'My dad raised the curtains at the Empire' - one man's memories of being backstage at the famous Hartlepool theatre

The Empire Theatre in Hartlepool where Raymond Hopkins often spent time backstage as a boy.

That’s what Raymond Hopkins did as a boy when his dad Ernest worked behind-the-scenes at the Empire Theatre in Lynn Street in Hartlepool.

Raymond responded when we recently featured Hartlepool’s picture houses and theatres from years gone by.

He told us that his dad’s job ‘gave me free access to the world of the backstage on many an occasion. The management didn’t mind, as long as I was out of sight.”

St Aidan's School in 1949 with Raymond Hopkins pictured in braces.

The job, which Ernest did to earn extra money on top of his main work as a bread delivery driver, involved ‘drawing curtains across the stage whenever required. Actually, the main part of the job was to raise and lower the fire curtain during the intervals.

"Now that was really heavy, requiring two strong men to turn the windlass that moved it, hence its slow and majestic progress in each direction.”

But all is not glittering in the world of theatre as Raymond found out.

“I soon learned that the gold and glitter that adorned the interior was flaking and fading quite badly, with many a rip in the upholstery.

A 1970s view of Lynn Street with the Empire Theatre in the picture.

"Even so, the theatre offered a brief escape from the realities of everyday life with its shortages and rationing, not to be despised in the all too often grim and grey days immediately after the Second World War.”

Raymond also told us about his schooldays at ‘St Aidan’s school, Standard 4 in 1949’.

It was ‘boys only’ and Raymond told us: “The girls’ school was just next door, in the same building, separated by a high wall, over which it was strictly forbidden to peek.

"Any boy caught in that act faced the wrath of Mr Rouse, the headteacher. The threat alone was sufficient to keep us pure in mind and deed.

"Our teacher was Mrs Bilton. It was a small class, of only 44 pupils when we were all there, which I think rarely happened.

"Mornings were spent in chanting our multiplication tables ad nauseam.

"Perhaps some of your readers can provide names of the boys in the photograph.”

Raynond can be seen in braces in the middle of the picture but we would love to hear from anyone who can fill in the blanks. Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

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