At one time Worcester had a number of cinemas throughout the town, together with one in St John’s, now sadly derelict and the Northwick Cinema, now in use as an antiques centre.
The metropolis centre had a number of too – the Scala in Angel Place, the Arcade Cinema in St Swithun’s Street ,which closed when the Gaumont was inbuilt 1935 and naturally the Odeon, nonetheless in Foregate Street at present.
I used to be contacted this week by Mick Purser, who recurrently attended the Teenager Show on the Odeon on a Saturday morning.
He shared his story of a barely completely different expertise – his 15 minutes of fame on the stage of the cinema!
The Odeon cinema in 1961, displaying So Evil, So Young, starring Ellen Pollock and John Charlesworth. Next door was Helen Jay, maternity put on
The Teenager Show was a particular viewing each week, for native youngsters, and a band would carry out earlier than the viewing of the movie.
It was a preferred occasion, with queues all the best way down the road, and Mick fondly remembered sitting within the packed stalls ready for a movie starring his idol, Bill Fury.
One week in 1961, Mick was sitting along with his two associates Andy and Nick, when there was a name for volunteers.
Read extra: Who remembers Worcester’s dance halls and studios?
They have been provided a free ice cream and a move for the subsequent week’s displaying, if they might mannequin some garments for the viewers! All three lads volunteered.
Mick recalled: “In those days we all dressed like the Fonz in a leather jacket, jeans with turn-ups and winklepicker boots. The Teenager Show was a bit of a highlight for kids; other than a paper round there wasn’t much else to do”.
Maggs ‘Mens & Boys Clothing experts’, The Shambles in round 1960. The store staged a fashion show on the Odeon
It turned out that Maggs clothes store primarily based on The Shambles, had organized a brief fashion show for the packed auditorium. Then aged solely 14, Mick was a bit nervous: “It was a bit daunting stepping out on to the stage with the highlight on us, however we bought a little bit of a cheer and the particular person in cost requested us to provide them a twirl.
“I think there were a couple of outfits to show; a leather jacket, a pullover and different coloured jeans.”
The Scala Theatre, on the nook of Angel Place and Angel Street in 1951
What an expertise! Does anybody else keep in mind these teen exhibits? Or maybe you shopped at Maggs for your faculty uniform or extra modern put on?
Worcester Life Stories is a collaborative undertaking bringing native individuals collectively by way of shared tales of the City of Worcester. It is co-led by Dr Natasha Lord, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust and Sheena Payne-Lunn, Worcester City Council and funded due to National Lottery gamers.
For additional info or to share your tales go to worcesterlifestories.org.uk, our Facebook web page or Twitter @worlifestories. You may e mail worcesterlifestories@gmail.com or name 01905 721133.
There are additionally many recollections are additionally being shared on the We grew up in Worcester web page on Facebook. Why not be a part of the dialog?
