In The Early 1940's in MANCHESTER-Professional Wrestling was Staged at The ARDWICK
STADIUM-A Pugilist Arena Nicknamed 'The BLOOD TUB'!!
This STADIUM Stood Opposite The NEW HIPPODROME on ARDWICK GREEN-Just SOUTH of
The City Centre on LONDON ROAD!
Top Wrestlers of The Time Appeared There including a Very Young BILLY JOYCE!-See Below
My Original Flyers!-Dubbed The BLOOD TUB for its Guarantee of Plenty of Claret!-The Venue
Was 'Eclipsed' for Wrestling When The Sport Returned to My Beloved KINGS HALL at
BELLE VUE-Just Along HYDE ROAD from THE GREEN in 1945 Promoted Big Style Again by
DICK and JESSE ROGERS!-Until 1956!-ARDWICK STADIUM is Now Long Since Demolished!
On 29TH AUGUST 1938 a New Art Deco Style Building Opened on ARDWICK GREEN-
Launched by The Famous Actress MARGARET LOCKWOOD!
The Building's Frontage/Main Facade was in Glazed WHITE Terracotta and its Primary
Purpose was for Cinema and Variety Shows!
In The Early 1960's The Venue began to Host Pop Concerts-and The BEATLES Performed
There Twice in 1963 and 1965!-Other Artists Who Appeared Included The ROLLING
STONES and IKE and TINA TURNER!-It had a Capacity of 2693!
In 1977 The Venue was Rebranded The MANCHESTER APOLLO and Cinema was Dropped
From its Entertainment Roster!
Which brings Us to 1982 and Our Good Friend BRIAN DIXON Who began Putting On
Wrestling Shows at The APOLLO!
Below MAIN MASK is Holding My Original Poster for a DIXON Event on SATURDAY 20TH
MARCH!-This Show Features his Wife MITZI in The Ladies Tag Match and STEVE VEIDOR
Taking-On The Sinister MASKED EXORCIST in The Double Main Event!
JON CORTEZ is Still Going and Our Favourite COLIN JOYNSON is The Main Support!
So 40 Years!! on from The BLOOD TUB-Thanx to BRIAN DIXON and ALL STAR!-We Still
Could Enjoy Great Professional Wrestling at ARDWICK GREEN in MANCHESTER!!
MAIN MASK
No there were others.
Peter
2h
Replying to
RON HISTORYO....Time Cop,
Was this a one off?
For the Ardwick? No doubt Ron will tell us.
For 1930s women wrestling?. Certainly not.
Hard to believe but The Blood Tub had lady wrestlers back in 1935.
I Agree OSTY-Very 'Wordy'!-However as with your Good Self-It STILL Achieves
its Purpose-ATTRACTION!!
Nearly ALL 1930's Posters and Programmes were Packed with Detail and Photos
Weren't They?-If There were 4 Fights you Invariably got 8 Photos on The Poster!
Contributes to making Them Mini 'Works of Art''!!-
And Crucially VALUE for Money!
I Love The INKS too!!
MM
A FAB Original 1930's BELLE VUE Poster!...
Here....
MM
Many Thanx HACK!-During The War-Don't forget too The Very High
Entertainment Duty Levy!
In The Mid 1930's KINGS HALL-BELLE VUE was Making Over £700.00 a
Show!-I have some of KATHLEEN LOOK's Hand Written Original Personal
Accounts for The Business!-Even a Price Point Breakdown of UNSOLD
Ticket Totals were Recorded!!
BELLE VUE Posters in her Era were Superb!!
MM
A great bit of history about Ardwick Stadium Main Mask.
Kathleen Look/Oakeley did produce superb printed programmes in the 1930s and had a well run publicity machine. But I think we've always to be careful of viewing the 1930s through Oakley's rose tinted glasses. These huge names on the Belle Vue bills were working the town halls up and down the country every other night without the same level of publicity.
If posters didn't exist in the war it could be down to problems knowing who would be available too far in advance or the limited resources to print posters and programmes. There was a war on you know.
More for you OSTY!
I'm Showing you My 1943 Original Programme for Wrestling in CLECKHEATON!
