During a recent visit to Cromer there was advertising for an impressive number events for spring and summer 2020 all of which were of course cancelled. This led me to consider if at its height Professional Wrestling was ever held in Cromer. I know Great Yarmouth was a hotbed in the 1960s/1970s but were else in Norfolk other than Norwich?
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WAW the Knight family promotion have regular events in Norwich
https://469af992-7f92-4707-80d4-4cc2c41ffa5e.filesusr.com/ugd/8c8314_9f9aa8fe3353404d90dee6dbaf3b9856.pdf
https://469af992-7f92-4707-80d4-4cc2c41ffa5e.filesusr.com/ugd/8c8314_152a32f42ead44019362bf199dd33a74.pdf
https://469af992-7f92-4707-80d4-4cc2c41ffa5e.filesusr.com/ugd/8c8314_1c11f03750bf410fa1459340eff7a8f4.pdf
https://469af992-7f92-4707-80d4-4cc2c41ffa5e.filesusr.com/ugd/8c8314_71d9f47d7eaa479e838a45f44274e0f1.pdf
https://469af992-7f92-4707-80d4-4cc2c41ffa5e.filesusr.com/ugd/8c8314_b71a529dfdd746e4a7f58b26158a01b1.pdf
https://469af992-7f92-4707-80d4-4cc2c41ffa5e.filesusr.com/ugd/8c8314_f39c0d520d49416a8b1a05f5683d20c7.pdf
A wonderful insight Norfolk Snake to what went on. Probably a decade after my time watching live , but so many names here that have been brought onto the Forum by others who watched the eighties. Seems to me there was still some exciting stuff going on. These bills show the potential for "HEAT"
King's Lynn and Norwich Corn Exhanges were both very popular venues. Dale Martins initially then Brian Dixons Wrestling Enterprises in late 70s before becoming All Star Promotions into 90s. In the 80s Dale martins still had the odd show at King's Lynn but thier shows lacked the intensity of Dixon's and their popularity wained, so Brian had the monopoly. The same could be said for Yarmouth, All Star capitilized when Dale Martins finished there. In the 80s and into the 90s both Norwich and Lynn became renowned on the circuit for crowd trouble such was the heat generated. It is very difficult these days whilst witnessing any modern wrestling thinking that anyone in a crowd could get so incensed to want to get involved, but it seemed the norm then. Testament to the style, the rules (to be broken) and the talented psychology wrestlers of that generation employed.
For those interested in this part of the world there are quite a few posters and flyers and tit-bits on the Kings Lynn area in my Golden Days for Fenland series under “Places” tag.
If you take 1963 as one of the great years for wrestling , I notice in Kings Lynn there were regular Dale Martins Shows at the Corn Exchange , but a the same time did a big monthly one at The Theatre Royal. This sometimes left a hole at the Corn Exchange that Cape promotions filled.
These look to be quality shows but then again 1963 was an exceptional year for wrestling reaping the rewards of Tv Exposure.
Thanks for these fascinating posters.Suprisingly none of them are for the main holiday season
Dale Martin moved in later in 1964
Jack Taylor was promoting in Cromer in the early 1960s, here in 1962 and still there in 1964
As I suspected. Only in Cromer at the absolute peak of its popularity in the 1960s
Now you're in my back yard ! Norwich and King's Lynn Corn Exchanges were the main venues, both Dale Martins initially then All Stars, Norwich Odeon (Dales), Cromer (Dales in 60s), Great Yarmouth Hippodrome (Dales and then All Star) Diss Corn Exchange (not sure who was promoter but possibly All Star, and then smaller promoters such as Dave Daring, Terry Goodrum, Trevor Denny and Brian Trevors who used venues such as town halls, sports centres etc all around the county; Fakenham, Wells, North Walsham, Acle, Watton ...all over the place ! And today of course we have the WAW who do a grand job all around the county given the opportunity. Then of course there were multiple holiday camps on the east coast, wrestling was a huge part of that scene in the 70s through to modern days. Plenty of wrestlers came from this part of the World too !
Time permitting I will find out some old bills and programmes.
I will have to brush up on my counties. Never been out that way.
Would expect wrestling in Kings Lynn.
Hi, just from looking through the files I can see they had shows there in the 60s. Looks like Jack Taylor perhaps promoting there in 1963. After that Joint ran a few shows the following year. After that, back to independent groups. 1970s we are missing if there were any shows held in Cromer.
Struggling a bit with your challenge Peter , so scratching about I have come up with.
they still have the usual bunfights at Walsingham when the Catholics and High Anglicans parade through the streets. the filthy protestants and pentecostals through rock cakes and stale hot cross buns at the devout one.. not quite professional wrestling but worth a ring side seat....