Very occasionally we get a phone call in the office that stops us in our tracks and the phone call we received from Trudy Turnbull in June of this year did just that.

Whilst watching channel four’s ‘The Gathering’ with her husband, Trudy noticed a billboard in one of the scenes. It was a 1930s variety show billboard, and it contained her father’s name, Ike Freedman. Unable to believe her eyes, Trudy contacted the production company, World Productions and they told her the billboard was a hired prop from Stockyard North.

When Trudy spoke to us she told the story of spotting her dear father’s name on one of our billboards and we were thrilled to reunite her with a piece of her family history.

Ike Freedman was born Issac Soloman in 1895 in Wigan and though the family had no connection to the stage, he made a successful career as a variety performer. Ike travelled around the world with his act however, he was a regular performer at The Princess Theatre in Glasgow. The variety billboard owned by Stockyard North was from this theatre and has made many appearances on the silver screen during its time as one of our props.

We are grateful to Trudy and her Husband Alex for sharing their family connection. It is amazing to remember the value, stories, and history found in the props held within these walls. It makes the props all the more interesting and preserving them all the more important.

If you have any questions about any of our props please don’t hesitate to contact us.