British Music Hall Society

A small brown suitcase with contents (jewellery, make up brushes, mirrors, purse) on display at Blackpool's Showtown Museum, with mannequin head alongside with black velvet hat with diamanté, all possessions of music hall performer, Florrie Forde. Resting on yellow plinth.

Image of Florrie Forde with big hat with very big decorative feather. From BMHS Archive.

🎶 #MusicHallMonday
From the BMHS Archive - now on display at Showtown in Blackpool - this small brown case once belonged to music hall legend Florrie Forde.
Born Flora Flannagan in Melbourne, she arrived in London in 1897 & quickly became a star, famed as “The World’s Greatest Chorus Singer.”

#SongSheetSaturday – For the First Time (I've Fallen in Love) (1943), words by Charles Tobias, music by David Kapp. Brought to life by the incomparable Leslie 'Hutch' Hutchinson - a 1930s cabaret star who reinvented himself for the variety stage during WWII.

It's Monday, it's Music Hall! 🎭 #MusicHallMonday
The legendary boots of Little Tich — whose Big-Boot Dance influenced everyone from Chaplin to Tati — are on loan from our #archive to Blackpool's Showtown Museum. Go and see them!

🔥 #SongSheetSaturday 🔥 "Jeremiah, Blow the Fire," from 1877, was performed by GH MacDermott. This cheeky tune gained popularity in music halls for its "doubtful character." Consider these chorus lines: 'Jeremiah, blow the fire, puff, puff, puff, First you do it gently, then you come it rather rough'

🎭 10th DAY BY THE SEA! Sat 6th June 2026
Online booking opens Mon 2nd March at 10am ⏰
The British Music Hall Society returns to the Royal Hippodrome, Eastbourne for a full day of Music Hall, Variety, Comedy & Nostalgia — featuring Amanda Barrie, Gyles Brandreth, & Tim Vine
buff.ly/uNSMeEI

To mark Women's History Month, we're opening our doors for a hands-on afternoon with our archive. Explore original posters, programmes, costumes, scrapbooks & more — with a special focus on women in music hall & variety.
📅 Thursday 12th March | 🕐 2–4pm | 📍 Lambeth Archives

🌟 Our President's Lunch is on Sunday 22 March 2026. Join BMHS President Su Pollard for a three-course lunch, a glass of bubbly on arrival 🥂, and an afternoon with special guests Jeffrey Holland (her Hi-De-Hi! co-star!), panto pal Jamie Leahey & a mystery guest TBA! 🎭

Sheet music cover for 'It's A Bit of A Ruin That Cromwell Knocked About A Bit' sung by Marie Lloyd. Inset full length photograph of Marie Lloyd. British Music Hall Society Archive image.

🏰 #SongSheetSaturday 🏰
"It's a Bit of a Ruin that Cromwell Knocked About a Bit" (1921)
Performed by the incomparable Marie Lloyd, Queen of the Music Hall who brought this witty number to life, poking fun at England's crumbling historical sites with her trademark cheeky charm #MusicHall

Join me at the fab Cinema Museum - occupying the old Lambeth Workhouse - on Thurs 9 April 7pm. Charlie, his brother Syd & their mother Hannah were “in-mates” here, as was my great-great grandfather William Partridge #HardStreets @profilebooks.bsky.social
Tix here cinemamuseum.org.uk/scheduled/bo...

Last November, I gave a talk at The London Archives' Symposium on Music Hall, covering a tragic 'unrideable mule' incident that began on-stage at the Clapham Grand in 1906, now adapted as a blog post here 👇️
musichallalice.wordpress.com/2026/02/18/a...

Thank you to everyone who attended our 'In the Limelight' talk with Jan Hunt and Ben Stock. Our next event is on Tuesday, 24th March at 7 pm, featuring Midge Gillies discussing 'The Barbed Wire University' and how WWII PoW camps nurtured future performers. Book tickets here: buff.ly/f8SJxfk

BBC London - Evening News: 17/02/2026 The latest news, sport and weather from London.

Great BBC News London piece this evening on the National Centre for Circus Arts's Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) youth scheme that Olympic gold medal winner Tabby Stoecker was part of. 12'40" in to the programme. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

💕 #SongSheetSaturday meets Valentine's Day! 💕
"Lovetime (Any Old Time Will Do)" (1908), sung by George Lashwood with words by Harry Castling & music by Fred Godfrey. Forget fancy restaurants & overpriced roses - according to this Edwardian charmer, when it comes to romance, any old time will do!

George Williams Archive. Page from his scrap book with photographs of friends inc, Quentin Crisp. BMHS Archive image.

Black and white promotional postcard for George Williams in flat cap, wearing a rubber ring & holding a ukulele. British Music Hall Society Archive

Page from the personal scrapbook of performer George Williams. BMHS Archive,

George Williams as clown, in tweed flat cap. BMHS Archive.

