I probably didn’t recognise it at the time, but now as I look back over my working life I can see that the period from the late 70’s to the end of the 80’s was undoubtedly pretty hectic.
Moving home and work from Suffolk to Norfolk was soon to be followed by marriage and a son born in 1982. Then another career move to the East Midlands in 1986 was succeeded by the ‘big move’ back to London in 1988. Yes, it was certainly a period of intense activity with, fortunately, many compensatory rewards……
And somewhere in the middle of all this animation I found myself in the stalls of the Civic Theatre, Mansfield, watching Frank Carson in pantomime.
The Palace Theatre, Mansfield, began life as the Palace Electric Theatre, opening its doors for the first time on Tuesday 13th December, 1910. Just over 100 years ago it was described as 'the last word in electric theatre... refinement and novelty' - it was a 'palace fit for a king'.
Then shortly after the Second World War the cinema was closed and the stage was enlarged to accommodate live shows. As a variety house the Palace attracted many famous names including Larry Grayson, Steve Lawrence and Hilda Baker……
In 1953 (coincidently the year of my birth) Mansfield District Council bought the theatre at a cost of £11,500, restored it and in 1956 it re-opened as the 'Civic Hall' with the Chesterfield Repertory Company performing 'School for Spinsters' - the management of the Civic certainly knew how to pack them in…
The theatre underwent a major rebuilding programme in the 60’s and then in 1968 Mansfield District Council offered a five guinea prize for a new name for the building…… the winner was….. 'Civic Theatre' (the theatre changed its name again in the 1990’s, following another refurbishment)!
And so it came to pass that in the year of our famous play-off final win over Wolverhampton Wanderers (my son’s second Shots game), we found ourselves watching Frank Carson as Buttons in a pretty tawdry production of Cinderella.
Buttons is the servant of Cinderella's father, Baron Hardup, and is Cinderella's friend. He is in love with Cinderella and is constantly trying to express his feelings to her, only for her to remain unaware of his love ……or she simply replies that she loves him only as the brother she never had.
Buttons is a strong comedy role with many jokes to keep the audience ‘amused’ and to cheer up the mistreated Cinderella. Often these jokes are insults directed at Cinderella's two ugly sisters, either to their faces or behind their backs …….
Even after all these years I can remember my five year old son’s comments quite vividly, as he watched the curtain come down on Buttons for the last time……’that was rubbish Dad…..I wish we had travelled down to the Rec - now that would have been fun….’
Frank Carson is now 85 and was pretty popular during the 70’s and 80’s. (Frank sadly died on February 22nd 2012)
His nephew Trevor Carson (23) is a highly rated young goalkeeper currently with Bury, on loan from Premiership side Sunderland.
In 2011 he was loaned to Lincoln City where he made 16 appearances including the 2v2 draw at the Recreation Ground, Aldershot, on February 15th 2011.
I don't get to see many Boxing Day games. It’s not the distance....whether we are at home in Devon or Wales matters little to this long distance supporter. No, my absence is for the simple reason that, ‘for one night only’, I acquiesce to my wife’s plaintive cry ……’surely you’re not going to the game today when we have visitors’.
But this year was different. I was ‘instructed’ to collect my step-daughter’s boyfriend from London on the 27th , early in the morning. And therefore quite reasonably I had to travel up to ‘town’ the day before, giving me the opportunity to meet up with my family at the Rec for the fixture with Southend United.
Looking back I suppose the portents weren’t great. The very late entrance of ‘Shrimpers’ to La Fontaine confirmed that the M25 had been up to its old tricks……with the shockwaves from the early morning accident near Heathrow washing up on the beach at Leatherhead until after lunch.
And I can’t say I noticed the lack of illumination as we entered the ground at 2.40pm. The magnetic attraction of the ‘burger bar’ and the much awaited tiny portion of chips (20 chips for £2…..it’s the charge for service I guess) was too strong.
For most of the first (only) half Southend were pretty robust……..quicker to the ball, stronger in the tackle and so much better at falling over when tackled than an Aldershot side who gave the appearance of a returning late night drunken reveller……stumbling, slow and mentally absent.
By the time Darren Jones was sent off for a pretty poor attempt at ‘knocking Dickinson’s block off’ the floodlight failure was all too obvious.
So it certainly wasn’t a surprise when the announcement to call the game off for safety reasons came just as Southend returned to the pitch after their half-time cup of tea. But what did surprise us was the immediate reply from our pitch-side announcer, ‘Tayley’, that ‘oh no it isn’t off’. We all sat down again……’the game has been called off for safety reasons’, came the instant and cold reply. But before we could get to our feet, ‘no it hasn’t’, Tayley stridently confirmed……….are you sure Tayley I mused, as 50% of our floodlights continued with their strike.
‘The game has been cancelled’….. even ‘Tayley’ had to admit defeat.
Now for the few ‘Shrimpers’ reading this can I just point out that your extended journey time was not ‘our fault’. And furthermore we quite like the Recreation Ground……the setting is splendid and the atmosphere when the stadium is full is as good as you will find anywhere.
Mind you, saving a bit of money by using ‘leftover’ Shrewsbury Town tickets possibly did give you a jaundiced opinion of our club and I suppose we could have let people know, as they were stuck in the traffic jam on the M25, that the floodlights were playing up…..or you could have been warned when entering the ground. But I’m sure such knowledge would have made little difference to the migratory habits of the attending fans as we all entered the Rec on Monday with the required blind and immovable optimism.
And so as I walked back up Redan Road to my car after the truncated game and looked down on the semi-illuminated football ground, my thoughts returned to Cinderella…..and Buttons…..
Yes son you were right……the Recreation Ground on Boxing Day ‘was fun’.
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