People of Leeds - Billy Kay, a sparky to the stars

This is Billy Kay, former chief electrician at Leeds Grand Theatre. He is pictured waiting at a bus stop on Roundhay Road in Harehills in 1969.

Prior to The Grand he had worked at the Empire Theatre until its closure in 1961.

He was known for his smart attire and always, as seen here, wore a rose in his button-hole.

The image is published courtesy of Eric Jaquier whose collection housed on photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service. They also run heritage blog The Secret Library Leeds, which provides a behind the scenes look at the Central Library and highlights from its special collections, including rare books hidden away in the stacks.

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