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21. That’s Entertainment

Books

At the start of this period, grandad was recording all the books he had read. He continued to do this until December 1923. He recorded more than 160 titles in this period, see index of books read.

I am not sure why he stopped. Although he may have reduced the amount he read, I think it unlikely that he stopped reading altogether. It seems more likely that he just stopped recording what he read.

Authors Read

In the list of authors that follows, numbers denote how many books by that author grandad read in this period, where this was more than one. An asterisk indicates that he read a book by this author between 1917 and 1918, see Chapter 4. If there is a superscript number after the asterisk, this indicates the number of books by that author that grandad read in that period, that is 1917-1918. More details of particular books are available in the index of books read.

Examples of Titles

The first book that grandad noted buying was “Lorna Doone” in 1914. At the end of this period, the last title he noted reading was “Scarlet Woman” by Joseph Hocking.

While I confess that most of the books are ones I have not heard of, he did read some well-known titles including “Don Quixote“, “Westward Ho“, “Gulliver’s Travels” and various books in the “Tarzan” series.

I am intrigued that he read Zane Grey books as I went through a phase of reading and collecting his books when I worked in a secondhand bookshop in my teens.

One book he noted reading, in May 1923, was “Giles’s Trip to London”. This book intrigued me because it relates to Norfolk, in general, and the Norfolk dialect, in particular. What I found especially intriguing was that grandad was interested in this some forty years before he moved to Norfolk.

Front cover of my copy of “Giles’s Trip to London“

Non-Fiction

While he read mainly fiction. grandad was also interested in non-fiction books, particularly dictionaries and encyclopaedias. Non-fiction books he read during this period included:

Reflections on the List of Authors

I wondered what this list of authors said about grandad’s reading tastes. While I know some of the authors, I do not know them all by any means. So, I decided to ask the AI model ChatGPT to help me. It commented that he had a “broad and eclectic taste in literature, covering various genres and styles from different historical periods.” Genres included adventure and historical fiction; classic literature and gothic fiction; romantic and sentimental fiction; humorous and social satire; science fiction and speculative fiction; western and frontier tales; historical and naval adventures; and mystery and detective fiction.

I was surprised by the inclusion of romantic and sentimental fiction as these are not words I would have associated with my grandad! One possible explanation, suggested by ChatGPT, is that this was a collection of books shared by two people, one male and one female, However, I don’t think this is likely as grandad specifically recorded reading these books. The model commented that “the eclectic mix indicates a broad-minded reader with a love for storytelling that spans across different genres and historical contexts” and also indicated “strong self-education habits“.

Cinemas

Also, at the start of this period, grandad recorded his regular trips to the cinema, particularly to The Star, see Chapter 4. Over time, these visits seemed to reduce. However, in part, this  was because he was attending a wider range of cinemas and theatres including those listed here.

Portland Theatre in Sutton

Opened in 1937, the Portland Theatre in Sutton was re-named the Savoy in 1968. It closed in 1978 and the building was initially converted to be a supermarket. In 1990, it was demolished to build a car park and two small retail units.

Picturedrome in Mansfield

Opened in 1920, from 1928 to 1934, the Picturedrome became a billiards hall before becoming the Queen’s Theatre from 1934 to 1939. Since then it has been a dance school, restaurant, social club and night club. It was demolished in 2010 and replaced with a car park.

Grand Theatre in Mansfield

Opened in 1906, the Grand Theatre was acquired by Associated British Cinemas (ABC) around 1930 but was only renamed in 1963. It closed in 1997 and the lower part became a snooker hall. In 2013, it was bought by a church.

Former Grand Theatre in Mansfield when it was the ABC in 1964 – Image licenced for re-use from Inspire
Arena church in Mansfield formerly the Grand cinema © Enchufla Con Clave and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Elite in Nottingham

Opened in 1921, the Elite was taken over by Associated British Cinemas (ABC) in 1935. It was closed in 1977 and converted into a bingo hall until the early 1990s. It is a grade II listed building and is currently used as a nightclub with some retail and office use.

The Elite cinema on the corner of Queen Street and Upper Parliament Street in April 1949 – Image licenced for re-use from Inspire
Former Elite cinema in Nottingham © Stephen Richards and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Long Row Palace in Nottingham

I think grandad was referring to the Picturehouse in Long Row. This opened in 1912 and it closed in 1930. In 1937, it was converted to a café/restaurant and it is now an amusement arcade. It is a grade II listed building.

