At
Easter and Whitsuntide organised rambles were arranged by Sunday-schools
and Hiking Clubs to places like Holingsworth Lake, Studley Pike, Hurst Wood
and Thievley Farm. At the latter in a valley behind the farm were swings and
donkey rides and plenty of room to play games.
There was a peculiar toilet with three tubs and 3 seats, a large one, a
smaller one, and another smaller. The owners, the Little family, ran a kind
of refreshment room at the farm where one could obtain jugs of tea and
sandwiches, but the members of the Salvation Army, with whom I used to go,
usually took their own refreshments.
After tea the adult members of the party made their way down the steep hill
to Holme village where they held an open air sing-song and took a collection
to help the funds. Its a weary youngster who arrived home after this Whit
Friday trip, after having walked all the way. I wasn't ten years of age at
the time. I remember the celebrations after the first World War when a huge
bonfire was lit on Deerplay Hill (more convenient than the original beacon
site about one mile to the rear) and crowds of people walked from Bacup to
the event.
NIGHT SIGHT
I remember hearing an aeroplane flying about that night and people were puzzled as to how the pilot could see in the dark, and wherever had he come from and where was he going? We were round about Northern School at the time walking home. I would be only be about 6 at the time. Other celebrations were held. The effigy of Kaiser Bill, the German leader, was burned on a bonfire on the Market ground in front of the police station, and after a torchlight procession from Bacup an effigy of the Kaiser's son, Little Willie, was burned on Stacksteads' recreation ground. This was the venue for visiting circuses and fairs, and could tell many a tale of these happy events.
A whirlwind type of roundabout just fit into the space in Union Street
where it joined Union Square and Irwell Street, and there were amusement
stalls as well. On the market ground were other roundabouts and sideshows
and Bates' Roller Coaster was always on the Boston (where the Cenotaph now
stands) along with coconut shies and other sideshows.
Another earlier form of entertainment was the Co-op Hall where variety shows
were held six nights each week, and one night each week a "Go as you Please"
competition was held -- a type of New Faces or Opportunity Knocks
competition where the audience clapped their appreciation or booed their
disapproval of the talents displayed. I may say that the talents of many of
the competitors would put some of today's stars to shame.
SILENT PICTURES
Similar competitions were also held at the Empire Theatre. It was the custom
in my young days for the Empire Theatre and Kozy Cinema (where the Regal now
stands) to show silent pictures, changing the programme each Thursday and
Monday, admission being 3d to 9d(01d money). Matinees were held Tuesday and
Saturday at 2pm admission being 1d, 3d and 5d. The pictures were shown with
breaks in between for the supposed spoken word to be shown and it was a
successful type of entertainment," and --- knowing nothing else --- we
were highly satisfied.
INTERVAL SONGS
Sometimes at the Kozy when films were shown with a musical background, as a
special attraction local artists such as John Wille Thompson (Bass,) A
Cooper (Tenor), Sarah Beswick (Soprano) were engaged to sing songs (that
appeared in the picture) during the special interval, from the stage in
front of the screen. This was indeed a special feature when the film was not
changed, as was usual, but was on for six nights running. The Kozy and
King's cinema at Waterfoot were under the same management so used to join
at films and this was done by showing a film at one cinema and then a lad on
a bike would strap the cannister containing the film on his back and take it
from one cinema to the other and vice versa. On occasions there would be a
delay and people would be kept waiting for the next film. Films broke
regularly passing through the projector and the lights used to go on until a
repair was made. Hughie Howorth, a tall man with a slight stoop and who
sported a moustache, was the manager of the Kozy and a chap called Boucher
at the Empire. The projectionists were Sammy Lord and Len Wilkinson, who
later married an usherette at the same cinema called Gwillam.
The pictures were accompanied by a pianist and a violinist, and a drummer,
playing in a corner below the screen. John Bill was the pianist at the Kozy,
George Whittaker, the violinist, and at one time Wilf Hurst was the drummer.
At the King's, Waterfoot, was Billy Baldwin the drummer, and Ruth Pickup the
violinist, who were later to marry and live at Rookery Nook at Broadclough.
At the matinees at the Kozy on Saturday it was the habit of the rough
nippers to pay the lowest admission, 1d, which entitled one to a seat on
the first three rows, but when the lights were put out they would sneak back
into the 3d and 5d seats. It was a full-time job for Lyon Petit, the
attendant, to get them back into their proper seats.
Sometimes where there was a scene such as soldiers marching, all the lads
would stamp their feet in time with the pictures. As there were shops
underneath this was most undesirable, as customers in Mad Dick's Coffee
Tavern didn't like plaster falling on their heads. Likewise in Oliver
Ormerod's barbers.
CALLS OF NATURE
Worse still, some of the lads instead of going to the gents to answer the
call of nature and so missing perhaps and exciting part of the picture, did
it on the floor, as to be expected, it percolated through into the premises
below. The first one knew of this was a light being shone along the rows by
Lyon Petit, to discover the offender but all he found at the scene of the
crime was an empty seat, the culprit having moved to a safe haven.
