The Forum in Devonport

Passing the Forum in Devonport today, it's hard to imagine that it once formed part of the busy and popular, Fore Street. The heavy bombing during the Second World War and the demolition afterwards, has left the now bingo hall almost on an island with constant traffic passing all day long.

The Forum was once a popular and busy picture house. The cinema, which seated 1,800, opened on the 5th August, 1939. It's first film was 'Honolulu', which was shown at 5pm, which starred Robert Young and Eleanor Powell. It was built by Charles Tyler of Swansea and was run in conjunction with the nearby Hippodrome. Due to the heavy bombing in the war, Fore Street was partly cleared away and taken over by the dockyard and the cinema was never fully restored

to its former glory. Television also played a part in dwindling audiences. The cinema stayed open until 14th May, 1960 and soon after, it opened as a bingo hall. Bingo seemed to lose favour for a while but now appears to be as popular as ever. The photos show the bomb damaged Forum, Fore Street (including David Greig)as it once was, and the Navy helping to clear rubble, shown passing the damaged Forum.

The State Cinema

I pass the State Cinema in Victoria Road, St Budeaux, nearly every day. Of course, it's a long time since it's had that name. I read recently that there are plans to demolish it which I think would be a great shame. In March 1939, just before the start of the Second World War, the St Budeaux cinema company was formed. They had a capital of £10,000 which was all in £1 shares. Perhaps if the cinema had been proposed further into the war, it might not have been built due to the lack of materials and resources. On 16th October, 1939, a month into the war, the State Cinema opened at the junction of Victoria Road and Stirling Road. It seated 1,000 people and was the first cinema in Plymouth to be fitted with a four channel stereophonic system. The first film shown was 'That Certain Age' starring Deanna Durbin and Melvyn Douglas. The seats were 6d, one shilling and 1/6d. There were two shows daily. The cinema was certainly popular and attracted huge queues whenever a new film was showing. It escaped the bombing during the war and stayed open for many years after.

I can remember in the late 1960s, queueing with my mum and brother to see films like 'Oliver' and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'. I particularly remember queueing for Oliver because it was pouring down with rain and the queue went right around the building. I remember one evening, our parents took us there to see 'Ice Station Zebra' probably one of the most boring films I've ever seen!

In 1970, the name of the cinema was changed to the Mayflower to coincide with the Mayflower celebrations of that year.

Eventually, the popularity of the cinema seemed to die off with the introduction of the video recorder. The Mayflower closed its doors to the film going public in 1983 and it became a carpet warehouse and, some time later, a snooker hall.

Once the cinema closed, the building was never kept in a particularly good condition and seems to have deteriorated ever since. Today, it stands boarded up with many of the younger generation not even realising it was once ever a cinema. It would be a great shame to see it go and hopefully, there'll be some way to preserve it.

