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Worktown Collection (1937-40)

Box 48: Leisure activities, fairs and dance halls

48/A Pantomimes and shows

Programme: "Little Bo Peep", The Grand, 27.12.37

Observer accounts: "Pantomime", ts, 4pp, 1.1.[38], BB, the Grand Theatre; "Pantomime at Bolton", ts, 5pp, 6.1.[38], HH, the Grand; "Music Hall: Lido, Baradhawgate (sic), Bolton", ts, 14pp, 14.1.39, various acts, programme attached; "Little Theater (sic) Manager's speech in interval", ts, 2pp, 17.11.39, JC, programme attached; "Impressions of Lido Christmas Panto", ts, 2pp, 30.12.39, JC

48/B Carnivals, fairs and annual shows

Observer accounts: "Kearsley Carnival", ts, 6pp, 18.6.[?], THH; "Bolton Fair", ms, 12pp, 29.6.[?], JW; "The Fair", ms, 4pp, 29.6.[?], WH; "The Fair - Cycle race", ms, 2pp, 29.6.[?], WH; "Coconut Shy", ms, 4pp, 30.6.-1.7.37, JM-J; "Report on Carnival Crowd Reactions", ms, 5pp, TB; "Infirmary Carnival", ms, 5pp, 14.8.37, EL, 2 handbills attached; "Prize Giving Infirmary Carnival", ms, 10p, 14.8.37, JLW, programme attached; "Bolton Carnival", ms, 39pp, 14.8.[37], WH; "Christmas Fair: Bolton", ts, 5pp, 2.1.38, GT; "Bolton Fair", ms, 3pp, 7.1.38, follows; "Billy the Pig, the Largest Pig in the World", ts, 3pp, 8.1.38, DJ; "The Mask Freak Uka", ts, 3pp, 8.1.38, DJ; "Hot Strip Tease at the Fair at Bolton", ts, 1p, 8.1.[38], DJ; "Christmas Fair: Bolton", ts, 1p, 3.1.39, GT; "New Year Fair: Bolton", ts, 5pp, 7.1.39; "Observation Fair", ts, 4pp, [7].1.39, GW; "Fair", ts, 2pp, 7.1.39, GW; "Holiday Week Fair", ts, 1p, 3.7.39; "Bolton Buderigar (sic) and F.E. Society", ts, 6pp, 11.12[37], JW, annual show, ticket attached; "Annual Chrysanthenum (sic) Show", ts, 2pp, 19.11.37, ZB; Untitled document, ms, 3pp, about chrysanthemums

Letter from [DK] to THH, enclosing "Strip tease in the Orient", ts, 1p and a page torn from a book

"Carmen's Parisian Mysteries", ts, 17pp, [incomplete lacks p1], about strip tease

Index cards (2) ms/ts, references to the carnival

"A modern melodrama", ts, 1p, story about a father and his teenage daughter

48/C Dance halls and dances

"Mass-Observation Report on a Worktown Dance Hall", ts, 16pp, 13.2.40, AH

Observer accounts: "The Palais de Danse", ms, 1p, 20.3.37, WH; "Palais de Danse", ms, 7pp, 25.3.[37], WH; Untitled document, ms, 4pp, 25.3.[37], [WH], [lacks pp1-5]; "Palais de Danse", ms, 5pp, 29.3.[37], WH; "The Co-operative (Comrades Circle) Dance", ms, 7pp, 31.3.[37], WH; "Imps Dance in [Daly] Hall", ms, 6pp 31.3.[37], THH; "Observations of Saturday night", ms, 6pp, 3.4.37, TB; "St. Peter's and St. Paul's Dance", ms, 5pp, 3.4.[37], WH/TB; "Notes and Impressions of Bright St. Labour Club Dance", ms, 2pp, [WH]; "Palais de Danse", ms, 3pp, 13.4.[?], THH; Untitled document, ts, 1p, 28.4.[37], JS, questions put to girls the observer danced with; "Savoy Dance Hall", ts, 1p, 29.4.[37], JS; "Aspin Hall", ms, 1p, 22.5.[?], THH; "General Impressions", ms, 2pp, 13.7[37], WH, girls in the Palais; "St. Thomas's School, Halliwell", ms, 5pp, 28.8.[37], JW, dance; "Aspin Hall", ms, 4pp, 21.8.37, RP, dance; "Transport and General Workers Dance", ms, 3pp, 5.11.[37], WH; "Winter Gardens", ts, 7pp, RE, afternoon dance, index card attached; "Astoria Palais de danse", ms, 15.12.37, BW; "Nat. League of Blind Dance", ms, 2pp, 4.2.38; "Description and impressions of the Savoy Dance Hall, Deansgate", ts, 2pp, 2.3.38, JAS; "St. Patrick's Eve Dance", ms, 2pp, 16.3.38, WH; Untitled document, ms, 7pp, 2.4.38, WH, an evening with a friend, drinking and dancing; "Bolton Palais de Danse", ms, 3pp, 27.4.38; "Learners Night Palais-de-Danse", ms, 6pp, 21.6.38, WH; "Harken Night at the Aspin Hall", ms, 6pp, 13.7.38, BB; "Palais-de-Danse", ms, 2pp, 14.7.38, WH; "Palais-de Danse", ms, 12pp, 13.7.38, WH; "Empress Hall", ts, 1p, 15.7.38, JW; "Nos. for various dances", 8pp, [THH], unspecified dance hall; Index card, ms, reference to dance hall; Newspaper cutting

