Outlook


Theatre tale of drama and triumph


MOST theatre audiences like ;i show


malio talos ol'rooont years ooiioonis I’onillo Hippodrome, a story ol everyday theatre loll; with extraordinary dedication and determination. I Hit the story of the I’cndlo Hippodrome


with a happy ending. Anil ono of I lie most heart-warming. dra-


Theatre it is a tale with a stilly to it. 1 localise although many people know


that this magnificent theatre down an inconspicuous side street in ( nine has hoen saved from demolition and brought hack to life Iiv the efforts of the three local ama­ teur operatic societies, lower appreciate that keeping this beautiful building in exis­ tence is a task as unending and as daunting as the paint iny of the Forth Bridge. It costs money. I.ots and lots of money,


dred and one other tasks.


SUE PARISH writes about the e f fo r t s I’e n d le ’s o p e ra t ic en th u s ia s ts went to create their own theatre ... and their b a t t l e to k e e p i t g o i n g financially.


Operatic Society and the Freelance Society: were at the lime staging their shows at Colne Municipal Hall. But what if they had a theatre of their


Three local groups. St John's, ( ’nine


very own'.’ I.esser souls might have dismissed the


which has to he raised and then spent on repairs, healiny. renovations anil a hun­


lime there was a mail who 1 milt. from local stone, a most beautiful theatre, in New­


I tut to go hack to the beginning. . . The story yoos like this: Once upon a


market St reel. ( 'nine. 'file Hippodrome Theatre opened in


l!)l I. and the then 1.21)11 seat building fea­ tured silent film and variety performances, took the advent of I he "talkies" in its stride and continued to enthral audiences with the latest from Hollywood and Ealing until the llKiO's. It was then that its mmiher came up.


with new owners KM I seeing its potential as a bingo hall, and lottery replaced screen stars as the principal attraction. In HITS owners KM I decided to close the


Hippodrome. Hut no sooner had the news of its proposed demise hit the headlines than local amateur dramatic enthusiasts saw the possihilities ol tile silua.ion.


idea as a pipe dream, but not these sturdy stalwarts of the stage. KM I was approached bv Brian Bird, now


secretary of the Hippodrome commileee. and St John's chairman Keith Walton, to ask if they could buy the building. And to their delight, they were told they could have it Ibr .CHI.(1(10— provided they came up with the money last.


tings from that period give a sense ol the rising excitement as the money rolled in from sponsored walks, collee mornings, special concerts and other enterprises. Local people Hocked to sponsor a seat in


Brian’s carefully-preserved news cut­


the auditorium, and I’cndlo 11 ippndrome T- shirts were the rage for the lashion conscious.


the theatre was handed over. But in many ways that was just a


Incredibly, the total was reached, and


beginning. For as teams of enthusiastic volunteers


The fast track to Motorsport gen


motor club is essential if you want to compete in British motorsport, though there tire one or two exceptions, e.g.


UK INC. a member of an If AC affiliated


stock car and dray racing. However, the converse is not necessarily


true. It is not essential to he a competitor to he a member of a motor club or to derive benefit from such affiliation. On dub nights, the literature relating to


forthcoming local events is on display, events of which members of the general public would most likely bo unaware. Kor example in October, l’ondlo and


GEOFF BROWN explains how you don’t need to be a motor- sport competitor to benefit from membership of a club.


Keighley motor clubs joined forces to run the' South Valley Rally, a night event which we quite deliberately did not adver­ tise to the public. Why? Because the single most significant public relations problem we have to overcome in organising such events is the unruly and inconsiderate behaviour of spectators, (.onseiiuently we


try hard to discourage them. So even if your interest extends little


further than spectating, your club can pro­ vide a stcadv supply of dales and venues. The beauty of attending smaller events


promoters of the more obscure shows etc. Cunsci|iiently we receive, at the very least, all the relevant information well in advance for events such as the Wheels Show at Manby, Lincolnshire, or the museum at Castle Pennington. We've had RAC recovery membership on offer at 15 per cent discount and concessionary pack­ age deals to the Manx International Rally. All for a small annual subscription. One thing till clubs tire short of is organ­


ising staff. Kverybndy wants to compete or watch, few want to be involved in the pre- event preparation or marshalling on the day. So if you have a flair for administra­ tion, or are simply keen to lend a hand, any club would welcome you. Likewise with two club nights (the


is that the enthusiastic spectator usually lias free access to the paddock and can get closer to the action. Although these local competitions may he low key they are usually rounds ol regional, il not nationaj. championships, so there is invariably a lair selection of exotic machinery to be seen. Motor clubs are an obvious target for the


moved in to renovate their dream premises it was found that years of neglect had


SEEN here in the Hippodrome auditorium are the dramatic triumvirate who took on the Hippodrome on behalf of the three societies. From left to right Mr fr>\ irrontiv rhairman of the HiDDodrome directors), ot tne


