The Working Men’s Club, East Road, 1974 (MoC565/74)

The Working Men’s Club and Institute, Picture Palace, East Road, Cambridge

History of the Working Men's Club and Institute

1863 Mr and Miss Hopkin were the inspiration behind the club. In 1863 they started to collect subscriptions and issued a circular setting out plans “to erect a small Workmen’s Hall where members would be provided with coffee, books, newspapers and any quiet and proper amusement. Accommodation will be afforded for lectures, reading classes and singing classes.” (Down Your Street, 1984, p.117.)

1910 04 29

Frederick Hawkins, proprietor of the Picture Palace, Workman’s Hall, Fitzroy Street, appeared in court under the Gaming Act. He had distributed numbered handbills and given half-a-crown to the person whose number he showed on the screen. On Saturday night there were other prizes of a silver-plated teapot, a silver-plated cruet and six teaspoons in a case. Hawkins said he had done it to test whether advertising by handbills was any good. But it was a breach of the law and he was given a nominal fine. 10 04 29a

Credit: Mike Petty, Fitzroy Street Cambridge Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

28 July 1911
A slight outbreak of fire occurred at the Picture Palace, East Road. The heat during the day had been intense and the lantern operator, Harry Pink, became a little faint and accidentally knocked a small piece of film on to the lantern, the heat igniting it. The film flared up and Pink quickly turned off the light, pulled down the safety shutters of the box, which is a fire-proof structure, and jumped out. The film soon burnt out and the audience, consisting of 37 children and three adults, walked out without any panic
Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge East Road Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, reference 11 07 28d.

26 July 1912
Mr Lloyd ex-manager, pianist and vocalist of the East Road Picture Palace told the court that Mr Hawkins had informed him he would close it for a month but that he should move to a new hall in Herne Bay. But he did not give notice or fill in the month as promised. Mr Hawkins, the proprietor of this and other halls in Cambridge, said he had tried to find Lloyd work and he’d be pleased for him to open at the Picture Palace again on August Bank Holiday Monday. Lloyd was a very able and competent man and it was astonishing he should cut his throat in this way. The case was dismissed.
Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge East Road Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, reference 12 07 26n.

1913

The Working Men’s Club and Institute, Herbert H Frohock, custodian

Fitzroy Street leads off to the left. Beyond the Club buildings have been demolished to widen the approach road to the roundabout.