Dad's Army

Remember the 1970s when there was actually something decent to watch on the telly? We all used to love Dad's Army then and it seems to have been repeated ever since! I was reading the other day about Arnold Ridley who played Private Godfrey in the show. In Dad's Army, Godrey's character was that of a former conscientious objector but in real life, Ridley fought as a Lance Corporal with the 6th Somerset Light Infantry during the First World War. When war broke out in August 1914, Ridley wanted to enlist straightaway but he was rejected because of a broken toe injury that he had endured while playing rugby. The following year, he tried to enlist again and was accepted and was sent, with other raw recruits, to train at Crownhill in Plymouth. The regimental Sergeant Major told them that they would not be seeing their families for a while because,'you will all be bleeding well dead on the Western Front!' Ridley was lucky to survive the battlefields of the Somme after being rescued by a fellow soldier who was later killed himself. In later life, he had nightmares and suffered terrifying flashbacks. After the war, Ridley became a successful playwright but then experienced financial ruin until he regained fame in the classic sitcom. Arthur Ridley's story made me think about the real Dad's Army who protected Plymouth in the Second World War. The Home Guard, originally called the Local Defence Volunteers or LDV, was made up of members of the public who were told by Anthony Eden and his government to register, if they were interested in joining the LDV, with their local police station and when they were needed, they would be called up. Police stations found themselves deluged with volunteers and in just 24 hours, 250,000 people from all over Britain had registered their names. Although the age limit was supposed to be 65, many older members, some in there 80s, managed to enrol. Numbers grew and eventually one and a half million people registered their names. Eden promised them uniforms and weapons but they ended up with armbands and had to use whatever they could as weapons. These included pitchforks, brooms,umbrellas. golf clubs, pikes and catapults. Eventually, they were fitted out with denim uniforms and some rifles arrived. Churchill changed the name of the LDV to the Home Guard in 1940 and he saw that they received proper military training. The Home Guard contributed to civil defence by helping to put out fires, clearing rubble, guarding damaged banks and shops and preventing looting. They also captured stray German parachutists and showed that they were ready to fight the enemy if they landed on British soil. By 1943, the fear of German invasion was fading and the Home Guard found that they had lost most of their purpose in the war and numbers started dwindling. In October 1944, the government announced that the Home Guard would be disbanded the next month. There were no medals awarded and in total, 1,206 members of the Home Guard had either been killed on duty or died from their wounds, and 557 more sustained serious injuries. In December 1944, King George VI, the Home Guard's Colonel-in-Chief, stated, 'History will say that your share in the greatest of all our struggles for freedom was a vitally important one.'

Memories of the US Army in Saltash Passage, 1944

I was lucky to know Marshall Ware, the St Budeaux historian, and I have many of his cuttings and notes amongst my collection. Marshall wrote down many things that happened in the Second World War and some of his reminisces I've included in my book, 'Memories of St Budeaux.' When the American troops took over Saltash Passage in preparation for D-Day in 1944, everyone was issued with special passes so that they could enter the area. Marshall remembered, 'We all had identity cards but Saltash Passage residents were issued with yellow Certificate of Residence Cards. It bore the holder's National Registration Identity Card number and stated that the holder was thereby certified to be a resident within the specified area and that it must be carried out of doors at all times and shown to any Constable or member of His Majesty's or Allied Forces on duty. It bore the signature of the holder and was signed by the Chief Constable of Plymouth and the distribution was completed by 19th April 1944. One resident, wearing tennis gear, forgot to carry his card and was taken in a jeep for interrogation to the US Naval Advanced Amphibious Base at Vicarage Receiving Barracks at St Budeaux.' The troops were very friendly and polite to the local residents and were loved by the children because they would give them sweets, gum, cocoa and other items that were rationed to the English. The Americans didn't have their food and supplies rationed at the time and were happy to share it with the locals.

Maurice Dart remembered, 'I remember the American's camp at Vicarage Road. When I was a boy, we would go down to the gate sometimes and they would give us chocolates and sweets and items to take home, such as tins of cocoa, biscuits and butter. My mother used to tell me off for scrounging but she was pleased to receive it all!' The rare photo above shows the smiling faces of the American troops as they left for D-Day. Residents remember that the area was a hive of activity while the troops were there but, one day, they awoke to find that they'd all gone, leaving just a baseball bat behind.

The Hoe Lodge Gardens 1930s

This photo of the Hoe Lodge Gardens in the 1930s is an old picture used by the Keystone Press Agency. A quick search on the internet shows that Keystone are still in business.

Looking at this photo, not a great deal has changed over the years and the only noticeable thing that is now missing is the old bandstand which was destroyed during enemy bombing in the 1940s.

This picture would have been featured in a newspaper or magazine at one time though it's impossible to discover what the story behind it was. This is possibly the only copy of this picture that survives. There is some information written on the back in pencil which reads, 'A pretty scene of the flower gardens on Plymouth Hoe. In the background can be seen Smeaton Lighthouse.'

It must be spring as one of the two girls in the picture is admiring the tulips while the other girl is holding an umbrella. In the background, Smeaton's Tower is painted as it is today though it's seen some variations over the years including being painted green and white during the 1960s.

