IT WAS late on Sunday evening, and long after the last members of the public had departed, before officials of the Pendle Hippodrome Theatre and the area's three major operatic societies left Holt House, Colne, with all that remained of this year's Hippodrome Gala finally cleared away.
But if they had broad smiles on their faces it was understandable. For by the following morning secretary Mr Harold Throup had summed up the whole afternoon from the point of view of organisers and public alike when he said: “It was magnificent. We are very, very pleased indeed.” And by Monday evening the event treasurer, Mr Hugh Cotton, was able to confirm that over 3,000 people had passed through the entrance gates, and that around £1,700 had been raised to help finance the Hippodrome Theatre at Colne, where “curtain up” in December will inaugurate a new, permanent home for Colne Operatic Society, the Freelance Society, and St John’s, Nelson, Operatic Society.
In every way, the seventh annual Hippodrome Gala was clearly a resounding success! The opening ceremony on Sunday was performed by Mr John Lee, MP for Pendle, who commended the Hippodrome project and praised the hard work put in not only by those directly concerned with the theatre but also the many people who had devoted much time and effort towards that day’s proceedings.
With him at the opening were the Mayor and Mayoress of Pendle, Councillor and Mrs Jack Evans and it was significant that Mr Lee, with his wife and children, and the civic party, became so caught up in the atmosphere of the occasion that their visit, far from being merely a perfunctory official appearance, turned into a two-hour tour of the gala field, with ample opportunity to sample something of the many attractions.
And many there were over three hours of virtually non-stop entertainment, often presented simultaneously on two or three separate sites.
The music and disciplined formation marching of the Pendle Corps of Drums soon had the crowds flocking to the main arena, and equalling these youngsters in attracting attention were the men of the Lancashire Constabulary police dog handling team and their charges.