Pantomimes

[chameleon]

Old Mother Riley and then George Formby - wonder if that perpetual humour would still seem so funny now? probably would in a way. Waxn't it OMR who would jump up in the air at some crucial point in the plot waving her arms about shouting. 'Daughter! Daughter!'

[sundowner]

BLAKEY wrote: Trojan wrote: BLAKEY wrote: The Laidler pantomimes at the Theatre Royal were just breathtaking, and were a great success for years. As a little kid (no quips about me being an old goat now please LOL) I was totally mystified by the wonder of the "Flying Ballet" in which those beautiful brave lasses flew out over the audience smiling and dropping flowers for the lucky few to catch. I don't seem to remember knowing or understanding anything about cables and harnesses - it was just quite simply an annual miracle !! I can just remember the Theatre Royal - wasn't it knocked down for a new Schofields? I remember the Empire being in Briggate and think I once went there - but can't be sure. It was indeed knocked down Trojan to build a new extension to Schofields, but due to the continuing existence as a road (at that time) of King Chares Croft the new shop had to be linked to the old Headrow Schofields by an enclosed (glazed) overhead walkway.The Empire (wonderful theatre) was where Harvey Nichols stands now. If you go in the Victoria Quarter and saunter along the little short cross arcade you can still see, above the back entrance to HN, those immortal words in the red brickwork above - "EMPIRE PALACE." Hi BLAKEY Leeds City Council have a lot to answer for i have allways said the Empire should not have been knocked down another part of oldLeeds lost forever.Bradford and Sheffield spent money on there old theaters Imay be wrong but i think they pay there way. They would probably say you cant get in the way of progress but at what cost we have lost a lot of old buildings to make way for the fiftys and sixties rubbish that replaced them has for some of the new ones the least said the better.    

[compton]

chameleon wrote: Old Mother Riley and then George Formby - wonder if that perpetual humour would still seem so funny now? probably would in a way. Waxn't it OMR who would jump up in the air at some crucial point in the plot waving her arms about shouting. 'Daughter! Daughter!' Yes, daughter was his wife, Kitty Mcshane who strangely always spoke as if she,d been educated at Benenden and lunched with the Queen. (I think, corrections welcomed)

[Trojan]

[quotenick="sundowner]Hi BLAKEY Leeds City Council have a lot to answer for i have allways said the Empire should not have been knocked down another part of oldLeeds lost forever.Bradford and Sheffield spent money on there old theaters Imay be wrong but i think they pay there way. They would probably say you cant get in the way of progress but at what cost we have lost a lot of old buildings to make way for the fiftys and sixties rubbish that replaced them has for some of the new ones the least said the better.    It's true that a lot of fantastic buildings were knocked down and rubbish built in their place in the late fifties and sixties - I remember a Gothic style bank in the business district (can't just remember where) it was built of brick I think it was Williams Deacons, it reminded me of a scaled down version of St Pancras Station. And I thought it was a shame when it went.However, to compare the centre of Leeds with the vandalism that occurred in Bradford is a mistake. Not only did they destroy their historic buildings (which Priestley was very scathing about) but now they've knocked down what replaced them and all they've got is a big hole.

[zip55]

I seem to recall the pantos being at the Grand.

[Bramley4woods]

zip55 wrote: I seem to recall the pantos being at the Grand. Didn't all the theatres do one in the Panto season?

[BLAKEY]

Trojan wrote: It's true that a lot of fantastic buildings were knocked down and rubbish built in their place in the late fifties and sixties - I remember a Gothic style bank in the business district (can't just remember where) it was built of brick I think it was Williams Deacons, it reminded me of a scaled down version of St Pancras Station. And I thought it was a shame when it went. I think Williams Deacons was a name that disappeared latterly Trojan, but would I be right in thinking that the beautiful building you mean was the Westminster Bank on the corner of Park Row and Bond Street, and opposite Marshall and Snelgrove's store ??That fabulous place was in classic red brick which did have a similar "air" to St. Pancras although, of necessity, rather "squarer" and it may have been built originally by Williams Deacons.    

[amber]

Why does a brown cow give white milk when it only eats green grass. Thats the burning question,burns like indigestion,makes you an [edited for content], so why does a brown cow give white milk when it only eats green grass. Wilfred Pickles as Buttons had all us kids singing that at the Theatre Royal in about 1948 the sad thing is I still remember it.

[amber]

amber wrote: Why does a brown cow give white milk when it only eats green grass. Thats the burning question,burns like indigestion,makes you an [edited for content], so why does a brown cow give white milk when it only eats green grass. Wilfred Pickles as Buttons had all us kids singing that at the Theatre Royal in about 1948 the sad thing is I still remember it. Edited for content word was grASS with the gr removed

[sundowner]

amber wrote: amber wrote: Why does a brown cow give white milk when it only eats green grass. Thats the burning question,burns like indigestion,makes you an [edited for content], so why does a brown cow give white milk when it only eats green grass. Wilfred Pickles as Buttons had all us kids singing that at the Theatre Royal in about 1948 the sad thing is I still remember it. Edited for content word was grASS with the gr removed ??????? ?????? ?????? wy