Picturehouse on Long Row Nottingham circa 1936 © Edward G Kington and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Hippodrome in Nottingham

The Hippodrome opened in 1906. It was taken over by the Provincial Cinematograph Theatres (PCT) chain in 1927, which in 1929, was taken over by Gaumont. It was re-named Gaumont in 1948 and was closed in 1971. Finally, it was demolished in 1973 and replaced by an office block.

Empire in Nottingham

Adjacent to the Theatre Royal, the Empire variety theatre was opened in 1898. Bioscope films were screened. It closed in 1958 and was demolished in 1969 and the Theatre Royal extended.

King’s in Nottingham 

Located in Arnold, the King’s cinema started life as The Empress Picture House. It closed in 1930 and re-opened as the King’s Theatre in 1934. By 1953, it was operating as the New Empress Theatre. It was demolished in 1956.  

King’s Picture House, which was also known as the Empress, circa 1917 – Image licenced for re-use from Inspire

Other Performances

In addition to going to the cinema, grandad sometimes went to other types of performances including opera, a circus and several pantomimes. For example, in 1924, grandad saw “The Beggar’s Opera” in Nottingham. Grandad also saw the circus at Nottingham Hippodrome. Perhaps one surprising performance that he and grandma went to see, given their staunch religious background, was “The New Splinters” in October 1928 as they appear to have been a drag dance act.

Films Seen

Details of films seen during this period are available here.

Films Seen in 1919

Grandad only named four films during this year – “At the Lion’s Mercy“, “The Moon Child“, “Love & Riches” and “Adventures among the Cannibals“. In August 1919, grandad went to the Hippodrome in Nottingham with Cyril. I am not sure if this was Cyril Parkin, his brother, or Cyril Smith, his brother-in-law. Grandad did not record what he saw but it appears to have been a live show featuring Lily Long, the Seven Bramuses, the Four Minims, Private C Connell, Wilfred Burnand, Horace Ainsley, Laura Neil and Takeo and Komo Namba.

Films Seen in 1920

While grandad noted going to the Star Cinema most weeks between January and March 1920, he mostly did not record the films he saw. He did note that on many occasions he went with his brother-in-law, John Smith. The only film he identified as seeing at the Star in 1920 was “The Divine Gift” directed by Thomas Bentley. Grandad had seen other films by Thomas Bentley including “David Copperfield” in 1915 and “Barnaby Rudge” in 1916. In June 1920, grandad and John Smith went to the Mansfield Picturedrome to see the film “Auction of Souls“. A twenty minute clip of this film about the Armenian genocide still exists.

1921 to 1922

Grandad did not record seeing any films in 1921 or1922. In December 1922, he did go to see the pantomime “Cinderella” with his sister-in-law, Minnie.

Films Seen in 1923

Grandad noted going to the cinema six times in 1923. However, two of these visits were for variety-type shows rather than to see films. He also went to the Grand Theatre in Mansfield in September to see the play “The Sign of the Cross”. Of interest perhaps is that only one of his cinema trips was to a cinema in Kirkby. That was to Kings and was to see “Over the Hill“. The remainder of his trips were to cinemas in Nottingham including the Elite, Long Row Palace, Hippodrome, the Empire and King’s. Also of interest perhaps is that each of the four films we know grandad saw in 1923 are available, in whole or in part, on YouTube. These include “Over the Hill“, “Foolish Wives“, “The Sheik” and “Way Down East“.

Films Seen in 1924

Grandad noted seeing two films in 1924. On 20 February, he went to Kings to see “An Exciting Night” which I suspect was the D W Griffith Film “One Exciting Night“. On 5 August, he went to the Elite in Nottingham. He did not note what he saw but, from newspaper records, it appears it was “The Loves of Mary Queen of Scots”. On this day, he also went to the Hippodrome in Nottingham to see the play “Potash and Perlmutter“. “One Exciting Night” is available to watch on YouTube. I have found reference to a copy of “The Loves of Mary Queen of Scots” existing but this does not appear to be easily available online. Gerald Ames appeared in that film. Grandad had seen a number of his films including “On His Majesty’s Service” and “A Highwayman’s Honour“.

Films Seen in 1925

Grandad noted seeing seven films in 1925. He also noted going to see four plays at the theatre. The films he saw were “The Covered Wagon“, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame“, “The White Sister“, “The Ten Commandments“, “Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall“, “Robin Hood” and “INRI“. He saw five of these at the Star in Kirkby. One of the others he saw at Kings in Kirkby while the other, “INRI”, he saw at the Albert Hall in Nottingham. All of these films are available to view, see links. In the case of “Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall“, grandad had previously read the book.

