Annette Holloway as Demon Glum in Pantomime at Con Club
Our pantomimes were always very well supported. So many people were in them and others came to watch. We used to go to Mrs Hans Hamilton’s house sometimes rehearsing for the pantomimes. I always remember this fire in the middle of the room.
Annette Haynes nee Holloway
Mrs Hans Hamilton front right and Sam McDonald with cast from Guides and Brownies including Mollie Mallett and Effie Pitman centre stage :photo Mary Lord
We’d start about 6 months before the performance and often practise and rehearse 6 evenings a week. We’d give performances at Wilberforce Hall in Brighstone for 2 nights, 2 nights at West Wight School – there was a good stage there, 2 nights at Yarmouth at The Con Club.
Mrs Hans Hamilton used to write the words and play the piano too. Although she was one of the rich people in the town she worked really hard for the community. If she told you what to do, you did it! She didn’t stand any nonsense but it was such fun.
Effie Pitman was usually the Principal Boy – she had such good legs – , with Mollie Mallet.
So many people were involved. Barry MacDonald’s father used to play the drums for us, Malcolm Mallet the butcher, and Raich Doe( harbour master) used to build the scenery for us.
Betty Coates Evans b 1938
Audience at Con Club, 1950s : Free Time photo Carol Corbett
Yarmouth Institute 1930s
Perce Bennett was President after the war. When no longer a Billiards player, he would always provide the young chaps with a “tanner” for the light meter so they could play and he could watch.
Bert Ablitt enjoyed playing Billiards with the younger players so he could coach them. When a wrong shot was taken, Bert would replace the balls, explain the best shot to play and let the young player continue.
The Institute has always been the relaxation centre for local people, led by local tradesmen. In 1952 when the “Old Comrades Club” based in the Castle was wound up, the ‘old comrades’ wanted somewhere to play cards and billiards as they had done in the Castle, and many transferred membership to The Institute.
With the help of Chris Kinsella (landlord of the Wheatsheaf) the Institute established a bar in 1971, the most significant change in the history of the Club.
Youngsters are still encouraged to come in and make use of the facilities and build on the knowledge of older participants at the Billiard or SnookerTables.
Stuart Holloway b 1937
When Yarmouth played West Wight they used to have a couple of hundred, they come down from Freshwater. They used to have to pay to go in then if it was a cup tie. I can remember Dad was always on the gate. He was on the committee. When he finished work he used to go up there marking it out. But oh yes, there used to be some grand scraps between Yarmouth and West Wight.
Football at the Rec pre WWII
The older school kids used to go up there during the winter once a week. We just used the whole pitch, plodding up and down. Anybody who had a football was well in. You’d see two or three go up after school kicking about, shooting in goal, you know, one in goal, and having a tussle. I mean you never see them now. These days, of course there’s not so many children of that age in the town as there used to be.
Phil Kelsey b 1920
Several locals played for West Wight – George Kelsey, Fred Cheverton and Chris Cheverton, Ted Lawry, Ted Crooks, Denny Stretton, Stuart Holloway, and before I left to become a Police Cadet in 1963, I joined Dad, (Ted Lawry) so there were two generations of Chevertons and two generations of Lawrys playing.
In the early days when Dad was playing, my mum used to push my sister in her pram with me walking, along the railway line to watch Dad play at Stroud. If we were lucky, there were wild strawberries growing along the railway line to make the walk more tasty.
I remember being told that Dad, who was a ‘Demon Bowler,’ took a lot of wickets at Calbourne in one match. Dad was working in the High Street on the following Monday, and Bill Brett, a staunch Calbourne player and member of a cricketing family, was working in South Street. Dad couldn’t resist the chance to celebrate West Wight’s victory so he made a giant sized bat and sent his apprentice round to deliver it to Bill Brett, with the message that Calbourne might like to use it in the next match.
Richard Lawry b 1947
:Yarmouth Football Team, with Bill Pomroy in goal 1936
The best team Yarmouth had was in 1947 when they played in the final of the Hampshire Cup over at Fratton Park. They had George Cleary from the pub, George Kelsey, two masters from the school at Eastmore and two lads from there. One of them, Charlesworth, he was really good, he went on to play for Wolverhampton. Mr. Holding from the shop, he was Chairman, and helped with money. You might get two or three hundred watching.
You should have seen Bun Cotton! He would really get stuck in. The ball would be at the other end and you’d look round and there was Bun, having a real go at someone. Yes, he used to get sent off.
Ted Levey used to referee, but every time he refereed when Yarmouth was playing he got into trouble. He’d be blowing the whistle and getting really queer with people.
My family played; Dad played in goal for Yarmouth and my brothers Derek and Peter. Derek was the best player of the family. I went with him when he had a trial for Southampton when he was 18 or 19, but when he came on the pitch at The Dell and saw the crowd, it was just too much for him. When I was 14, I had to go and see the Headmaster at Freshwater to get permission to play for Yarmouth First Team. My Mum used to have to do all that washing, kit for 3 of us, heavy shirts and all. Brian Pomroy b 1937
Yarmouth and Ningwood WI meeting at Ningwood
Yarmouth W.I. used to meet at Ningwood – Yarmouth didn’t have a place of its own you see, so they used to go to Ningwood’s hall. I remember going out there with my mother with some veg. she had grown and I had to stay with it when she went home. I got into trouble for starting to collect all the carrots up before it was time, then I had to bring them back on the bus. Pat Burt nee Adams b 1929
The ‘Con Club’, Sports and Social Club was used as an entertainment venue for concerts, plays and pantomimes. ‘Winter Wonderland’ was one when I would have been 7. My mother was in the show, I wanted to go all the time to watch it.
I went with my grandmother one night and couldn’t understand why my dad wasn’t there, and apparently he took one of the women’s places because they were ill.
Watching the entertainment at the ‘Con’ Club 1950s
Carol Corbett nee Cotton b 1946
Front of stage Mrs. Hans Hamilton, writer and producer, with Sam McDonald who provided music for Guides and Brownies’ pantomimes.
The concerts and pantomimes arranged by Mrs. Hans Hamilton and Win Davison were a really important part of our lives. By the time we were ready to put them on, it was often Easter. Rangers, Guides and Brownies were always involved, music and dancing. Effie was usually the principal boy, with Mollie Mallett – they both had good singing voices. By the time we actually gave the performance, I was usually word perfect for the whole play, everyone’s part. Mary Lord nee Hayles b 1936
Sea Rangers on a trip to London and Windsor
One year we had an outing to London and Windsor, all in one day, when I was in the Sea Rangers. Although we were Sea Rangers, we didn’t have much to do with boats.
Mrs Hans Hamilton was the leader.
Effie Pitman b 1921