The Empire, Charles Street

[glaham 10]

The following is taken from "Northern Music Hall" by Frank Graham & G.J.Mellor.

 

Horace Edward Moss (later, Sir Edward Moss - knighted in 1906) founded the largest and most successful chain of variety theatres in the world. At its peak it controlled 33 music halls. He died aged 60 in 1912. In 1877 aged 25 his first hall was a tiny place called the Gaiety in Chambers Street, Edinburgh. In 1895 Moss, Thornton and Co turned to Sheffield where another Empire began to be built in Charles Street (previously the site of Walter Coopers Alhambra Music Hall). Larger than the Birmingham Empire, Sheffield Empire would hold 3000 people, built at a cost of £65,000. A prospectus issued in 1895 described it as 'The finest in the Country' built in the popular Moorish style. It opened on 4th November 1895 with a big one-nightly bill. As a result of the Empire's opening, several small halls in the West Bar district went out of business. The Grand taken over by Frank McNaughten opening with the virtually unknown 'two houses a night' system as a counter attraction to the expensive bills staged at the Moss' house. The Empire was demolished in 1959.

 

My great-grandad played first clarinet at the Empire from about 1895. Does anyone have any relatives who were also musicians at the Empire at this time?

[sweetdexter 10]

Talking of musicians from the Empire.

I used to take trumpet lessons from the trumpet player there.

I cannot remember his name. He lived up Gleadless.

This would be 1957

[sheffexpat 10]

Apart from the usual pantomimes ,I remember seeing Laurel and Hardy at the Empire round about 1950 and Lonnie Donegan [twice?] round about 1958.

Laurel and Hardy were a bit of a disappointment as I expected[being 8 years old] they'd be like in their films but they just did a short sketch about 2 tramps trying to get to sleep on a park bench. Mind you, they must have been getting on a bit then . They were doing a tour of Britain and Ireland---I should think their last visit to Europe.

[pinhead 10]

Originally posted by sheffexpat

Apart from the usual pantomimes ,I remember seeing Laurel and Hardy at the Empire round about 1950 and Lonnie Donegan [twice?] round about 1958.

Laurel and Hardy were a bit of a disappointment as I expected[being 8 years old] they'd be like in their films but they just did a short sketch about 2 tramps trying to get to sleep on a park bench. Mind you, they must have been getting on a bit then . They were doing a tour of Britain and Ireland---I should think their last visit to Europe.

 

 

I see where you are coming from here as they were losing their sparkle around this time (Stan would have been 60ish).

But just being in the same room as the greatest comedians ever should be enough of a memory you last anyone a lifetime. I wish I could have seen them, still watch DVDs of them regularly.

[sheffexpat 10]

Pinhead

Yes, I love Laurel and Hardy too, I forgot to mention that I got the autographs of Lonnie Donegan and Laurel and Hardy but over the years they've disappeared.

I suppose one reason I didn't take more care of the L. &H. autographs was that at the time I don't think many people realised how famous and admired they'd become as time went on.

They can be funnier, just looking at each other, than most of what we see today in films and on T.V. [which costs millions].

More later,I hope----got to shoot off

[hutch 10]

Saw Tommy Steel [Tommy Hicks] at the Empire around 1957

also Bill Haley [Rock around the clock fame] the same year a nude revue complete with discrete tassels well I was 17.

[Plain Talker 11]

My late grandmother's (literally) fifteen minutes of fame was when she "appeared", on stage, in a production, at the empire, back in 1930 when she was 12/or 13.

 

The entirity of her role was that she had to run, onstage, scream, and then run off! (lol lol)

 

Her mother put the kybosh on her acting career, by declaring it "Common" that her daughter being on the stage, and refusing her permission to carry on doing the role.

 

sadly, I could not tell you what the play was, nor the part, and I couldn't give you the dates. that's all the story, as my grandmother told it to me. "Ihad a part in a play, I was 12 or 13, it was at the empire, I had to run on stage, scream, and run off..."

 

I wish I had been able to get more details from her about it, but sadly, she had alzheimers, and was not always lucid enough to remember the details of her reminiscences.

 

PT

[sweetdexter 10]

What a pity 'Plain Talkers 'grandmother could not have been more lucid.

What a memory it would have been.

I took trumpet lessons from the trumpet player in the Empire Orchestra in 1957

[herbiegrass 10]

I have been told that my great grandfather Frank Cooper was a carpenter at the Empire,

anyone know how to find out about this on the internet?

[petesipple 10]

Interesting. Looking at the Alhambra Theatre - in the course of family tree research, I've discovered that my great, great grandfather used to own the Alhambra. From his obituary in 1923:

 

George and his father William took ownership of the Alhambra Theatre in 1875. There was a fire at the threate in 1882, and the theatre closed for a year.

 

George had five children, Ada, Arthur, Albert, Lewis and William. His wife was Eliza, and he had a sister, Mary Anne), who appears to be famous for having invented a new musical notation.

[rob9 10]

Do you remember Skiffle groups which were all the rage in the Mid 50's. A skiffle competition was held at the Empire theatre in which our group the VESPAS competed .It was hosted by Jim Dale (folk singer).The amplification I used for my guitar was made from a valve cinema power pack which caught fire on stage .Oh such halcion days.

[David Bowler 10]

I remember seeing Max Wall, the crazy gang, David Whitfield, Jewel & Warris and Kathy Kirby, they had em all there. nobody has acts like these anymore.