Happy New Year from the British Music Hall Society. Thank you for all the support you gave us in 2025 - here's to 2026. Check out what we have on offer on our website britishmusichallsociety.com #MusicHall #Variety #History #Archive

In the month that The Great Vance took his final bow in 1888 on the stage of the Sun Music Hall, Knightsbridge, here is his 'Beautiful Nell' for #songsheetsaturday by Stacey Lee & R Coote with lithography by Alfred Concanen #MusicHall

We've made incredible progress with our Archive this year. Since uploading our first collection in April 2025, we now have over 2,000 catalogue records on Archives Hub (link below). Check out our entries to explore the collection. #MusicHall #archive #history archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/locat...

Dan Leno #BOTD 1860. Massive star of music hall in his day. The panto 'Mother Goose' was written for him! @musichallsociety.bsky.social

Pre-Christmas #songsheetsaturday: 'Ting-a-ling Ting-Tay' by Harry Dacre, sung by Harriet Vernon. A Spanish street musician ('quite the finest and divinest') is courted by a 'gentleman'—until her husband appears. Her only reply? 'Ting-a-ling-a-ling' 💔 #musichall

The celebrated #panto patter song - The Shopwalker - a sketch by the one & only Dan Leno who was born #OTD 1860. Composed by George Le Brunn with lyrics by Walter de Freece (later Mr Vesta Tilley) depicting a humorous take on a department store assistant #songsheetsaturday #musichall #walkthisway

Happy #PantoDay from Theatres Trust 🎭 Pantos are so important to UK theatres The panto is where most of us get our first introduction to the wonders of theatre And the income from pantos support theatres' work through the rest of the year

Today is #pantoday 👏 👏 👏 Music Hall has a long association with this genre and we have a number of interesting pantomime collections in our #archive including a significant recent donation connected to Dorothy Ward who played in over 40 pantomimes from 1905-1957 including costumes, merch and photos.

Harry Rickards, 'King of Australian vaudeville', was born in December 1843. For #SongSheetSaturday: his 1887 song 'That's What the Country Wants to Know' composed by Elsie Phillis (female songwriter - info anyone?) with words by FV St Clair, pub. Hopwood & Crew. Find it in our archive #MusicHall

This documentary was written by Ray Mackender, one of the co-founders of our Society #MusicHall #BMHS

We've just released more stalls tickets for the Silent Comedy Gala! Join @stephenmangan.bsky.social , #RickWakeman + more at Bristol Beacon on Fri 6 Feb for great cinema, live music and lots of laughs 😂 Tickets below 👇

Today, Jack Stanford, 'the greatest eccentric dancer of the day,' will be commemorated with a Blue Plaque at his Mallinson Road home, Battersea. Here's a 1932 showcard from our archive featuring him in a 'non-stop variety' bill at the London Pavilion. Look him up on YouTube to see his incredible act

Vesta Victoria was born November 1873, for #songsheetsaturday here's her 1897 hit written by Fred Murray & Laurence Barclay. 'Our Lodger's Such a Nice Young Man'. He's such a good, goody young man, Mamma told me so, 'he kissed Mamma and all of us, cos Papa was away.'

Annie Adams was born in November 1843 in Newport, Isle of Wight. For #songsheetsaturday here's her c. 1868 hit song, 'Popsy Wopsy!' One of the first successful female Music Hall performers, 'The Queen of Serio-Comic Vocalists.'

We have very few tickets left for our final 'In the Limelight' evening of 2025 - a talk by Mark Llewellin, 'Les & Roy, Cissie & Ada'. If you want to come, book soon to grab those last tickets 🎟️ Book HERE: www.ticketsource.co.uk/britishmusic...

The Varieties (Variety Theatre or Harwood’s Hall) in Pitfield Street, Hoxton, a short distance from Shoreditch church, was built in 1869 behind the White Horse pub. It was designed by the leading theatre architect, C. J. Phipps, who probably devoted more attention to the pub facade t

A charming donkey taking a drink during a #magiclantern show interval. Note the bird - Victorians couldn't resist a pun... #mottoslidemonday

Delighted to pick up The Hanlon Volta Waltzes, 1885 sheet music composed by Charles Seaton who had a stall at Crystal Palace where the five strong aerial troupe performed.