1926-1928

Grandad noted three trips to Kings in 1926. On two occasions, he did not note what he saw. On the other, he noted that a concertina player was there. He also went to the Theatre Royal in Nottingham in January to see the pantomime “Goody Two Shoes”.

Grandad did not note seeing any films in 1927. He did note seeing the pantomime “Goldilocks and the Three Bears“. According to an article in the Nottingham Journal, this started on 27 December 1926 presumably at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham. It starred Douglas Byng, Nora Bancroft, Betty Eley and Herbert Ennor.

Grandad did not note seeing any films in 1928. However, in October 1928, he did go with grandma to see a dance group called “The New Splinters“, see above.

Film Seen in 1929

Grandad noted seeing one film in 1929. On 30 April 1929, he went to the Star and saw Cecil DeMille’s film “King of Kings“. Versions of this film are still available on YouTube.

Talking Movies

One thing that interested grandad was the arrival of talking movies. The first “talkie” he saw was “Sunny Side Up”  at the Star in September 1930. From then on, at least initially, he no longer just referred to seeing a movie but to seeing and hearing one!

Other Films Seen in 1930

Grandad noted seeing two other films in 1930. Both of these were significant in their own way. In October 1930, he saw “Gold Diggers of Broadway“, another talking movie. The reason this film was significant was that it was the first film he saw at the new Regent cinema.

In addition, grandad also noted going to the Regent in November 1930. The odd thing about this was that it was on a Sunday. As far as I can see, from adverts at the time, no films were showing that Sunday. Perhaps, he was attending some other kind of meeting or event. It is of note that in March 1961 he and grandma voted against Sunday opening of cinemas, see Chapter 79.

The Regent

A new cinema, the Regent opened in Kirby in October 1930. The first film grandad saw (and heard!) there was “Gold Diggers of Broadway”.

As part of a walk up and down Station Street, I have produced a post on The Regent which also includes some details of Kirkby’s other cinemas.

The Regent cinema under construction – Image licenced for re-use from Inspire. According to the Inspire website, this photo is dated 1932 but the same photo appears in Frank Ashley, Sylvia Sinfield and Gerald Lee’s book, “Kirkby & District from Old Photographs” (p12) and is dated 1928 .
The Regent cinema in 1932 – Image licenced for re-use from Inspire. This image appears in Mark Ashfield’s book “Horses, Herbs and a Cockatoo” (p18)
The Regent cinema in 1950 – Image licenced for re-use from Inspire. There is another photo of the Regent in that year in Chapter 73
The Regent pub in Kirkby which was formerly the Regent cinema © JThomas and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Discussion of Talking Movies in Kirkby

Gerald Lee’s book “Kirkby-in-Ashfield: Yesterday Remembered” has a chapter (15) dedicated to “When the Pictures started Talking” from p70. In that, he says that “talkies” arrived in October 1930 with the opening of the Regent. However, according to grandad, he saw (and heard!) his first talkie a month earlier at the Star.

Edith Searson, in her book(let) “I Remember” (p62), noted that the Regent was built in 1932 (although other sources suggest 1930). She highlighted that they offered talking movies.

Mark Ashfield also has a chapter focused on the Regent entitled “When the Talkies Came to Town” in his book “Horses, Herbs and a Cockatoo” (from p13). This includes an advert for the cinema from the Free Press in 1938 on p13 and a photograph of the manager and staff on p16.

1931-1933

Grandad did not note seeing any films in 1931. He did note, in January, that grandma, Eva and the children went to the pantomime. He did not note where this was or which pantomime.

Grandad only noted going to the cinema once in 1932, to the Regent, in May. However, he did not note what he saw.

He did not note seeing any films or any trips to the cinema in 1933.

Film Seen in 1934

On 21 February 1934, grandad noted that grandma went to a concert at a theatre in Mansfield. Based on news articles of the time, it seems this was a performance of “The Marriage Market” by the Mansfield Amateur Operatic Society. On 2 April 1934, grandad went to see “King Kong” at the Regent.

Film Seen in 1935

On 11 April 1935, grandad went to the Star to see “Roman Scandals“.

1936-1937

Grandad did not note seeing any films or any trips to the cinema in 1936 or 1937.

Films Seen in 1938

In 1938, grandad recorded seeing two films, “Topper” at Kings and “Oh Mr Porter” at the Regent. He also saw two plays at the Portland in Sutton. One was called “White Cargo” while the second was called “Maria Martin” or “Murder in the Red Barn“. Grandad also read a book about the Red Barn murders during this period. Mum and grandma also went to see a pantomime in Sutton in January.

Film Seen in 1939

In 1939, grandad only recorded seeing one film. That was “Robin Hood” which he saw with mum at Kings.