48/D Dance and dances halls

Observer accounts: "Astoria Palais de Danse Bolton", ts, 9pp, 18.12.39, AH, programme attached; "Palais, Bolton", ts, 2pp, 19.12.39, AH; "Spinners Hall Dance. Bolton", ts, 12pp, 30.12.39, AH; "New Year's Dance. Palais. Bolton", ts, 11pp, 1.1.40., AH; "Notice outside Spinners Hall", ts, 1p, 3.1.40,; "Manager of Palais Bolton, by Mrs Duckworth", ts, 1p, 3.1.40, AH; "Dance addresses", ts, 1p, 4.1.40, AH; "Manager, Aspin Hall, Bolton", ts, 18pp, 8.1.40, AH; "Aspin Hall. Learner's Night. Bolton", ts, 7pp, 8.1.40, AH; "Floral Hall. Bolton", ts, 5pp, 9.1.40, AH, illustrated; "Aspin Hall", ts, 1p, 10.1.40, AH, count; "Aspin Hall, Bolton", ts, 4pp, 221.40, AH; "Aspin Hall", ts, 5pp, 24.1.40, AH; "Aspin Hall", ts, 1p, 27.1.40, AH; "Aspin Hall Saturday night", ts, 3pp, 27.1.40, AH, dances and couples, conversations and overheards; "Aspin Hall Thursday night", ts, 4pp, 1.2.40, AH, dances and couples, conversations and overheards; "Aspin Hall Friday evening", ts, 4pp, 2.2.40, AH, overheards and conversations; "Aspin Hall Saturday night", ts, 3pp, 3.2.40, HN, overheards; "Dance school", ts, 1p, 4.2.40, AH, poster on door window; "Aspin Hall Tues night", ts, 3pp, 6.2.40, AH, overheards; "Aspin Hall Wed night", 3pp, 7.2.40, AH, overheards; "Aspin Hall", ts 2pp, 7.2.40, JC, overheards; "Aspin Hall. Thurs. night", ts, 2pp, 8.2.40, AH; "Aspin Hall. Sat. night", ts, 2pp, 10.2.40, AH, attendance and overheards; "Aspin Hall. Analysis of Conversation", ts, 3pp, 12.2.40, AH; "Manager. Aspin Hall", ts, 5pp, 31.5.40, AH, interview; "Palais. Bolton", ts, 1p, 1.6.40, AH; "Gala night. Aspin Hall", ts, 4pp, 27.7.40, AH

"The Aspin Hall", headed paper and envelope

48/E Band leaders and jazz

Observer accounts: Untitled document, ts, 1p, 18.12.39, AH/JC, details of a song in a snack shop; "Johnny Healey", ts, 3pp, 20.12.39, AH, interview with band leader; "Palais, Bolton", ts, 3pp, 20.12.39, AH, conversation with manager, after interview with Johnny Healey; "Musicians' Union, Bolton", ts, 11pp, 21.12.39, AH, interview with Harold Haddock, secretary of the union; "Billy Cotton", ts, 1p, 10.1.40, AH, conversation with Samuels, pianist, about Billy Cotton; "Musicians, Bolton", ts, 1p, [?].1.40, AH, conversation with Samuels, pianist at Aspin; "Jazz, Bolton", ts, 1p, 30.12.39, AH, details of notice on stall in market hall; "Bolton, jazz". ts, 1p, 3.1.40, AH, comments about people knowing the words to jazz songs; "Jazz. Empress Hall. Bolton", ts, 8pp, 6.1.40, AH, visit to hall; "Jazz", ts, 9pp, 8.1.40, JC, visit to Palais dance hall; "Jazz", ts, 4pp, 10.1.40, JC, visit to matinee dance at the Palais; "Bolton jazz. Manager Aspin", ts,2pp, 17.7.40, AH, conversation with manager

Mass-Observation Archive

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