Prolific #MusicHall songwriter Joseph Tabrar was born in November 1857 - for #songsheetsaturday here is one of his offerings from 1897, sung by Harry Randall - 'Poor Pa Paid'. Ma enjoys music hall outings and occasionally ends up in a 'tea fight', resulting in a Police Court fine...paid by Pa.

We were delighted to support the excellent Music Hall Showcase & Symposium on Saturday at @thelondonarchives.bsky.social. The full day featured diverse talks, engaging conversations, and the opportunity to view music hall materials from TLA's collection, including a fascinating ILEA film from 1974.

One of Blackpool's finest - Victoria Monks - was born #OTD 1882 . For #songsheetsaturday here is her 1908 hit song by EW Rogers and J Charles Moore. ‘Call round any old time and make yourself at home, put your feet on the mantle shelf, open the cupboard and help yourself…’ #MusicHall

In honour of #BlackHistoryMonth, today’s #SongSheetSaturday features Winifred Atwell’s ‘Flirtation Waltz’. 🎶 A household name of the 1950s, Atwell was born in Trinidad in 1914. Her Boogie-Woogie style captivated UK audiences — & she became the 1st Black artist to sell a million records ✨

TOMORROW NIGHT - 'In the Limelight' - A History of Black Performers in Morecambe. We look forward to hearing Kirsty Roberts, talking about the Black performers who regularly graced the town's stages—artists like Adelaide Hall, Clayton 'Peg Leg' Bates, and Cassie Walmer. Book HERE

The Royal Albert Hall may not be a regular venue for sumo (omg I LOVE THE SUMO!), but it DOES have a long history as a venue for other wrestling. Here's the Umpire Getting Excited as Hackenschmidt and Jenkins get themselves into A Curious Position. July 1904, Penny Illustrated Paper (via BNA):

Now ere's a funny thing, today's sheet music is for Max Miller's biggest hit 'Mary from the Dairy' , a song released in 1936 becoming his signature tune. Miller paid Sam Kern £4 for the number. This coming Tuesday 21st November would have been Miller's 132nd birthday. #SongSheetSaturday #MusicHall

#MusicHall research down in Lambeth today at the @musichallsociety.bsky.social archive. #Dundee posters, Hetty King’s shoes, Max Miller’s hat, and the trousers of G.H. Elliott! #planning #WatchThisSpace @lambetharchives.bsky.social

Fun & games in Brighton yesterday when we unveiled a replacement Blue Plaque for Max Miller. Jamie Kenna did the honours resplendent in Max jacket & hat…#MusicHall

The blank space soon to be occupied by our new Blue Plaque 😂

Today's Song Sheet in honour of our blue plaque unveiling this coming Thursday in Brighton is the 'Max Miller Songbook' a compilation of hits of 'Cheeky Chappie' Miller. One of the biggest stars of his day who influenced many future turns and is fondly remembered in his hometown #SongSheetSaturday

If you're a BMHS member, your Autumn edition of The Call Boy is arriving soon! Not a member yet? Join now to get our quarterly journal and enjoy 16 months for the price of 12 with our current offer. 👉 Learn more HERE britishmusichallsociety.com/join-us

EUROPEAN ROUTE OF HISTORIC THEATRES - Sat 25 Oct 2025 2pm - FREE at V&A Lydia&ManfredGorvey LectureTheatreSW7 2RL Mark Fox explains the Route’s genesis (120 theatres across 30 countries) current status and future plans. Book in advance www.ticketsource.co.uk (search Frank Matcham Society)

Before cinema, there was Music Hall! 🎭 From pub backrooms to grand palaces of entertainment, it was the heart of London's cultural life. Uncover treasures from the golden age in our new free display, 'Spotlight on Music Hall'. Opens Oct 6! www.thelondonarchives.org/visit-us/exh... #Archives

