Victorian stars’ memorabilia found in hall’s refit
THE COMEDIAN Mike Harding memorably observed that Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre, upon its redevelopment in the 1980s, was “so old they found Valentino’s camel in the dressing room”.
Applied to the nearby St George’s Hall, which is undergoing a similar rebuilding programme at the moment, he wasn’t too wide of the mark.
Workers removing seats from the auditorium discovered an article from the Daily Express dated 1928 about the Great Flood of London, as well as Black Cat and Wild Woodbine cigarette packets from the 1930s and a Cadbury’s Flake wrapper priced 6d.
They also uncovered details of one of the hall’s earliest offerings, a handbill from 1871 printed by J Clegg, “printer by steam power” of Infirmary Street, Bradford, and advertising a programme of “Saturday Night Entertainment”.
It included Madame Tonnelier “performing songs in character from the Grand Duchess”, as well as a line-up of music and sketches including “Irish and Scottish songs and stories by Mr and Mrs Forster O’Neill”, accompanied on the piano by their daughter, Flora. The date is just 18 years after the theatre opened.
There was also a ticket for a Bradford Subscription Concert and another for the 31st annual speech night for Priestman School, held at the hall in March 1956.
The recovered items will now be preserved in a permanent archive display by Bradford Theatres.
The council-run venue, one of the oldest remaining concert halls in the UK, is currently closed while the £8.5m building work takes place, funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund.