Save Streatham Hill Theatre from change of use to a church

In 1962, the Theatre became Mecca’s flagship bingo social club, run by Eric Morley, head of Mecca and founder of Miss World, who in 1970 called Streatham Hill “the greatest entertainment centre in Britain”.

We have heard from Peter Gauci who was manager there in 1972/3.

Thank you for sharing the photos of SHT but it hurts to see the changes as I still remember “the good ole days”!

The “royal boxes” were hardly ever used as patrons would object to having somebody “just like them” elevated to such a “royal” position! I remember using them once when I did a special “Queen for the Day” promotion but that was a rarity. The stage looks much different from how it was in 1972/73 when I was the manager.  No front steps, just side steps and the bingo caller’s rostrum was completely different.  A big square box with glass sides and the bingo balls swirling around inside for all to see.  And noisy.   

[When I became the manager at Mecca’s new club in Harlow, Essex, in 1980, we had the latest bingo equipment available that was all digital and totally quiet.  Very odd with no sound and I felt it lost a lot of the atmosphere but after that all the new clubs adopted that.]

The resident caller each afternoon was a wonderful man with the stage name of Dallas Cavell.   He was a professional actor who starred in one of the popular daytime soaps but also, as I just discovered after looking him up online, he was a prolific actor starring in stage and television roles [including in Doctor Who].  Sadly, I was informed, he passed away in 1993 at the young age of 67. 

He would sometimes call me, with his deep baritone voice and eloquently say, “Oh, Mr. Gauci, I’ve been  delayed at the studio and will be a few minutes late so could you start the session for me?” Which, of course, I did.   I would announce that Dallas wouldn’t be there that afternoon and I would be calling the numbers and you would hear the groans from the ladies present.  He was that popular. 

But we had a regular plan we used and when he appeared eventually at the side of the stage I would carry on calling until partway through a number, say “Seven-and-nine”, he would creep onto the stage while everyone’s heads were down looking at their cards and finish the call “Seventy-nine” in that glorious baritone and all the heads would look up!  It was classic theatre.  It always gave us a chuckle.  

I was particularly struck looking at the amazing paintwork that still shows after all these many years.  Look at the detail and the gold leaf.   I remember when I first joined Mecca in 1969 (just a babe) and started at their newest club in Manor Park, East London, where I lived.  Mecca had taken over the old, closed down, cinema, the Coronation, and spent over a million pounds in refurbishing it.  (That’s close to 18-20 million pounds today).   Outrageous colours and tons of gold leaf but there were no other clubs around that went to the lengths that Mecca did to make their places extra special.    

I don’t have any additional photographs to share (though I include a couple of Miss World ones which don’t show much of the theatre) and I don’t know if any of the former managers are still around to offer any additional stories.  In the 60s and 70s we didn’t have the benefit of cell phones and instant photography that we have now so we had to rely on the local photographer that we would hire for a special promotion. 

I worked with the Miss World Organisation every year from 1970 until 1981 during the 2-3 weeks of the competition in London.  I was there in the Royal Albert Hall during the November, 1970, Women’s Lib protests, my first year.  I thought “What have I got myself into?” (Watch the movie “Misbehaviour” for an idea of what happened, but I was there). And then, each year, I would get a call from Julia Morley to ask if I would be willing to help out again that coming November.  I never refused as it was so much fun as well as hard work. 

Eventually I got the position of “Host to the Sponsors and Delegates (and parents)” of the competitors and I looked after them, about a hundred or more people from about 80-100 countries.  What an awesome job! I also did some Personal Appearance work after the competition taking the winners around to Mecca clubs around London which was very enjoyable too.  Oh, to be young again!

I know that Julia Morley continued promoting the Miss World contest so maybe a call to the London office might produce some names.  After all, it was her husband, the great Eric Morley, that started the Miss World Contest in 1951 and Streatham Hill Theatre was his pride and joy, so maybe in their files they might still have information about the old managers.

You have stirred up some fond memories of my time there.  Best wishes with your endeavour.