The New Theatre

On Monday, December 22nd. 1910, Mr. George Aspland Howden presented his first movie programme at the New Theatre in the Market Place. The films of 1910 were very different from the films we have today and were much shorter in length and so nine to twelve items went to make up the evening's entertainment. That first programme had nine items including "Cross Country Running" and "Transport in Indo-China" To modern eyes they would appear very crude and amateurish but you can imagine the thrill which they gave to the Bostonians of those pre World War I days.

The following month Mr. Howden introduced "stage turns" to add variety to the programme. The first artiste engaged was Arthur Newstead , the popular Lincolnshire dialect and character comedian, and he was followed by Frank Rainbow who was one of the members of Clement's Entertainers of Skegness and everybody's favourite at the time.

Incidentally, that same week during which Frank Rainbow delighted the patrons of the theatre, the first big classic of those days was screened there, this was "Uncle Tom's Cabin" from the famous novel.

Also seen about this time was a film called "Animated Putty" which Mr. Howden said was the forerunner of the cartoons of the time.
The middle 1920's saw the next big milestone in the theatres history when it was rebuilt at a cost of upwards of £20,000. It re-opened its doors on October 18th. 1926 with the stage show "The Cabaret Girl". There were many successes staged at the theatre during the years that followed and a couple are worth a mention, one was "Mr. Tower of London" in which the one and only Gracie Fields appeared.

Gracie Fields (centre) in "Mr. Tower of London."

She was well received by the audience but the show attracted no more than the usual patronage, and probably few Bostonians foresaw the heights which the young star was one day to achieve. The other was the Christmastide visit of Bale's Continental Stage Circus, and it was recorded that so strong was the stage that it never even creaked when elephants walked on it.
The first real synchronised talking picture shown there was "The Broadway Melody" in February 1930.

Another history maker was "Hollywood Revue" the first talkie in colour to be screened in Boston. In the 40's and 50's films like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", the "Tarzan" films and "Lassie" never failed to attract full houses.

Latterly the then pop stars of the day performed there and it was demolished in the late 1950's or early 1960's. I regret that I have only one memory of going there and that was to see a pantomime when I was very young and all I remember was a pillar being in my line of vision!!

M & S Corner

In the far corner of the Market Place, next to Petticoat Lane is Marks and Spencer’s modern shop which takes up three sites (see inside blue square of picture below) of Boston’s past.

The Corn Exchange Hotel was on the first site, a nice old building with Mr. Fountain’s tobacconist shop incorporated into it.

Next door, and occupying site two was Hildred’s piano shop who boasted that they had the “best selection in the Eastern Counties”

The Green Dragon public house (no known pictures and dating from at least 1590) occupied the third site and this was demolished in the 1850’s. On its site was built the Athenaeum Rooms, pictured below.

 The first floor contained a reading-room, library, etc. and the second floor a lecture room, apparatus, and instruments. The Athenaeum building occupied an area of sixty feet by thirty-six feet, with a height of fifty-three feet. Twenty-six feet of the ground-floor was occupied as a shop, and the remaining ten feet formed an entrance which can still be seen today. Later on in time this building became the New Theatre.

Above: The New Theatre.

Below: Mark's and Spencers today, covering the three sites.

Boston's Old Cinemas

Some of Boston's old Cinemas.

The New Theatre (demolished, now a Marks and Spencer store) in the Market Place

The Odeon (demolished, now a Doctor's surgery) in South Square.

The Cosy (demolished) nearly opposite the Golden Lion pub in High Street.

The Regal (demolished, now a car park) in West Street.

The Scala (centre right). The building is still there and is now the Poundstretcher store.