Photographs Through Time

The Empress Cinema

10th March 2018 by

This Spot, now the Shoulder of Mutton pub, was once home to the Empress Cinema. The cinema was purpose built in 1925 and modernised in 1938 with an extended auditorium and an Art Deco facade by the noted cinema architect Joseph Gomersall of Drury & Gomersall, Manchester, to maintain its attraction and support from the public.

dersb-57467-small — Empress Cinema, c.1935, JR Board Collection. DERSB : 57467.

The cinema was ran by Mr. Eldred Fletcher. acting as the projectionist and general manager. while his wife Eva was in charge of the front of house. In the early days of the cinema a lady was employed to accompany the silent films on a piano. For a short time she was joined by a violinist, but he complained that she ate while playing and scratched her back.

Programmes were changed three times a week with performances at 6:45pm and 9:00pm. Shows started with local adverts including Walkers Ice Cream – sold in the cinema from 3¼inch glass slides. This would be followed by “Gaumont British News” and two or three short films including Disney cartoons, The Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy, finally followed by the main feature film.

During the war and immediately after the business flourished. There were queues right up the road, and children from the Children’s Home and everyone from the Workhouse (later The Elms) has free seats.

[Read more…] about The Empress Cinema

Ashbourne Shrovetide Football Game

29th January 2018 by

The Royal Shrovetide Football Game is a survival of medieval street football that takes place every year on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. It is played between Up’ards, traditionally those from north of the river, and Down’ards, from south of the river. The game is played throughout the streets, alleyways, in the river and the park lake between goals three miles apart.

The ball is usually carried around in a large group of players (the hug), but there are occasional breakaways. A player scoring a goal keeps the ball but, if no goal is scored, the ball is returned to the “turner up” who starts the game by throwing the ball into the crowd of players.

On two occasions the ball has been ‘turned up’ by a Prince of Wales in 1928 and 2003.

Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, ‘turning up’ at Shrovetide in 1928

First World War Canadian soldiers arriving in Buxton.

12th December 2017 by

During the First World War over 1,000 Canadian soldiers arrived in the town via ambulance trains at Buxton railway station. Brighton, where solders had been treated initially, was considered by the Canadian War Office to be too much of a target, so Buxton was chosen instead as ‘the safest place in England’.

Buxton Hydro served as the main treatment centre, but many other buildings around town were also used as Discharge Depots including the Empire Hotel (now demolished) and the Peak Hydropathic (now Buxton Museum and Art Gallery).

The exterior of Peak Hydro, serving as a Canadian Red Cross Discharge Depot.

Masson Mills

12th December 2017 by

Masson by George Robertson, for Derby China (Derby Museum and Art Gallery)

Sir Richard Arkwright’s Masson Mills were established in 1783 and in continuous use until 1991. Today you can experience the sights, sounds and smells of a bygone age when you visit the working textile museum.

In December 2001, the Derwent Valley Mills in Derbyshire was inscribed on the World Heritage List. This international designation confirms the outstanding importance of the area as the birthplace of the factory system where in the 18th Century water power was successfully harnessed for textile production.

Find out more information about the history of Masson Mills here.

You can also find out what else there is to see and do at Masson Mills here.

Scarthin Rock & Rock House, Cromford

11th December 2017 by

You need to climb about fifty steps and you will have a good view of the Mill Yard on your left hand side. The five storey building was Richard Arkwright’s third mill on this site, dated 1785. It now houses the Visitor Centre and Cromford Creative. To the right of this mill is Arkwright’s 1771 mill, the world’s first successful water powered cotton spinning mill. You can hear the sound of water still passing through the site. The visible three storey buildings were warehouses.

Rock House from Scarthin Rock around 1980

Above the warehouses you can see Rock House on the hillside. This is where Arkwright lived until his death in 1792.

Willersley Castle

11th December 2017 by

From the top of Scarthin Rock on your right hand side you can see Willersley Castle. This was to have been Arkwright’s new home. It was begun in 1786, but burnt down in 1791, before being finished. Arkwright died in 1792 and was thus never able to move into this new home. Willersley Castle is now a hotel and welcomes visitors to the area.

Find out more information about the history of Cromford Mills here.

You can also find out what else there is to see and do in Cromford here.

Photographs Through Time

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