Balmbra’s, one of Tyneside’s most iconic bars
IT’S closed these days, but it’s regarded as of the North East’s most famous watering holes.
At the foot of Newcastle’s Cloth Market is the bar room which will forever be associated with Tyneside’s anthem, the Blaydon Races.
Balmbra’s music hall not only features in the song - the tune was also first performed there.
The story began in 1858 when John Balmbra became licensee of the Wheatsheaf Inn, as it was called.
At that time the more competitive licensees in Newcastle offered entertainment to pull in the customers.
Balmbra went one step further and opened a music hall behind his premises.
When Balmbra died, the next landlord introduced a regular charge for seats and added an extra entrance down the passage.
The music hall’s popularity waned as purpose-built variety theatres opened, and by the end of the 19th century the Wheatsheaf was, once again, a normal public house.
The pub’s name was changed to the Carlton and, although extensive alterations were made to the building in 1956, it was little more than a licensed billiard hall.
Revived, however in 1962, to coincide with the centenary of the Blaydon Races, the brewery converted the Carlton back to its original music hall form, and revived the name.
Our photograph was taken on this day 45 years ago and shows four entertainers in Victorian dress - Edna Selkirk, Mary Reynolds, Maureen Thompson and a man called George - ready to put on an old-style music hall show.