The Summer Season Shows

In this interview Tony King reflects upon the shows in Great Yarmouth from the 1950's to the 1970's
By Richard Dade

"When I first started there wasn't the big name shows, just prior to the war and just after the war they used to have nice summer shows at the Wellington Pier and the old Britannia Pier Theatre.

Then in the early 1950's there was the Britannia Pier came up with a show which I think starred pretty certain I think its '53 starred Max Bygraves then after that summer season the Britannia Pier theatre burnt down so there wasn't big shows again until about 1956 when the Wellington Pier first started putting on shows and star names began to come into it.

But the hey day of the star names I suppose was the 60s and 70s when Harry Secombe, Des O Connor, Tommy Cooper, just about any name in show business, Mike and Bernie Winters, they all came to Yarmouth.

Summer seasons in those days, the main shows of the summer season used to start in early June and go on to about the middle of September. Nowadays they start at the end of July and finish at the end of August almost. There is a big difference but the reason is television came in. Stars didn't want to do the work they used to do, slog away twice nightly on a summer show for weeks and weeks on end and where as they could do a television show, get probably as much money as they would for a weeks work at the seaside so those sort of things gradually died out.

At one time Yarmouth used to have the Wellington Pier, the Britannia Pier, the Royal Aquarium or Hollywood as it is now the Regal which then became the ABC, Gorleston Pavilion, the Hippodrome, the Windmill Theatre and I estimated once that with twice nightly shows there was about 33 thousand seats available in Yarmouth any one night in live theatre including the circus and that sort of thing like that of course so it was quite a big industry in those days.

And then on top of that there was all the peripheral things, there used to be a skating show, swimming show at the swimming pool, speedway racing in the early days at Yarmouth Stadium, Stock Car racing all that sort of thing, so there was a tremendous amount of things for people to do. Which nowadays there doesn't seem to be that range. So there has been a distinct change on the entertainment side. To be honest you really could not afford the stars these days."

This page was added by Richard Dade on 02/03/2008.

Comments about this page

Good to read Richard Dade's write up of the Tony King interview on Great Yarmouth from the 50's. I lived there from 1960 to around 1972 working in the town for Engledow and Gallant in Broad Row and was a stage hand for many years on the Britannia Pier for the summer season. At that time there were those hard-working stars like Harry Worth, Donald Peers,Mark Wynter,Dora Bryan and of course the Sunday shows featuring The Who, Tom Jones, Donovan etc. My own group at the time participated in warming up the theatre for the latter artists; your readers might remember us we were "The MI££IONAIRES" and regularly played at the Garibaldi (now gone) The Floral Hall Gorleston and the Holiday Camps further up the coast.
I remember the professionalism of all the people I worked with but especially a certain Alec Peck who was the stage manager at the Brit Theatre. He was the model for all to follow-including the stars who worked under his direction. The twice a night shows were to say the least extremely tiring for everybody but he motivated us all and achieved high quality live performances (including those back-stage)... AH! thanks for the memory Richard...

By STEVE DUNN
On 22/03/2008

My memories of the Britania Pier was 1952-1954 and the Sunday night shows put on by Bernie Weller (who was musical director for the Hippodrome) and a brilliant pianist named Charles Bosomworth.

All the talent on these shows were local artists and as a 15/16 year old they gave me a regular spot playing the piano accordion. These shows were extremely popular as in those days there was very little Sunday night live shows and it was strictly controlled , as to the type of entertainment allowed.

People would queue the whole length of the Pier on cold winter nights to get in as it was so popular.Charlie Bosomworth had two sons Philip, a guitarist, and his older brother on drums. They played on alternate nights between The Savoy & The Black Angus steak House in Regent Rd which were both owned by Mr Lucas who was a charming Greek gentleman. I personally was resident there with my Trio " The Brian Fox".  On other nights there was a guest pianist, none other than Roger La,verne, who was appearing at the Windmill theatre with the Tornados. On the same bill was Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers. I am sure Peter would not remember me ,but he did his first paid "gig" with me playing for a wedding reception at a hotel North Denes Rd called "The Windmill " Happy Days.

By Brian Brackenbury
On 21/01/2009

What about a mention for The Little Theatre?! It was situated in the Royal Aquarium bulding and when the Summer Shows ended we still carried on with weekly Rep' A different play every week - slavery - but the happiest time of my life. I acted and worked back stage and also worked on The Britannia Pier. I too remember Alec Peck The Stage Manager - a gentle and very efficient man. Laurie Bloom and Brian Meredith were other names of note. Would love to hear from anybody who remembers me.

By John Hunt
On 21/04/2009

I was wondering if anybody remembered a group from Liverpool called "The Abstracts", they played in and around Great Yarmouth in 1964.
Any info would help in our research for their book.

Thank you

By Steve Faulkner
On 09/11/2009

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the pages here. Iwas in a band called Peter & The Spectres who did the Donovan show, with Tom Jones ,The Hollies ,The who, PJ Proby and many more. at the Brittania sun nights. Prior to that I also worked at Palmers in the carpet dept with Mr Drake ,Mr P.E Green and Cliff Thompson, also Remember Les Drury .

By Dave Smith-Howell
On 14/06/2010

Dave Smith Howell's memories of the Britannia Pier's Sunday shows reminds us that many seasoned stars of today, Bowie, The Who, Donovan, Tom Jones,etc, all owe their success in some part to the 'Brit'... The group Dave played for remains very much in my memories, and I'm surprised that he and Peter and The Spectres didn't go on to better things, as they certainly had as much talent as David Bowie. If anyone has any programmes of the Sunday Night summer shows at the Pier from 1966 , could they please contact me through this page as I have tried in vain to buy those pertaining to the shows I played in with the Millionaires all those years ago. I still visit Yarmouth from my home in France, and always pay my respects to the stage-door at the Brit, where a mix of the sounds of waves breaking along the Norfolk coast, and the stifled echoes of theatre-goers enthusiastically demanding autographs still reminds me how lucky I was to have experienced this and to have played there. Steve Dunn French Alps

By STEVE DUNN
On 01/10/2010

Can't have one Dunn without the other I suppose. I remember reading your March 2008 and the original article and thinking how nice and moving right along! This time however your comments have opened up a whole Brit nostalgia attack. The show I did with Norman Vaughan and Joe Brown - my first contact with "the stars" - the season with Dora Bryan when our sister joined us as a stage hand "paging the tabs" - the Midnight Matinees when the acts from all the theatres converged on the Brit for a friendly who's best night. The bomb threat when we sat with the Gibsons in the Long Bar singing "We Shall Not Be Moved" All good clean fun which looking back was an integral part of the joy of living in Yarmouth back then. Certainly an escape from the boredom of the long east coast winters. The excitement of opening nights and the emotion of closing nights are certainly a part of my life that will remain with me forever. Thanks for the memories guys! Martin Dunn Valencia Spain

By Martin Dunn
On 14/10/2010

I went to many shows at the Britannia Pier; I was also at school with Jane Engledow.  After my son had been christened we went onto Britannia pier for a walk and my son kicked one of his new leather shoes into the water underneath.  A man that was diving from the pier through flames swam under the pier and retrieved the shoe! Happy days, Susanne Brown (formerly Margaret Smith).

By susanne brown /formerly margaret smith
On 19/12/2011

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