The Sunderland pantomime where you got tickets in exchange for toys
Oh yes they did! Panto lovers got in to the Sunderland Empire’s 1994 production using toys.
To explain more, it was the year when a special event was held in Sunderland.
Toys for tickets - what a panto that was!
And 30 years on, we are looking at the day when the Empire and the Echo teamed up for a unique offer.
The deal was this. If you turned up at the Empire with toys for the Echo’s Toy Appeal, you got two free tickets for the panto in return.
They queued for hours
The campaign got a huge response and crowds turned up from 7.30am in 1994.
Many queued for hours just to make sure they got tickets - and supported the Toy Appeal at the same time.
The panto that year was Dick Whittington and the stars included Tricia Penrose, Bill Maynard and Shadow from the TV show Gladiators.
Cuddly toys and loads of memories
First in the queue were Eileen Hughes and Tracy Hutchinson who arrived at 7.30 am. They brought cuddly toys along.
Tell us if you were there and which toys you brought along.
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