Evergreen

28 EVERGREEN Autumn
(continued)
Slim
Dusty
PADOS, PRESTWICH
Prestwich Amateur Dramatic
and Operatic Society (PADOS)
are based in a former library in
Manchester where Percy used to
borrow books as a child! With Junior,
Youth and Adult productions, they
are very busy and looking forward to
their centenary.
Before locating to their current
home nearly 50 years ago, their
secretary, Lauren Livesey, tells me
they used to perform in church halls
and local theatres, including the
former Open Air Theatre in nearby
Heaton Park. More than 100 years
ago, the first live gramophone show
was broadcast there to a spellbound
crowd of more than 40,000. It was
devoted to Enrico Caruso who had
just appeared at the Free Trade Hall
who was delighted and congratulated
the impresario, William Grimshaw, a
budding local gramophone salesman.
“A PUB WITH NO BEER”
Nora Jackson from Uttoxeter in
Staffordshire is searching for the
sheet music of this jolly Australian
tune made popular nearly 60 years
ago by Slim Dusty (1927-2003). The
chords and lyrics are on the internet,
but does anyone have a copy of the
original score of the song which made
it to number five in the UK charts?
STUDIO THEATRE, SALISBURY
Dee Mansfield (in orange, below),
wrote in from Alderbury,
Wiltshire, to say Studio Theatre
had broken with their usual drama
productions by presenting
an Old Time Music Hall.
The cast sang Victorian and
Edwardian songs, including
the old favourite “Joshua” (left),
while the audience appeared in
suitable period costumes with a
prize awarded each evening for
the most well-dressed.
We are always pleased to hear
from amateur musical groups
without whom the nation
would be much poorer.