For LGBTQ+ History Month we're highlighting George Williams (1910-1995) whose archive of scrapbooks & unpublished autobiography is held by the BMHS. After early success, George was imprisoned for homosexuality in 1952 but resumed his career in the 60s. buff.ly/xee50mu

The 3 #victorian incarnations of #Scarborough Spa as seen in paintings on display at Scarborough Art Gallery. First the Gothic Saloon by Henry Wyatt of 1839, then the music hall & observation tower of 1858 by Joseph Paxton & George Stokes, finally the current building by Verity and Hunt opened 1878

New blog post about Kate Castleton intothelimelight.org. Early music hall performer. Married a forger - twice! @musichallsociety.bsky.social #MusicHall #musichall

Next week - Tuesday 17 February 2026 7pm - the remarkable Jan Hunt in conversation with Ben Stock! Very few tickets left - book now to secure your place 👇️
buff.ly/phMWIvS

😂

Sheet music cover for 'Come Out' (1901) written by& performed by Music Hall performer Austin Rudd. Bold red lettering for song title and performer name and comical illustration by HG Banks. British Music Hall Society Archive.

🎵 #SongSheetSaturday 🎵
A gem from 1901 "Come Out" by Austin Rudd. This piece, with both music and lyrics by Rudd, is complemented by HG Banks' whimsical illustration of a husband in the waves while his wife demands he "Come out!" For the full music, contact our #archive (details on our website)

Su Pollard, President of the British Music Hall Society with her Chain of Office. And a tiara!

Join us for our President’s Lunch on Sunday 22 March 2026 with our fabulous President, Su Pollard 💫 Enjoy a three-course meal, a welcome glass of bubbly, and an afternoon in the company of fantastic guest speakers and fellow members.
🎟 £60 members | £75 non-members ✨ BOOK HERE buff.ly/PYgPGV2

116 years ago today Belle Elmore went missing. Her husband, Dr Crippen told her friends, the Music Hall Ladies Guild that she had gone to America to deal with a family emergency. But she hadn’t. He’d poisoned her and buried her in the cellar. They would spend the rest of 1910 bringing him to justice

Check out our next 'Archives on Show' event at Lambeth Archives. To coincide with Women's History Month there will be an emphasis on women in #musichall & #variety. Book here:

Throwback to September 2025, in the latest @musichallsociety.bsky.social ‘Call Boy’, with a little piece about the excellent #MusicHall themed ‘Wax Fruit’ book launch at BAaD Glasgow

Follow @waxfruittvseries on Instagram for more updates!

@jamiemacdougall.bsky.social

Roy Hudd and Jools Holland at Wilton's Music Hall, 2013. Image: Doug McKenzie.

Jools Holland and Roy Hudd on stage at Wilton's Music Hall in 2013. Image: Doug McKenzie,

Wishing a very happy birthday to our Patron, Jools Holland! Throwback to 2013 when he joined our then-President Roy Hudd at Wilton's Music Hall to celebrate 50 years of our Society.
Images: Doug McKenzie.

Book tickets for Tuesday 17th February 2026

Thank you to everyone who attended yesterday's 'In the Limelight' talk at The CAA! Our next event is on Tuesday, 17th February at 7pm with Ben Stock and Jan Hunt, who will share stories from her 55-year career. Book tickets here:

Join Us | British Music Hall Society If you are interested in entertainment past and present, why not join our Society?

The Winter edition of The Call Boy will be arriving with members this week...if you want to receive your own copy of our journal (published 4 times a year) then JOIN US! Membership details HERE - britishmusichallsociety.com/join-us

A music hall classic for #songsheetsaturday - Two Lovely Black Eyes - first published in 1886 with lyrics by Charles Coborn. Coborn reckoned he performed this number more than 250,000 times throughout his long career. 'Two lovely black eyes, Oh what a surprise, Only for telling a man he was wrong.'

🎭 In the Limelight Talk: The Story of Showtown 📅 Tuesday 20 Jan 2026 ⏰ 2pm
@jillc86.bsky.social Exhibitions Manager at Blackpool’s Showtown, shares how the museum was created & the stories behind its galleries ✨ 1st talk in our new venue. Book here www.ticketsource.co.uk/bookings/evt...

Black and white song sheet cover from 1915 for "Come and Cuddle Me" featuring a head & shoulder photograph of Dorothy Ward. Text lists written by Clifford Harris; composed by Jas W Tate and sung my Miss Clarice Mayne. Published by Francis Day & Hunter Ltd. From the British Music Hall Society Archive.

Our first #SongSheetSaturday of 2026 – “Come & Cuddle Me”. As the temperatures drop, this might be a solution for seeking that extra warmth. A 1915 #panto hit for Dorothy Ward, composed by Clifford Harris & Jas W. Tate (Clarice’s husband).

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