Reminiscences of Rotherham
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In my young days travelling circuses were a great feature, a visit to the town by Fossett’s or Lord George Sanger’s being one of our red letter days. They were usually preceded by a display of highly coloured pictures posted on walls and buildings. Some of these portrayed youthful fairies flying through rings of fire, held aloft by liveried servants in scarlet and high topped boots, with a spirited horse gallopfng beneath the hoops. Another depicted a man in brilliant costume, standing erect, fearless and apparently unmoved in the midst of magnificent lions. I think the one which appealed to me most was that illustrating Dick Turpin’s ride to York. On one of these would be seen the highwayman riding Black Bess, leaping a toll-bar gate, whilst the toll-keeper, in night attire and lantern in hand, looked on in amazement. We used to get a good deal of innocent enjoyment out of these visits.
Eventually the travelling circus was succeeded by a morepermanent one, built of wood, and owned by Toney Felix, which stood for several years in the old Fairground. This site is now part of the Gas Works. Years before the advent of Toney, Shorrocks Theatre occupied a site opposite the Merry Heart, now known as the Grey Horse. This also was a wooden structure. About this time a few of us formed the first cycling club in Rotherham, and by permission of the Corporation were allowed to use the Fairground for practice. By constant rolling, this informal track made a decent practice ground and incidentally gave the public much amusemeat. Unfortunately, the coming of the Toney Felix circus put an end to our enjoyment.
In addition to Shorrock’s theatre and the circus, we had other places of entertainment, one being a music hall, situate in Howard street, and belonging to Charlie Gill. This later passed into the possession of the Temperance Society, and at a subsequent period was demolished in order to provide a site for the Borough Police Court.Writing of Charlie Gill reminds me of his son, who served an apprenticeship at the Advertiser Printing Works, and eventually became one of their reporters.
ENTERTAINERS
It seems a long cry back to the days when Professor Smalley, a mesmerist, drew packed houses week after week at the Temperance Hall, to see him exercise his influence over the will and nervous system of people, until they unconsciously did his bidding; and when penny readings and spelling bees attracted crowded houses at the Mechanics Institute. I often think many of the present day so-called high-class entertainments are neither as amusing nor as instructive as the simple and clean efforts of the amateurs of those days.It is impossible to convey to the present generation, who are privileged to visit the movies, any idea of the enjoyment and fun we got out of such shows as Holden’s Marionettes and Hamilton’s Panorama, which periodically paid a visit to the town. During the winter months lectures of an entertaining and instructive character were provided for the public by the committee of the Mechanics Institute. Amongst the lecturers were many clever and popular men, including the Rev. Alfred Gatty, Mr. Laurence Gane (a barrister-at-law, of Leeds, Mr. Geo. Dawson (Birmingham), Mr. Henry Vincent (recognised as one of the finest orators of his time, of London. Mr. Walter Rowton, Mr. Geo. Grossmith, junior (humorist and dramatic lecturer, Dr. Spark (organist, of Leeds), and his concert party. Many of my readers will still remember how the Rev. J. J. Christie would burst into laughing appreciation of the lecturers’ jokes. He had the happy knack of anticipating the point before it was made. As a proposer of the usual vote of thanks his witticisms caused much merriment.
Others always welcomed were troupes of Christy Minstrels, a form of entertainment now extinct. Amongst the best of these were Moore’s, afterwards known as Moore and Burgess; the Prince of Wales, owned by Rawlinson and Ernest, two singers, whose rendering of the tenor song, Brotherly Love still lingers with me; the Court Minstrels; and Sam Hague’s. Others who occasionally visited the town were Mr. and mrs. Howard PauI, character singers and refined entertainers. Harry Liston, Fred Maccabe, Alhert Chevalier Charles Clifford, and Mel Spurr, who delighted crowded houses with their songs and jokes. These are names one will never forget » next
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