Did You Know…? British Music Hall Society

The London Palladium A 2,286 seat Grade II* listed West End theatre designed by Architect Frank Matcham (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Roy Hudd on his visit to the Downs Crematorium to view Max Miller’s refurbished memorial tablet (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Did you know that The British Music Hall Society (BMHS), founded by Ray Mackendar and Gerald Glover, and its official journal, The Call Boy, have been going for 50 years? The first edition of the journal was issued in December 1963 and the Society’s inaugural meeting was held on 7 January 1964.

When this article was first published in 2003, The Call Boy was being edited by Patrick Newley, a theatre columnist and obituarist, not to mention wonderful raconteur, who wrote for publications such as The Times, The Stage and the Daily Mail, and for Rogues. Sadly, Patrick died in 2009.

The Call Boy, published four times a year in January, April, July and October, is now edited by Geoff Bowden. It is a feast of information, pictures and news. Only available to members of the BMHS, the issue which came out in October 2003 celebrated the 40th anniversary and led with an article about the London Palladium.

Designed by Frank Matcham, the venue opened on 26 December 1910 as The Palladium with a bill featuring the likes of Nellie Wallace and Ella Shields. Several decades later, Judy Garland said: ‘There’s no theatre like it in the world. Palladium audiences are very, very special.’

Ten years later and the BMHS is celebrating its Golden Anniversary. ‘It’ll be quite a year and we’d love you to be part of it,’ writes Roy Hudd, President of the Society.

Click here to download a membership form.

Update of entry originally published on 26 October 2003 © Sarah Vernon