Watts and Corry
of Oldham Road, Miles Platting, Manchester. Later of Peterlee, Co Durham.
Makers of stage scenery and lighting equipment. Percy Corrywas the Managing Director.
1949 'Lighting Board. There is no theatrical switchboard in this country — perhaps in the world - that can change over from one lighting scheme to another by pressing a single switch, but there soon will be. The new electronic switchboard, devised by Watts and Corry, Ltd., the Manchester makers of theatrical equipment, is being installed at the Royal Hall, Harrogate, and at Stockport Town Hall. "They will be the first to have the new type switchboard anywhere," I was told by Mr. Chris Paling, director of the firm, who installed the £2,000 switchboard at Manchester Palace Theatre last autumn. The new electronic switchboard is motor-controlled through valves instead of dimmers, and a lighting scheme can be pre-selected while the previous one is in operation. Then the change-over is done by pressing a single switch." [1]
1961 photo of Oldham Road premises here
1979 Moving into a new factory in Peterlee, as a subsidiary of Trident Television [2]
From the Historic England entry for RAF Bicester Building 103 (Link Trainer): 'At the beginning of the Second World War, because of the fear of bombing raids on our cities, cinemas and theatres were shut. The companies who had relied on supplying theatre equipment had to seek alternative work. The firm of Fitups Ltd. of Manchester (later to become Watts & Corry Ltd.) was in 1940 operating with the north of England branch of Strand Electric (later to become Rank Strand Electric). The staff of these two firms included joiners, scenic artists, draughtsmen, engineers and electricians. They were versatile in their approach at finding suitable work. Representatives were sent to the Air Ministry to try and obtain camouflage work. This was not available, but a contract was won for the design and manufacture of painted scenic cycloramas for Link trainers.'[3]