The Abingdon Bowling Club celebrated the centenary of their first ever match on Saturday 21st June 2014. Thanks to Gordon for the the original announcement and the picture of the successful replay in progress.
The Abingdon Bowling Club celebrated the centenary of their first ever match on Saturday 21st June 2014. Thanks to Gordon for the the original announcement and the picture of the successful replay in progress.
a smoking concert – what’s that then? – a concert where smoking is positively encouraged?
Musical fags? No wait, it must have been a Pipe Band!
I think they were concerts for men only, introduced to provide “culture” for the working man. They must have been quite a scene.
In addition to the Working Men’s Clubs, there were Working Men’s Institutes and Reading Rooms (an excellent example is to be seen at Childrey, near Wantage) across the country. Of course, this was before home entertainment systems were as sophisticated as they are now.
Smoking Concerts were still going in some places until the early 1950s!
Woodstock was renowned for being a smoking ‘concert’. A fair bit still goes on at Glastonbury !
I was wondering where the lion hotel was – on the high street at the end of West St. Helens street is the answer.
http://pubshistory.com/Berkshire/Abingdon/LionHotel.shtml
I remember having my first pint (at 14) in the “Gents” bar of the Queens hotel on the Market Place. and it really was men only !