In 1892 a Mr John Walters and two
partners secured the premises known as
Barkers Foundry with the intention of
converting the premises into a theatre. The
theatre opened on Monday September 18th
1893 with seating for 2,200. Its opening
show was The Fast Mail, followed by the
Middle Man, My Jack and Uncle Tom’s
Cabin. The theater was also used by no
dramatic performers such has appeared in
April 1894, Proffesor Crockers, Marvelous
Educated Ponies. remnants of the Foundry
windows can be seen bricked up behind
the rear stage wall. Known as the Art
Picture Palace around 1911, and then The
Empire Theatre at which time the
entertainment was half pictures half talent
show. Many touring companies appeared
at the theatre as well Dame Nellie Melba,
the famous Soprano pictured right. Maisie
Hanbury pictured below and Colonel
William Cody better known as Buffalo Billl
shown left. Other celebrities to have
performed on the stage of the Empire were
Mike Hamburg a famous pianist, Arthur
Askey, Terry Thomas, Ken Dodd
In 1934 a well known Bacupian, was
convinced that the town had talent and was
capable of putting on a show similar to
those put on in other towns. He succeeded
in getting others interested and the
Waterside Amateur Operatic and Dramatic
Society was formed. Quaker Girl in 1935
and Arcadians in 1936 were two highly
successful productions before the name of
the Society was changed to the Bacup
Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society.
More productions until 1939 when at the
outbreak of war it became impossible to
continue. Some of the pre war shows
included Katinka, Babes In The Wood the
first show after the war was No No Nanette
then The Girl Friend, Ten Little Niggers,
The Blue Goose, A Man About The House
and Distinguished Gathering to name but a
few.
Bacup Natural History Society
Previous to being known as the Kozy it
was known as the Gem Picture Palace,
Kozy showed silent films 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.
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.
Royal Court Theater
The Kozy Cinema
Choirs & Singing
Pickles Theater was situated on
Newchurch Road. In 1867 the performances
were said to be of the lowest character
with the language used as being grossly immoral
and the ac tions of the performers indecent.
An old man sung a song that was termed comic
but was in fact not suitable to be
heard by decent females.
Mr John Holden choirmaster of
Stacksteads Wesleyan Prize Choir
winners of the first prize at Crystal
Palace in 1897 pictured is the prize
shield and silver mounted ivory baton
which was presented to winning
choir.4,000 singers being present on the
day taking part in the Non Comformist
Choral Festival. The choir were
described at the time as having “much
purity of tone” and correct intonation”.
Entertainment in the early 19th Century for our Bacupian ancestors consisted of such activites as cock fighting and dog fighting and badger baiting
which took place as far afeild as Crown Point. In 1865 a Bacup man was brought before the court for biting off the head of a live rat for a bet.
Gambling was very popular, and court appearances common for this. With an abundance of well built men who worked in the quarries, bare
knuckle fighting was also a common and popular past-time. Broadclough was describe in 1865 as a scene of disorder and riot, with men
comming reeling out of the local inn still dressed in thier filthy work clothes and clogs, swearing, cursing and fighting looking like the filthiest
rascals Lancashire could ever produce. In 1867 a young man brought to Bacup to entertain the populace with his euphonium was thtreatened with
death and all other sorts of unimaginable things. It was common for concerts to be disrupted by marauding children and adults. Whilst several
theaters appear in the local newspapers the only one which seemes to be of a permanent structure was Pickles Theater others such as the Royal
Standard and Lyceum seem to be mobile theaters.
Pickles Theater
Amateur Operatics
Bacup Public Hall
Bacup Operatic Society
Following a meeting held in St Johns on
February 1882, an orchestral society was
started the object of making Bacup equal with
other towns in possesing a body of
instrumentalists. Thier first concert was in
November 1882 witha number of 27,
conducted by WH Brearley, the vocalist was
Miss Bessie Holt, and Mr Henry Green. Four
years later they consisted of 37 members.
Attendance dropped in 1859 and 1895 with the
concerts lapsing. During the Great War, the
depleted numbers led to a cessation of
activities and it was not until 1946 that they got
going again.
The Co-Operative Store
Provided entertainments for its members and
also non members. The responsibility of
organising these entertainments was down to
the education committee and in 1860 one of
these shows was a series of Peoples
Concerts. These included clog dancers, bell
ringers and singers. The Evening Star Christy
Minstrels performed in 1868. In later yaers the
Co-operative stores were the location for
boxing matches and the more sedate tea
dances.
In 1884 Stacksteads Working Mens Club put
on its annual dog, pigeon, puktry, cat and
rabbit show. It attracted 500 participants.
Some from as far away as Birmingham.
In additions to these types of shows the
club put on shows from October to July
with similar concerts at Easter Whitsuntide
and Christmas. Chess Draughts and cards
were a favourite indoor pastime at the
Victoria Working Men’s Club. The club
belonged to various card and billiard
leagues.In 1895 and 1896 four members
were cautioned for gambling and for acting
as bookmakers within the club.
Working Men’s Clubs
The Bacup Nat organised weekly rambles,
and lectures with fortnightly gatherings to
discuss flora and fauna and other natural
sciences. With annual dinners being held
from1904. Like today raising funds was a
constant effort and with this in mind
concerts were often organised to do this.
Chess, draughts and cards were a common
pastime as was singing and piano playing.