This Promoter was Happy to Produce an Event Programme in This Small NORTHERN
Town!!-Note ALL The DETAIL!! DEWSBURY's HARRY SMITH is The Promoter
for This Show!
Also 2 Original Programmes for TOWER CIRCUS-BLACKPOOL in 1941 and 1942!
Among Many Others-LIVERPOOL STADIUM and KING GEORGES HALL in
BLACKBURN-2 of My Old Stomping Grounds- Produced Event Programmes
For Their Shows during The War Years!
I have Proof of BELLE VUE Wrestling Show Attendances during The 1930's!-as
I have Some Original Handwritten KATHLEEN LOOK Accounts Declaring Gate
Receipts for Shows as well as Number and Breakdown of Priced Seats Monetarily!
Even Detailing Number of UNSOLD Tickets!
So it's a Source of Disappointment to Me that The Promotional Publicity
Machine Perfected so well by PAUL LINCOLN wasn't as 'Geared Up' in The
War Years as it was Under LOOK in The '30's and The ROGERS after 1945
With The Seemingly Lack of Posters/Programmes for The Shows 1940-1944!
MAIN MASK
OSTY!-You say 'I don't think Wrestling Promoters were going to spend much money on
Programmes during the war'!-But That's My Whole Point!!
RELWYSKOW DID for example!!
I have Dozens of Original Programmes for LEEDS and BRADFORD 1940-1944-
Same for GALALAND!-Also Same even for Small Local Promoters!
I have Loads of Original POSTERS for 1940-1944!-See Below!
But NOTHING for BELLE VUE during These Years!!??
MM
I agree with Ron. It was two different philosophies perhaps, but also I don't think the wrestling promoters were going to spend much money on programmes during the war. Maybe Belle Vue didn't need it. Take your word MM that you've never found anything, you would be the person to find anything if it existed!
Belle Vue could be looked at as the home of wrestling through the war years, gave the wrestlers regular work most weeks. Then there was the 'Holidays at Home' initiative later in the War that probably helped get more patrons along.
At One Point in 1940-1941 BRITAIN was 2 Weeks away from Starving!-Rationing was
In Full Force and Money was in Short Supply!-All I'm saying is That I very much doubt
All 6000 Seats were Sold Out Every Week!
Everyone wanted Their Fish and Chips so Wrestling wasn't a Top Priority for The
Household Budget!
MM
My understanding of Belle Vue in the War years is that it was booming , twice a week wrestling and the biggest Entertainment Complex in the Country. Without Tv etc the people badly needed their moral boosting.
The locals loved their wrestling. Of course Look and Oakeley pushed the boat out with support memorabilia , but the evidence in the newspapers suggests that the adverts alone were enough. These adverts went in papers up to 50 miles away.
In a short space of time Bert Assirati on two of these bills.
What I picked you up on was saying .......quote.
The Sport Returned to My Beloved KINGS HALL at BELLE VUE-Just Along HYDE ROAD from THE GREEN in 1945 Promoted Big Style Again by DICK and JESSE ROGERS!-Until 1956
Wrestling had never been absent.
Many Thanx RON!-Yes!-I Know BELLE VUE had Wrestling During The War Years!
I use the Tag-'Big Style'!-In My View The KATHLEEN LOOK Years were 'Big Time'!
Posters were Produced-Great Event Programmes were Produced-Publicity was
Extensive!-All The Above Applies in The DICK and JESSIE ROGERS Years!
BUT in 1940-1944 None of The Above Applies!
I've Never Seen an Original Poster for a Show During 1940-1944-Nor an Official
Programme in The Last 50 Years of Collecting Wrestling Memorabilia!
I Think you'll Find That Houses were Down vis-a vis The LOOK Years and Those
of The ROGERS!
So Wrestling at BELLE VUE 1940-1944 For Me wasn't 'Big Time'!
As I've Shown Other Venues in The War Years-RELWYSKOW-Produced
Fabulous 'Work of Art' Posters by Comparison!!
MM
Just a small correction on Belle Vue. There were regular shows through the war. I have 85 bills for 1943 and 96 for 1944. There was wrestling in every war year.
Promoter at Ardwick was Sam Cowen.