Bedford
General History
Bedford 1920-1939 by Mr. Frank Richards
Bedford > General History > Reminiscences> Frank Richards
Entertainment
A social event that was regularly undertaken by many working-class families was a weekly outing to the pictures. Yes, we always called it "the pictures". About seventy-five years ago there were three cinemas in the town, "The Palace", "The Empire" and "The Picturedrome", in all of which you could get a seat for sixpence. Up to the thirties all the films were silent accompanied by a pit orchestra. At "The Palace" which stood at the High Street Silver Street junction I saw many cowboy films at the threepenny matinee on a Saturday afternoon. "The Empire", which stood in Midland Road was held to be superior to "The Palace", probably because it had a balcony and I saw many silent classics there. The "Moat House Hotel" occupies the site of the "Picturedrome". That had the distinction of showing the first talking picture in the town. Round about 1930 the "Cafe Dansant" on the Embankment was demolished and converted into "The Plaza", which is now no more. This must have been the height of the cinema boom in Bedford. In 1934, however came the bombshell: "The Granada" in St.Peter's. It was lavishly decorated and had a restaurant and a theatre organ where the first organist, Little Betts rose slowly on this great contraption to play his selection of music for all taste. The "Palace" gave up the ghost and became Lyon's Corner House. Comparatively recently "The Granada" expired and became Lidl's supermarket. It seems odd that a town of our size has now only one cinema situated well out of the town centre.
Bedford had a professional theatre, in those days in Midland Road where it was replaced by a bingo hall. Until about 1930 it staged touring repertory touring companies, variety shows and the annual pantomime. After that there were resident repertory companies, the best known being the Denville Players.
Amateur entertainment had its place in such organisations as the Bedford Amateur Operatic Society which presented regular productions of Gilbert and Sullivan. The Bedford Amateur Dramatic Club was formed in 1929.In 1931 it hired the Royal County Theatre to present Bernard Shaw's play, "Arms and the Man". This was a financial disaster and it was decided to write to the great man and ask for a reduction in royalties. This received a typically caustic reply, declining any reductions, and suggesting that if the club wanted to be taken seriously it should drop the word "amateur" from its title. This was done, and the letter can be seen in the County Record Office.
Amateur entertainers were to be found mainly in connection with working-men's clubs, Two of the most popular were Murray Jeffs and Tom Swann. I did not see Murray often but was more familiar with Tom in my adolescence. He used to appear with his company, "The Jabberwocks" at the Russell Park Club in Goldington Road, usually on a Sunday night. Tom's speciality was his drag act where, dressed as an old woman he would swirl round, giving us an indecorous glimpse of his red bloomers.
Serious music occupies a very strong position in the town to-day, and although there was a choral society I don't think there was an equivalent orchestra. The Modern School, however had a very proficient orchestra. Most of our musical concerts were given by brass bands such as the Salvation Army, who played in the bandstands in Bedford Park or the Embankment. Sometimes they would be on a large raft moored midstream in the river. Occasionally in the summer we were treated to a pageant which went through the streets on decorated floats. Another popular event was the "Olde English Fayre" which took place in Mill Meadows with stalls, sideshows and attendants in period costume. In April and October we used to get visits from professional fairs that put up their entertainments in the old cattle market in Commercial Road
The radio or "wireless" as it was known in those days occupied a great deal of our time, particularly in the dark evenings. How those programmes flash back in the memory: Henry Hall and his dance band at tea-time. "Children's Hour" with Uncle Mac, "Saturday Night Theatre", "In Town To-night" and the gentle tones of Albert Sandler and the Palm Court orchestra on Sunday evenings.
Reference to the wireless brings me to an appropriate subject with which to end this section. At the time it appeared to be a novelty and nothing else. In the late thirties I was fascinated, as were most people, by: a contrivance that was in the window of Jeaking's the Radio shop in Mill street. We gazed at it spellbound. It was a television transmission. Little did we know then that it was a foretaste of things to come.
Page last updated: 22nd January 2014