The Public Hall had been built, by 1878
and consisted of six lock up shops on the
ground floor, with six rooms at the back
for storage. The Public Hall which was
built to hold 800-900 people, held a
Skating Rink and stage for shows and
other performances, such as those
performed by the Rossendale Theater.
The Regal Super Cinema Opened on
September 7th 1931 with seating for 900
people the Cinema closed in September
1958 later opening as a Bingo Hall.
Britannia Coconutters
The man sat on the Left in the above picture taken in 1913 is said to have been a man named Emmanuel Dua, this claim followed a story reported in
the Bacup Echo of 1976 which told the story of how Emmanuel, whilst paying a visit to the area from his home in Ghana. One night he visited St
James church hall in Waterfoot to watch the " Nutters" who were giving a demonstration. He was apparently amazed when they began to dance, for
all three of their dances were very similar to traditional tribal dances performed by the Dagomba Tribe of Northern Ghana. He was convinced he was
seeing a imitation of the same dances until he was told it was just the Britannia Coconutters and their dances were a Easter tradition. Mr John Flynn
the Nutters secretary at the time was also said to be amazed at the story and said that although the Nutters had travelled all over the world this was
the first time he had heard this particular story neither himself nor Mr Dua could see how the dances could have possibly travelled the thousands of
miles from Ghana. Over the years many theories had been passed around about the origins of the " Nutters" including Tin traders bringing it from
North Africa to Cornwall where it was then picked up by the miners who later moved to Lancashire.A week after the report appeared in the Bacup
Echo a lady wrote in to say that she had been told that some local men serving in the Boer War had seen a tribal dance performed in Africa which
gave them an idea which they then put into practice when they come home. The lady Elizabeth Leyland felt it no surprise after being told this story
that Mr Dua was convinced he was seeing some sort of tribal dance. Whilst the lady did not know the identity of the local men involved she did say
that she had recognised Mr Dua in the photograph and the two ladies who were Mr Jackson's wife Mary and her close friend Mrs Margaret Papworth.
Regal Cinema
Amateur Operatics
Bacup Public Hall
Bacup Operatic Society
Following a meeting held in St Johns on
February 1882, an orchestral society was
started the object of making Bacup equal with
other towns in possesing a body of
instrumentalists. Thier first concert was in
November 1882 witha number of 27,
conducted by WH Brearley, the vocalist was
Miss Bessie Holt, and Mr Henry Green. Four
years later they consisted of 37 members.
Attendance dropped in 1859 and 1895 with the
concerts lapsing. During the Great War, the
depleted numbers led to a cessation of
activities and it was not until 1946 that they got
going again.
The Co-Operative Store
Provided entertainments for its members and
also non members. The responsibility of
organising these entertainments was down to
the education committee and in 1860 one of
these shows was a series of Peoples
Concerts. These included clog dancers, bell
ringers and singers. The Evening Star Christy
Minstrels performed in 1868. In later yaers the
Co-operative stores were the location for
boxing matches and the more sedate tea
dances.
In 1884 Stacksteads Working Mens Club put
The Bacup Nat organised weekly rambles,
and lectures with fortnightly gatherings to
discuss flora and fauna and other natural
sciences. With annual dinners being held
from1904. Like today raising funds was a
constant effort and with this in mind
concerts were often organised to do this.
Chess, draughts and cards were a common
pastime as was singing and piano playing.
The Public Hall had been built, by 1878
and consisted of six lock up shops on the
ground floor, with six rooms at the back
for storage. The Public Hall which was
built to hold 800-900 people, held a
Skating Rink and stage for shows and
other performances, such as those
performed by the Rossendale Theater.
The Regal Super Cinema Opened on
September 7th 1931 with seating for 900
people the Cinema closed in September
1958 later opening as a Bingo Hall.
Britannia Coconutters
The man sat on the Left in the above picture taken in 1913 is said to have been a man named Emmanuel Dua, this claim followed a story reported in
the Bacup Echo of 1976 which told the story of how Emmanuel, whilst paying a visit to the area from his home in Ghana. One night he visited St
James church hall in Waterfoot to watch the " Nutters" who were giving a demonstration. He was apparently amazed when they began to dance, for
all three of their dances were very similar to traditional tribal dances performed by the Dagomba Tribe of Northern Ghana. He was convinced he was
seeing a imitation of the same dances until he was told it was just the Britannia Coconutters and their dances were a Easter tradition. Mr John Flynn
the Nutters secretary at the time was also said to be amazed at the story and said that although the Nutters had travelled all over the world this was
the first time he had heard this particular story neither himself nor Mr Dua could see how the dances could have possibly travelled the thousands of
miles from Ghana. Over the years many theories had been passed around about the origins of the " Nutters" including Tin traders bringing it from
North Africa to Cornwall where it was then picked up by the miners who later moved to Lancashire.A week after the report appeared in the Bacup
Echo a lady wrote in to say that she had been told that some local men serving in the Boer War had seen a tribal dance performed in Africa which
gave them an idea which they then put into practice when they come home. The lady Elizabeth Leyland felt it no surprise after being told this story
that Mr Dua was convinced he was seeing some sort of tribal dance. Whilst the lady did not know the identity of the local men involved she did say
that she had recognised Mr Dua in the photograph and the two ladies who were Mr Jackson's wife Mary and her close friend Mrs Margaret Papworth.
