Wellingborough

ABC Lyric cinema

I was the Chief Projectionist at the Lyric from approx 1957 until 1963 when I was appointed as Co Chief/Lighting Engineer at the new ABC Blackpool. The Manager at the Lyric was Mr Ron Crabb and when he moved to another ABC Cinema, Mr Ken Porter took his place. Ron Crabb and myself were featured on an edition of Down Your Way, the popular BBC Radio programme of the time. The cinema had a small but lovely little Compton organ which myself and the projection team restored and put back into pristine condition. Eventually it was broadcast four times: twice each by Trevor Willets and Reginald Porter Brown...both of whom were members of the ABC Team of touring organists. An Assistant Manager for many years was Noel Briggs, himself a fine organist. The organ was eventually removed and sold to Wellingborough Weavers Road school, and was restored for use in the School Assembly Hall, by the Music Master, Mostyn Burman. He actually made a recording of the organ which was the subject of an LP release on the Deroy label. The organ was removed from the school in 2008. The lovely illuminated 'jelly mould' lighting that surrounded the console never went to the school, but was bought by Mr Roly Walker, a local Bus and Motor Car retailer. The last I saw of the organ surround was in his showroom windows with a Ford Mini underneath it! I recall that in the adjacent Lyric car park was a small hut, in which I used to keep my bike. I cycled to the Lyric each day from Wilby Lido, where I had a static caravan. The Projection room at the Lyric was one of the biggest on the ABC Circuit and had the unusual access to and from it via a door at the back of the Circle. There was, before my time, a lovely Cafe which ran the length of the building overlooking Midland Road, and which was accessible via a small shop at pavement level. I believe at some time there was an attempt to turn it into some kind of Disco/Nite Club. When the Lyric was demolished, Ken Porter went to the Savoy Northampton as the Manager: the very cinema that I held my second bout of employment as a cinema projectionist. The first cinema I worked at was the Plaza on Welingborough Road Northampton. There was something magical about going to the cinema in those days. Cinema projection was an 'art form if done correctly, and my team at the Lyric were very proud of the way we screened the films and presented the shows. Today, a visit to the cinema is a sterile affair with no showmanship requirements on the part of the projectionist whatsoever.

Lyric

I was the Assistant Manager at the Lyric. We had a disco club upstairs. Saturday mornings were fun, and loud! My manager was Mr Ken Porter.

Swangate Centre

All the buildings on the left of the picture (nearly all Co-Op shops) were demolished to make way for the new Arndale Centre (now Swangate). Most of the local population still mourn the passing of this part of the old town. The public house at the top of Midland Road was The Old Kings Arms (this became Jones the furnishers and then a carpet shop)

The Lyric Cinema

The Bedford O Type lorry is delivering fruit & Veg and belonged to Mackness Produce (a local firm) on the right is the old 'Cosy Cafe' which I remember 'doing' a great toasted tea cake and cup of tea. The Co-Op buildings are farther down (I bought my first 'stereo' hi-fi system from there on HP) I remember the Co-Op having an island shop window (you could walk all around it) it always facinated me as a young lad. Lower down the street was the Lyric cinema, The Lyric was always a cut above the Palace cinema in terms of decoration, on Saturdays they held a matinee which featured a live local group and cartoons, kids from Wellingborough all wore the famous ABC club badge. It was a fiasco playing to these kids (I should know...I did it !!) one got pelted with sweets and pennies, for anyone that can't remember our old currency, pennies were large and heavy....and hurt. Above the actual cinema was a club known as the Lynton Hall Palais, no alchohol was served here but yet again live music was the order of the day. I will always remember a drummer in a modern jazz band who would regularly turn up for the gig dressed in a smart shiny suit but wearing tartan carpet slippers with eyelets (the type your granny wore), apparently he could only play drums wearing this strange footwear. (I would be grateful to hear from any readers who remember his name) I feel sure his name was Leon. Many well known bands started their careers playing at 'The Palais' THE SYN' (later to become famous as YES) and JOE COCKER, Joe was from Sheffield (a gas fitter I believe) at the time of his appearance he had his first single out. The Lyric along with The Palais were reduced to rubble in the early 70's to make way for the new Arndale Centre (now known as The Swangate) we lost so much of Wellingborough's character when all these buildings were lost as did many other towns. On the left of the photograph is now the Post Office, a very 60's looking building, it survives today.

The Palace Cinema

The pub on the left of the picture was renowned for a few brawls in it's time, originally called The Globe (now known as Raferty's) I recall walking down Cambridge St and seeing a man being hurled through the window into the street. The United Counties Bristol bus is parked outside the old Palace Cinema (better known by locals as the 'flea pit') These were the days of ice cream ladies in the interval, watching films through a haze of cigarette smoke and plastic orange drink cartons being squashed noisely to be followed very quickly by a cinema usher shining a torch in your face and escorting you off the premises.The Palace was renowned for having seats situated behind columns that supported the upper circle, as the actors crossed the screen one would have to dodge the columns (so to speak) to observe the action. At the end of every film show the national anthem was played accompanied by the sound of fold up seats banging open. The Palace was very handy for the bus home, the bus stop was right outside the exit doors. The last film I saw at the Palace was Star Wars in the 70's, it must have been a good film I went 3 times to see it again ! Today the Palace is no more, it has been converted to a public house serving food etc These days it's known as the Cutting Room. The room above the building is a snooker hall I believe. The road leading away in the distance shows another building this was a butchers shop at one time,later to become Park Road bookshop and now a tattoo parlour, the building to the right still survives today, during the 1950's this building was owned by Dexter's.

The Beatles

I remember 6th November 1963, The Beatles were playing at the ABC cinema in Northampton and word got around that the famous 'Fab Four' were staying at The Hind Hotel. The place was surrounded by fans hoping to get a closer look at John,Paul,George and Ringo....alas they were all deprived of this chance, not only were The Beatles not staying at the hotel but they were'nt staying at any local hotel !! Infact they played 26 minutes ending their performance with 'Twist & Shout' and as the national anthem was playing in the cinema they were making their getaway via a factory in St Michaels Road to be escorted by police back down the M1 to London ! Apparently no one in the audience heard a note of what they played over the screaming.

pork pie

Wellingborough locals always know this building as the 'Pork Pie' church.......for obvious reasons !

Singing in the choir

My parents, Harry and Nancy were married in this Congregational Church and I was a Sunday School Teacher and sang tenor in the choir in the late fifties before going to university. It has a splendid organ with a triumphant tuba stop that David Jones the organist used to good effect in blazing out the melody over new harmonies in the hymn-singing.

Boys swimming at Wilby Lido

From the mid thirties until the building of the new swimming pool in Wellingborough. After the war in the late forties, fifties and sixties, the boys of Wellingborough Grammar School regularly had swimming lessons and their annual swimming gala here. Is this a picture of a swimming lesson?

I helped out at the zoo

When I was still at school I went and helped out in the evenings and weekends at the zoo and one of my jobs was feeding the penguins.