The Kozy Cinema
In 1892 a Mr John Walters and two partners
secured the premises known as Barkers
Foundry with the intention of converting the
premises into a theatre. The theatre
opened on Monday September 18th 1893
with seating for 2,200. Its opening show
was The Fast Mail, followed by the Middle
Man, My Jack and Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
The theater was also used by none dramatic
performers such has appeared in April 1894,
Proffesor Crockers, Marvelous Educated Ponies.
Remnants of the Foundry windows can be seen bricked up behind the
rear stage wall. Known as the Art Picture Palace around 1911, and
then The Empire Theatre at which time the entertainment was half
pictures half talent show. Many touring companies appeared at the
theatre as well Dame Nellie Melba, the famous Soprano pictured right.
Maisie Hanbury pictured below and Colonel William Cody better
known as Buffalo Billl shown left. Other celebrities to have performed
on the stage of the Empire were Mike Hamburg a famous pianist,
Arthur Askey, Terry Thomas, Ken Dodd
Pickles Theater was situated on
Newchurch Road. In 1867 the
performances
were said to be of the lowest
character with the language
used as being grossly immoral
and the ac tions of the
performers indecent.
An old man sung a song that
was termed comic but was in
fact not suitable to be heard by
decent females.
Pickles Theatre
Choirs & Singing
Mr John Holden choirmaster of Stacksteads Wesleyan Prize Choir
winners of the first prize at Crystal Palace in 1897 pictured is the prize
shield and silver mounted ivory baton which was presented to winning
choir.4,000 singers being present on
the day taking part in the Non
Comformist Choral Festival. The
choir were described at the time as
having “much purity of tone” and
correct intonation”.
Following a meeting held in St Johns on February 1882, an orchestral
society was started the object of making Bacup equal with other towns
in possesing a body of instrumentalists. Thier first concert was in
November 1882 witha number of 27, conducted by WH Brearley, the
vocalist was Miss Bessie Holt, and Mr Henry Green. Four years later
they consisted of 37 members. Attendance dropped in 1859 and 1895
with the concerts lapsing. During the Great War, the depleted numbers
led to a cessation of activities and it was not until 1946 that they got
going again.
Bacup Operatic Society
In 1934 a well known Bacupian,
was convinced that the town had
talent and was capable of putting
on a show similar to those put on
in other towns. He succeeded in
getting others interested and the
Waterside Amateur Operatic and
Dramatic Society was formed.
Quaker Girl in 1935 and
Arcadians in 1936 were two highly successful productions before the
name of the Society was changed to the Bacup Amateur Operatic
and Dramatic Society. More productions until 1939 when at the
outbreak of war it became impossible to continue. Some of the pre
war shows included Katinka, Babes In The Wood the first show after
the war was No No Nanette then The Girl Friend, Ten Little Niggers,
The Blue Goose, A Man About The House and Distinguished
Gathering to name but a few.
Amateur Operatics
The Public Hall had been built, by 1878
and consisted of six lock up shops on
the ground floor, with six rooms at the
back for storage. The Public Hall which
was built to hold 800-900 people, held a
Skating Rink and stage for shows and
other performances, such as those
performed by the Rossendale Theate
Bacup Public Hall
The Kozy Cinema
The Kozy showed silent films changing the programme each
Thursday and Monday, admission being 3d to 9d(01d money).
Matinees were held Tuesday and Saturday at 2pm admission being
1d, 3d and 5d. The pictures were shown with breaks in between for
the supposed spoken word to be shown and it was a successful type
of entertainment. Sometimes at the Kozy when films were shown with
a musical background, as a special attraction local artists such as
John Wille Thompson (Bass,) A Cooper (Tenor), Sarah Beswick
(Soprano) were engaged to sing songs (that appeared in the picture)
during the special interval, from the stage in front of the screen. This
was indeed a special feature when the film was not changed, as was
usual, but was on for six nights running. The Kozy and King's cinema
at Waterfoot were under the same management so used to join at
films and this was done by showing a film at one cinema and then a
lad on a bike would strap the cannister containing the film on his back
and take it from one cinema to the other and vice versa. On occasions
there would be a delay and people would be kept waiting for the next
film. Films broke regularly passing through the projector and the lights
used to go on until a repair was made.
The Regal Cinema must have looked quite stunning when it was first
built by the Rossendale Land and Building Company Limited, opening
on the 7th September 1931 one year after the first talking picture was
shown at the Empire Cinema (Royal Court Theatre) in March 1930.
Built on the site of the Bacup Public Hall and Gem Electric Picture
Company, which was renamed the
Kozy, 10 months after undergoing
a £10,000 renovation grant the
cinema closed, the last film shown
on July 7th 1966 was “ The
Silencers”. For 16 months from
then to December 1967 the Regal
operated mainly as a Bingo Hall
apart from screening children’s
matinees on Saturday afternoons.
On its reopening, the first
screening was The Family Way,
starring Hayley Mills. In 1999 the cinema closed once again being sold
in 2005 for £181, 000 featuring the following year on the BBC daytime
TV programme Homes Under the Hammer.
Regal Cinema
Royal Court Theater
Working Men’s Clubs
Stacksteads Working Men’s Club
In 1884 Stacksteads Working Mens Club put on its annual dog,
pigeon, puktry, cat and rabbit show. It attracted 500 participants.
Some from as far away as Birmingham. In additions to these types
of shows the club put on shows from October to July with similar
concerts at Easter Whitsuntide and Christmas. Chess Draughts and
cards were a favourite indoor pastime at the Victoria Working Men’s
Club. The club belonged to various
card and billiard leagues.
In 1895 and 1896 four members
were cautioned for gambling and
for acting as bookmakers within
the club.