The Scala Cinema.

 
The building that is todays Poundstretcher shop in the Market Place is believed to have been built in 1851, this was to become the town’s old Scala Cinema, the original features from which remain largely intact today.

Scan of the original metal lettering which marked out the stalls in the upper circle, some of the original paint remains today.

The Scala Picture-House and Cafe was the first permanent built auditorium in Boston for the showing of films. It opened on 17th March 1914, with seating for around 1,000 people. In 1917, it was taken over by George Aspland-Howden who had opened the New Electric Theatre just five doors away in 1910.

Boston's Coat of Arms above the stage.

 

On Saturday 29th June 1940 it closed its doors for its annual staff summer holidays after the showing of `The Chicken Wagon Family` never to reopen as a public cinema.

It was then taken over by the Armed Forces until 1945, when all the fittings had been removed.

It remained unused for a few years, until it was converted into a furniture showroom, the stage and proscenium being knocked down and replaced by a brick wall.

The only room used above the shop today is the old cafeteria on the first floor, which is used for storage now.

On the second floor is the theatre’s old gallery – minus the seats. The main seating area below the gallery is now the shop floor with the wooden stage at the rear being used for a warehouse.

 

Bothamleys Clock

For many years Bothamleys (opposite the present Marks and Spencer store, in the premises now occupied by Timpson's key cutters and Thornton's chocolate shop) had a clock hung from the wall of this building. It had been in its present position for about sixty years and was still in working order when it was taken down in about 1927 when they gave up and sold off their stock.

The clock was due to be sold or scrapped but it was hoped that it would be spared and the suggestion was made that the Corporation might purchase it and erect it in the Cattle Market, Bargate Green or the Dock where it would continue a useful public service. The timepiece was operated from inside the premises, the works being operated with a rod.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bits.

George Wilson, Grocer, on the corner of Red Lion Street and Wormgate. 1909.

 

 

Dion's butcher cart whose shop was in Pen Street.

 

 

Rona the Rat Girl at Boston May Fair.

 

 
The official opening of the Town Bridge 1913.

 

Some Odd bits.

 

 

 

Bateman's brewery lorry parked opposite the Main Post Office in Wide Bargate.

 

Advert for Boston Garage.

 

 

Marshall Brothers lorry.

 

 

Holland Brothers advert.

 

Armes advert.

 

 

 

Hurst, Son and Page advert.

 

The Hotel the bomb destroyed.

Mr. Loveley's premises, The Albion Temperance & Commercial Hotel that stood at the corner of James Street and West Street. Mr. Loveley's two daughters were killed by a bomb dropped by a German plane in World War Two which destroyed the hotel.
For more on this story see Bombing and civilian deaths in world war two in the October 2012 section of this blog.
 

Freiston Shore.

Although the seaside town of Skegness is only 23 miles from Boston, most working class people with large families couldn't afford to go there on a regular basis and it was a real treat for us kids to have a day at "Skeggy." Four or five miles down the road however was Freiston Shore (the poor mans Skeggy) which was easily reached on a bike by us in the 1950's and 1960's.
There was no sandy beach there, Punch and Judy or amusements of any kind, all it consisted of was marshland, muddy creeks to bathe in, borstal boys and old gun placements designed to keep the Germans away if they tried to conquer England through Lincolnshire but it was all good fun for us and we had many a happy day playing there.
During the 1800's however, following the drainage of the fens, there was an attempt to make Freiston Shore a seaside resort.

As a result two hotels were built, the Plummers and the Marine which offered around a hundred rooms and folk would stay there for their holidays or make trips by the daily Boston omnibus to go swimming and picnicking. The picture below shows a horse race meeting there in 1844.

But the silt soon returned which made the sea retreat further from the hotels and their trade quickly declined.
In the 20th. century much of Freiston Shore was reclaimed again by embankments built by the borstal boys from the North Sea Camp. The two pictures below show the boys working and marching through Boston.

The Borstal camp is now an open prison and Freiston Shore itself is an RSPB Nature reserve, the largest example of such a project in the UK. where over 150 bird species recorded yearly.
The Picture below shows how the sea once came up to the Plummers Hotel.

Tom the horse.

This was the last horse and cart delivery vehicle in Boston, the owner was greengrocer Mr. R. Sharp and the horse (who was called Tom) was stabled at the back of Mr. Sharp's house and shop in Cheyney Street. This photo was taken in 1967 and it was reckoned at that time that for at least ten years he had been the only man in town to operate this mode of transport.

Mr. Sharp said that Tom was much cheaper to run than a van and he always started in a morning. But he wouldn't go to work without his perks, first thing in the morning it was round the front of the shop for his morning peppermints and then round the back of the house for his daily bread. Four mornings a week he went off on his rounds of the town and he knew where to be. A nod and a wink and he got sugar lumps, specially bought by his special customers, and he was not inclined to move on until he got them. New shoes were becoming a problem for Tom as he once only had to travel a few hundred yards down the road to get fitted up, but by 1967 when horse crafts were vanishing he had to plod 4 miles to Haltoft End village. Mr. Sharp had other horses before Tom (Muffin and Inky) and his Father also had horses. I don't know exactly what year Tom and his cart were retired but I remember seeing him still working in Main Ridge in the early 1970's.