It didn't take long  for the potential benefits of this well-positioned window into the ticket office to register. My next shift was the following day from 12 midday onwards so (being a keyholder) I was letting myself into the cinema at 10.30 a.m., at least an hour and a half before any other staff were due.

Down to the basement armed with a strong glass cleaner and the window was soon shining clean, at least on one side. I found an old hatstand, dusted it off, and placed it close to the window. Back upstairs I let myself into the ticket office, bent under the counter and applied the cleaner vigorously to this side of the window.

Finished cleaning, I peered hard through the window. The ticket office was so bright, the cellar so dark that I couldn't really make out the hatstand at all so reckoned I could observe safely. In any case, the girl in the ticket office would have to climb off the seat and squat down to look under the counter (even if she knew the window was there!) which would give me plenty of time to retreat into the darkness of the cellar if necessary. 

 Back to the cellar. While the view from the ticket office side was well obscured, the view from the cellar was now as if there was no glass there at all, the window was so clean. Perfect. Back to the staff room to check the day's rota. As I'd hoped, Cara was on duty in the ticket office from 1.30 on.