Some think that this might have been in honour of Plymouth Argyle but it was probably because green and white are the colours of Devon. Also, in the background, can be seen the Victorian watchtower.

The garden had a small pond in the days before the Prejoma Clock. The clock was erected in April 1965 in memory of the parents of a Mr John Preston Ball.

It's amazing that this photo was taken approximately 70 years ago and how little has changed. Incidently, this photo was another 99p buy on Ebay. An absolute bargain, I think!

Jack Waller

After my blog entry in September about H Leslie's Gay Lieutenants who appeared on Plymouth Pier in 1909, I heard from Susan Allgaier in Wixom, Michigan who wrote:
'I live in Michigan and work with people who have Alzheimer's. One of my patients is the nephew of Jack Waller. Reggie's wife brought in an old scrapbook today with newspaper clippings and pictures of Jack Waller. How interesting! I hope to hear from you. Susan -Wixom, MI.'
I was amazed to hear from anyone who knew of, or remembered, Jack Waller and his troope as he hardly gets any mention on the internet. It was lovely to correspond with Susan and to hear from Jack's great neice, Linda Margolin. Linda's memories of Jack certainly make interesting reading and give an insight to his personality, character and way of life.
I've reproduced Linda's email below:
'Dear Derek,
I am Reggie's daughter and remember Uncle Jack well. I used to visit him whenever I returned to England. It was always exciting as they were "different" than the rest of the family. Very posh.He was always dapper, with a cigar in his mouth and wearing beautiful clothes. Jack played the violin and used to soft-shoe dance down the corridor of the flat in Queen's Gate. He and his wife, my great-aunt Cecelia (my grandmother's sister) also had a fabulous "cottage" called Nanette (for obvious reasons) on the coast. I am having a senior moment trying to recall the exact town. They later moved to a huge gorgeous flat in St Johns Wood. After Jack died, Celia lived there with her sister Sylvia and the maid, Lizzie. Jack's portrait in oil, with cigar, always lived over the lounge fireplace with a special spot light on it. Celia and Jack called each other mummy and daddy, and so daily Celia would talk to Daddy and tell him the news. After Celia died, Sylvia continued to live in St Johns Wood. When she died, as my dad and I were two of the heirs, I went to London to help sort things out. I have many old pictures of the two of them. I will try to get my scanner working again so I can send some to you. There is also a funny cookery book with Favorite recipes of the Famous. Jack has one in there (Lizzie got NO credit!).We will be celebrating my Dad's 92nd birthday this Sunday at sunrise. I will tell him again of your interest in Jack. He will be pleased. Please keep in touch, I'd love to hear about your project. And perhaps there is more info I can give you. My husband and I hope to come to England next year, and we always go to Bournemouth as well to see my aunt and uncle. They also have great stories about Jack.Hope you are well. I am so glad Susan told me of her interest, and yours, in Jack.'

Smeaton's Tower

Smeaton's Tower was built by John Smeaton on the Eddystone Reef in 1759. There had been two previous lighthouses in the same location. The first was built by Henry Winstanley in 1695. Unfortunately, seven years later, during a storm, it was washed away taking its builder with it. The second lighthouse was built in 1711 by John Rudyerd but it was destroyed by a fire in 1755. Work commenced on Smeaton's Tower in December 1756 to replace the damaged lighthouse. Smeaton's Tower would still be there today but the rock underneath it was undermined by the sea. James Douglass built a new lighthouse on an adjoining rock. It was felt that if Smeaton's Tower was left standing beside the new lighthouse, that it could eventually collapse onto the new lighthouse if the rock beneath it became even more undermined. It was decided to blow it up but a Mr FJ Webb suggested that it should be dismantled and erected on the Hoe where the Trinity House Navigational Obelisk once stood. This was quite a task and the lighthouse was removed stone by stone and rebuilt on the Hoe with a new base to support it. The original base can still be seen beside the present Eddystone Lighthouse. On 24th September,1884,the Lord Mayor opened Smeaton's Tower on the Hoe to the public.