Sketches, Dispatches, Hull Tales and Ballads - University of Hull

Tickets could be bought from Mr Robert Bowser, Manager of the
Assembly Rooms, and from Mr J W Leng of Saville Street, who
displayed a plan of the reserved seats. They were priced thus:
Reserved Seats : 5s
Second Seats : 4s
Orchestra (or Platform) : 1s
The average weekly wage paid to an ordinary agricultural labourer
at this time was 11s 8 1/2d. Dickens always stipulated that a certain
number of cheaper-priced seats should be made available and was
keen to make his readings as inclusive as possible.
Dickens was delighted with his reception in Hull and described
the occasion, with characteristic hyperbole, in a letter to one of his
daughters:
The Hull people (not generally considered excitable, even
on their own showing) were so enthusiastic that we were
obliged to promise to go back there for Two Readings!
I have positively resolved not to lengthen out the time of
my tour, so we are arranging to drop some small places and
substitute Hull again and York again.
Arthur (Smith) told you, I suppose, that he had his shirt
front and waistcoat torn off last night; he was perfectly
enraptured in consequence. Our men got so knocked about
that we gave them five shillings apiece on the spot.
John passed several minutes upside down against the wall
with his head among the people’s boots; he came out of the
difficulty in an exceedingly tousled condition and with his
face much flushed.
For all this and their being packed, as you may conceive
they would be packed, they settled down the instant I went
in and never wavered in the closest attention for an instant.
It was a very high room and required a great effort.
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