is possible. To run a scheme of this kind, it is necessary to get a licence, costing a guinea. One such licence is allowed each year, and is available from the Town Hall.

For years the City Fathers watched our efforts. When they saw we meant business, and were achieving results, they made a generous gesture. They gave us a grant of a hundred pounds. They have given this grant each year since, and to help us with a huge repair bill for the roof they increased it to one hundred and seventy-five pounds. It is most gratifying to know that some of our Council representatives are interested in the arts. Many people who are struggling to keep alive the flame of artistic endeavours do not know that it is the law of the land that local Councils are empowered to levy up to a sixpenny rate for 'cultural development within the borough'. Some Councils do not want their ratepayers to know this. Thank God some Stretford people do realise the arts are necessary for the full development of the human spirit.

This help, for which we are most grateful, has enabled us to continue our work with benefit to our members, and pleasure to thousands of our patrons.

In nineteen sixty-six our coming of age year, we inaugurated our patron scheme. Every patron subscribing a guinea receives a booklet containing six vouchers. Each voucher can be exchanged for an adult ticket for any show during the season.

Some years ago, I inaugurated a scheme to collect one million halfpennies. We collected a few thousand, and then, because of my multifarious duties, I could not continue with it and it has ceased to function. Some energetic person could resurrect this plan. How I long for a dozen keen adult helpers to deal with the many things which are screaming to be taken in hand!

At different crises in our history we have had some exceptional benefactors, notably our Chairman Alderman Harry Lord and the late Mrs Lord when we were faced with an enormous repair bill, he guaranteed us an overdraft of five hundred pounds.

Since the acquisition of our headquarters, our expenses have increased. Gas, electricity, water rate, ground rent, and, during the last few years, rates, rates, all make our annual expenditure high. Add to these repairs and the cost of our productions. Each show we do costs over a hundred pounds.

We sold a small part of our garden behind the Headquarters. This was wanted for development by a business firm. With the money we made certain improvements in the Headquarters, and had a little sum to put in the bank. This, and more, was swallowed up when we had to have a new roof.

In 1965 we had a pleasant surprise. Mr Jenkinson, who was the owner of Trojan Electric, arranged a settlement, part of which was donated to charities. We received a cheque for fifty pounds. Would that other industrialists looked upon us with such comprehending generosity!

Another benefactor who has untiringly given of his time to further the interests of the Theatre is Mr Percy Lord, Chief Education Officer for the County of Lancashire. He came to open our 1961 season. When he addressed the audience, he expressed surprise that we had never asked the county for financial aid. This was soon remedied and to our great delight we received a handsome cheque from the County Education Committee. In 1964 when we were compelled to have a new roof, we were sorely harassed. Our Chairman came forward as I have already explained. He agreed that there were other things which needed attending to.

Our heating was faulty and gave a great deal of trouble with poor results. We had gas fires installed. Our garden was always untidy so this was asphalted.

We drew out all we had in the bank, and found we were nearly five hundred pounds in the red. This was alarming, but in our usual optimistic spirit we set about trying to make some money,

We received a cheque from the Council. Then Mr Percy Lord began to harass the Ministry on our behalf. After several months and many letters, the answers remained firm negatives. To keep up our morale the County Education Committee sent us the cheque I mentioned. At long last, after many people had their exhortations, including the then Member of Parliament for Stretford, Sir Samuel Story, and continued effort on the part of Mr Percy Lord, we received a cheque for over three hundred pounds from the Ministry. Together with Mr Jenkinson's gift and patrons' guineas, we were out of the red in the second half of 1965. We shall always remember Mr Percy Lord with sincere gratitude.

We are now in the happy position of having a few pounds in the bank. I am getting older, and I can foresee the time when I shall have to relinquish the work in the Theatre. I trust I shall have many more years, but in the fullness of time I shall have to face this eventuality. I have one wish of great importance left. That is to see a building fund in existence. We have always had in mind a theatre of our very own. Had we had the support of all the schools in Stretford we need never have lost a farthing on any of our productions. As it is we must have lost hundreds. I find this a terrible thing to contemplate. We are still trying to make a few pounds from jumble sales, sales of work, raffles, and such efforts.

It makes me angry to think of the way money is literally thrown about in the gambling clubs, shooting up like mushrooms, and yet the arts cannot develop their full potentials because of the lack of a few thousands. What does one do to catch the eye of a benevolent millionaire? I wish I knew.

I cannot leave this chapter without a special reference to two individuals who have helped us in our financial difficulties.

Mr Reg Codd, chief clerk in the Town Clerks Department in the Stretford Town Hall, is, like myself, a native of Lincolnshire. He, with his friend, Mr Arthur Dunn, has for many years run a series of dances at Longford Hall for charities. When Mr Codd found out I was also a 'Yellowbelly', he became interested in the Children's Theatre and for several years now they have included the Theatre in their programme of charities, with the result that they have donated hundreds of pounds to further our work. They will never know what this has meant to us. Our thanks can only show a mite of our gratitude.

For many years the Baths Superintendent, Mr Harry Lightfoot, was our Treasurer. He worked ceaselessly and selflessly for our interests, and his efforts only came to an end at his decease. This coincided with his retirement.

His colleagues in the Town Hall had subscribed for a testimonial. On his sudden death, Mrs Lighfoot said she would like this sum to be used in connection with one of the many organisations to which he had given so much of his time and interest. She agreed that a shield should be purchased in his memory and given to the Theatre. So each year, the Harry Lightfoot Shield is presented to the boy who has given the outstanding performance of the year. He holds the shield for one year.