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wrestling deserts

Following on from the very interesting nooks and crannies there seemed to be areas where you never seemed to see shows held. County Durham area between Tyneside and Hartlepool and Teesside seemed to have very few shows if any. I don't recall if Joint put on any shows so it would have been down to Independent promoters.

Sunderland was a decent size as was Durham City where apart from a few shows at the Ice Rink very few shows seemed to take place. I know County Durham was very strong on boxing in the late 1950s early 1960s with George Bowes and Maurice Cullen fighting for titles but am surprised at the seemingly lack of shows in the County as a whole. Unless you know better?

26 comments

26 Comments

Peter

Sep 17

KAPOW Wrestling hold events occasionally at the New Park Community Centre in Chichester

Powerlock

Sep 12

A much more diverse choice of venues nowadays including some in County Durham , Social Club concert rooms, leisure centres, sport centres, Student Union halls, community centres, small theatres, music venues and a couple of breweries. This is all UK promotions, the WWE and AEW are doing the arena type venues

bjh99

Sep 12

Hi Power.I can remember seeing bills from Farrer Street ,Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Durham ice Rink. But that was in the olden days ! Middlesbrough and Durham have certainly gone,. You would know better than me about the North East venues now.

Hack

Sep 11

I was in Chichester a couple of weeks back. I don't recall wrestling in Chichester. Does anyone?

Powerlock

Sep 11

Replying to

I can't find anything from our timeline but there's a South Coast promotion has held shows in Chichester recently. The was a couple of cinemas that held over 1000 people in the town but apart from a couple of concerts I can't find anything.

Edited

Hack

Aug 17

Thanks Ron, I'd missed both of those. Both venues still in use, which is unusual.

Have you come across anything for other major mid Wales towns - Newtown, Machynlleth, Lampeter, Llandrindod Wells. All are pretty small.

Powerlock

Aug 17

Replying to

the original hall dimensions were 65 ft x 35ft, not huge, but venue is still operating even after around 120 years, multi purpose used as cinema, concert hall etc

Hack

Aug 17

Replying to

Lampeter population 2,504, that's about half of a full house at the Royal Albert Hall. Wrestling really did reach the nooks and crannies. Catchment area would probably be quite wide, but it's a sparsely populated part of the world. Again, we wonder at how it could be made to make money. Remember in those days there would be no merchandise sales to boost the takings.

Powerlock

Aug 17

Replying to

I reckon 250-300 maximum including standing, I wonder because it's an early weekday it could be a filler date so the crew are working all week.

Hack

Aug 16

I've found a few shows in Aberystwyth, late Joint days, but nothing more. They had a big enough venue, the Kings Hall.

RON HISTORYO....Time Cop,

Aug 16

Replying to

Aberystwyth had a little bit of history. I think Seaman Stacey even went on into the mid 1930's if it's the same one.

Riot Squad

Aug 02

I can't see there only being three bouts, and above the tag match it does say 5 contests, though that's an odd place to put it. This wasn't a TV show. It was a Combat Promotion, so Max involved and Brian refereeing. Probably explains any confusion.

Peter

Aug 02

Cornwall was and is a desert as far as Pro Wrestling is concerned

Peter

Aug 04

Replying to

Did they return or was this just an oasis in the desert?

RON HISTORYO....Time Cop,

Aug 04

Replying to

No return as far as I can see. Others tried Newquay Theatre in 64.

But was it not so that by 1964 Lincoln had peaked. But Lincoln did a pretty much full tenure at the Flamingo Ballroom just outside Redruth at Illogan. This had a capacity of 1300 so pretty good , but the Football ground would have held more for a summer night venture. In that part of the country 15 miles between redruth and Newquay may well have attracted many of the same punters.