Walton of St John’s A.O.D.S.


taken their toll. Pry rot had eaten into the ...... I and plaster interior, the roof needed complete refurbishment and a scheme that was expected to take a couple ol years and cost maybe a few thousand pounds gradu­ ally escalated.


opened its doors to the public ill December 111,Sti. il had taken over IHOO.OOO, and countless man hours. But the result was really a dream come true.


By the time the Hippodrome theatre


out. New dressing rooms had been added, a bar installed, new carpets laid down and the orchestra pit enlarged and re-floored. The seating was distinctly more luxurious, having been reduced to olltl spaces, newly upholstered in gold.


The building was refurbished inside and


boasted lights from Covent Harden Opera house, a lighting desk from the Orange Arts Centre in Rochdale, and many other items of equipment.


On the technical side, the theatre now H o w t h e c a s h


i s r a i s e d Keeping the Hippodrome Theatre going


insurance bill alone is ft!.mill. The theatre has also recently become VAT registered, and the decision was back-dated two years,


financially is quite a task. As Brian Bird points out. the annual


building. There is still a lot of work to be done backstage." says Brian. "We maintain a reasonable balance at the bank, but cer­ tainly a couple of big bills could make it a bit thin on the ground." As well as theatre bookings, numerou-


which is quite a burden. "Then we have to keep on lop ol the


other events are organised at the Hippo­ drome to keep tin' funds rolling in. The next venture is the Mirer.-.-I'll I


kling light on newly-papered and painted walis. and tin- theatre was a staggering monument to those who had lavished their love and time on it lbrso many years.


John's Society. Colne Operatic Society and the Freelance Society ever since.


The building has been the home ol the St


for any play. But il is more than that. It is a remarkable tribute to the tenacity and imagination of all those who re-created it. phoenix like from dereliction.


Il is a great theatre, and a fine setting


good stories should have. As Brian quoted so appositely in the


In fact, it's got the happy ending that all


programme of the opening night at tile theatre: "I t's not where you start it's where you finish — and we’re going to fin- isll oil top! □


Elegant polished light fittings cast spar­


annual craft fair, featuring work by o\ er oil makers, and an ideal place to buy Christ­ mas presents. The fair is open from Friday. November


include:


December 2nd — Massed choirs concert, with Burnley. Accrington and Croat Harwood choirs.


January l)tli/12tli — St Johns ADDS pres­ ents "'Alio ’Alio”/


December 12tli/l.'>tli — Burnley Masque presents "Spring and I’ort Wine".


March lst/Jrd and Stli/ltltli: Nelson Ballot festival.


February lStli/2.'!rd — Freelance Society presents “Anne of Croon Cables".


March bStli/2.!rd — Colne < Iperatic Society presents “Maine". Further information on theatre bookings can be obtained from Brian Bird HI2S2 S 1:171)1) or Mrs Marjorie Kemp (II2S2 (Ht;i;2).


w —


E x p e r t P ic tu r e F ram e S e r v ic e fo r 112 y e a r s F r am in g Y o u r


DYSONS ARTS LIMITED


NEEDLEWORK • TAPESTRIES • WATERCOLOURS • DRAWINGS PHOTOGRAPHS • OILS • MIRRORS • CERTIFICATES COLLECTIONS OF MEDALS, COINS BUTTERFLIES, etc, etc


Our staff are always available for expert, friendly advice


second and fourth Tuesdays at Earby Cricket Club, .S p.m.) a month, the social side of things can stretch the imagination and resourcefulness of even the most enthusiastic committee, but an active social life is as important in sustaining a club as the sport responsible for its existence. Which is where I came in. There's far more to a motor club than motorsport.


87 Scotland Road, Nelson • Telephone 65468


ARTISTS MATERIALS AND CRAFT MATERIALS AT:


llilh, to Sunday. November li.ith. Iroin In a.ill. to 5 p.m. at weekends and :2 p.m. to S p.m. on weekdays. Other forthcoming events at the theatre


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