We will be unveiling a #BluePlaque for #MusicHall and #Variety star Max Miller on Thursday 16th October at 2pm in Burlington Street, Brighton. All welcome! #BrightonEvents

Interested in entertainment past and present? Join the BMHS! Sign up from 1 Oct and get 16 months for the price of 12 🎭 Membership runs until 31 Jan 2027. ➡️ Join here: britishmusichallsociety.com/join-us

This #songsheetsaturday marks the approx. birthdate of Miss Ella Shields (born Baltimore, Maryland in 1879). Here is her 1919 Darewski number by Huntley Trevor & John Neat - 'Where Did You Find the Lady?' All about Bertie Blandford's adventures at the seaside after his demobilisation #MusicHall

This week 60 years ago, we reported on the 10 productions – and the array of stars – that impresario Bernard Delfont was bringing to the West End 👇

Two fantastic #BMHS events this October! 🎭 📚 Archive on Show @ Lambeth Archives – Thu 9 Oct, 2pm 🎤 Kirsty Roberts Talk @ The Water Rats – Tue 21 Oct, 7pm (celebrating Black performers in Morecambe’s history) 📖 Book here: britishmusichallsociety.com/events

'The Prime Minister of Mirth' George Robey was #BOTD 1869. A couple of places he lived at pictured, a flat in this block in Hove and the large white house with a green roof in Saltdean now an old folks home. His autograph is common but a goodun! #ArchibaldCertainlyNot! @musichallsociety.bsky.social

This week's #songsheetsaturday celebrates George Robey's birth #OTD 1869 with a cover of 'If I Had a Baby Like You' from the 'Joy-Bells' revue performed in this show with Shirley Kellogg. Albert De Courville's 'Joy-Bells' debuted at the London Hippodrome in March 1919 #musichall #revue #archive

The Bruce Forsyth Show (18th September 1966). Roy Castle and Bruce demonstrate their all-round entertainer skills.

Pleasure, thoroughly enjoyed it. Good to shine a bit of extra light on George Le Brunn’s music hall composing career, and his life in and around Brixton. Looking forward to more delving in BMHS archive in future too and not just Le Brunn’s song sheet collection

Thank you to @charlieholland.bsky.social @roadsw9.bsky.social @chrisabbott.bsky.social @youngalison.bsky.social Ally Wolf of the Clapham Grand and Christine Padwick for a fantastic series of lightning talks last night covering items in the BMHS Archive with a Lambeth connection #MusicHall #archives

Step into the origins of #MusicHall with this week’s #SongSheetSaturday. Discover ‘Rat Catcher’s Daughter’ by Sam Cowell, a standout at Charles Morton's famed Canterbury Music Hall in 1852. Despite earning up to £80 weekly, Cowell died penniless in 1864. #MusicHistory

Our very first 'archive on show' morning was such a success back in August that we are running it again, on the afternoon of Thursday 9 October 2025, 2pm at Lambeth Archives. Booking details here: www.ticketsource.co.uk/britishmusic...

When Love Creeps in Your Heart is our tune for this week's #SongsheetSaturday. It was written by A.J. Mills and Bennett Scott, and sung by both Dorothy Ward & Evie Greene, We're sharing both versions here - it's surprising how similar they are.

After the success of our first archive ‘on show’ morning we are running the event again - in the afternoon of Thursday 9 October, 2pm. Booking details here: www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/16-...

Our Archive page now features a guide to using the BMHS Archive and our Collections Policy for potential donations. We constantly update ARCHIVES HUB - you can explore more at: britishmusichallsociety.com/archives britishmusichallsociety.com/archives

To conclude our Florrie Forde month for #songsheetsaturday here’s ‘Florrie Forde’s Favourites,’ showcasing her extensive work. She performed in pantomime into the 1930s & appeared in the Royal Variety Performance in 1935 at age 60, having also participated in the first one in 1912 #MusicHall

A glimpse into the collections at The Magic Circle this afternoon 😃 #magic #london #thingstodoinlondon #magictricks