Carnival

Kirkby carnival was an important annual event. For more details, see this post.

1935 Carnival

The first time grandad mentioned carnival was in 1935 when he referred to it as a hospital carnival. Grandad was pleased because he won a Hercules bike as a prize in a competition.

Hercules

The Hercules Cycle and Motor Company was established in Aston, Birmingham in 1910. In 1946, the company was taken over by Tube Investments who also acquired Raleigh in 1960. Following this, Hercules was discontinued as a distinctive brand and the company was dissolved in 2003. Hercules the lion remains the mascot of Aston Villa.

1935 Carnival Described by Mark Ashfield

The carnival of that year is featured in the first chapter of Mark Ashfield’s book “A Carnival Crown and a Roasted Ox” (pp1-8). Grandad noted that the 1935 carnival was held over four days until the 6th but Mark Ashfield says that it was held over five days from 3-7 July. Initially, I thought that this was a discrepancy but, on Sunday 7 July, grandad noted that he “went on the acre to hear service”. I learned later that this referred to a joint service which was part of the carnival. Mark Ashfield notes that it was the first Kirkby carnival and that it raised £800 for local hospitals.

1936 Carnival

In the 1936 carnival, there was a lorry with family members, including Roy Evans and Bert Cirket “dressed as Indians”.

Carnival 1936
While this photo is not labelled, it was with the one of Carnival 1936 so it may be that this is also a Carnival float

Ox Roasting

During the carnival that year, grandad took mum, who was two, to see an ox roasting. There is the same picture of this from 1935 in the books “Kirkby & District from Old Photographs” by Frank Ashley, Sylvia Sinfield and Gerald Lee (p17) and “A Carnival Crown and a Roasted Ox” by Mark Ashfield (p7).  There are also some pictures of Kirkby carnival in the inter-war years in “Kirkby & District from Old Photographs” (pp18-19).

Other Entertainment

The family sometimes had parties, e.g. for 21st birthdays and for Christmas. They also went for picnics. Grandad occasionally noted playing billiards and, in 1922, he played his first game of chess. The next year, he went into Nottingham with his sister Olive and she bought him a chess set. In 1932, he noted attending a whist drive. In 1937, he twice went fishing with a friend Alf, but was disappointed not to catch anything either time. He kept budgies in the aviary he built and, in 1938, they bred. Grandad was interested in cameras and, from 1922, developed films. He also attended the Kirkby wakes. 

He attended agricultural shows in Derby and Nottingham. In 1928, he attended the Nottingham Homes Exhibition. He attended an exposition in Nottingham in 1938. He visited illuminations in Matlock Bath and Blackpool.

This photo is of mum in some kind of fairground ride circa late 1930s. I don’t know for sure but this could be from Kirkby wakes

Boating

One of the activities grandma and grandad particularly enjoyed was boating. They visited a number of places for this including Belper, Hazelford Ferry, Highfields, Matlock and Nottingham. They took grandad’s niece, Olive, and nephews, Roy and Basil, there one at a time in June and July 1927.

Boats at the River Gardens in Belper © Diego Sideburns and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
Birds and boats at Highfields lake in Nottingham © John Sutton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
Postcard of boating stages in the River Gardens in Belper – posted 1910
This image and the one below are of postcards showing boating in Matlock

Holidays

During this period, grandad and the wider family started to take longer holidays. These were mainly to traditional British seaside resorts, including Llandudno, Lytham St Anne’s and  Scarborough. For example, in 1924, grandad went to Llandudno for three days with his friend Albert Robinson. They also visited Aberystwyth. In 1927, grandad and grandma went on holiday to Llandudno.

This image and the one below show a card grandad sent to his parents from his and grandma’s holiday in Llandudno in 1927
Dear Mother & Dad
I am writing this card while Ethel is paddling. This morning (Thurs) went to Conway & went in the house on the other side [“The smallest house in Wales”]. My word you talk about a subsidy house. I had to bend, Well Ma we shall not write again this time but hope to leave here on Sat about 1 o’clock & get home about 9 or 10.
Love from Ethel & Gordon

In 1936, grandma and mum went for a week’s holiday to Yarmouth but it appears that grandad did not go. Mum, who was not quite two, did “write” him a card though, see below!

This image and the one below show a postcard which was “written” by mum to grandad from Yarmouth in 1936 when she was two.

In July 1937, grandma took mum and grandma’s father to Skegness shortly after grandma’s mother had died. Again, grandad did not go but he visited for half a day on one of the days. Other resorts visited by other family members included Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bridlington and Mablethorpe.

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