A song for Valentine’s Day?
Sleeping safely within the depths of the Saltaire Collection is a magical example of theatre. A piece of music entitled ‘Meet Me Gwen On Shipley Glen’, composed by Jimmy Sutton with lyrics by Reg Bolton, in about 1900.
The song is about a young man and his sweetheart, Gwen, who he meets on Shipley Glen, near ‘number nine’ and eventually asks her to marry him.
Shuttleworths (Music) Ltd published the sheet music. Shuttleworths was founded in 1890 by Joseph Grange. The company originally had a stall in Kirkgate Market off Darley Street, Bradford. It acquired more stalls and eventually moved to 33 Darley Street. The business wound up in 1974 when the Kirkgate market site was redeveloped.
Reg Bolton
Reg Bolton, the lyricist of the music, was a professional comedian, who wrote his own comic songs.
In the early 1900’s, the ‘seaside concert party’ became popular in tented pavilions, like a circus marquee, across towns and cities of the UK. One was Frizinghall Pavilion. Due to its flimsy nature, it was eventually rebuilt in 1908 more permanently near the old Turf Hotel. It became known as the Alfresco Pavilion and later became a music hall-type venue. Once a cinematograph licence was acquired the Pavillion became a place to show moving pictures. It closed in 1918.
Reg Bolton for a while was a member of the Alfresco Troupe called ‘The Dandy Militaires’ who toured these pavilions. His song became very popular and well known locally.
Shipley Glen Pleasure Grounds
Shipley Glen Amusement Park, also known as the ‘Pleasure Grounds’, started in 1895 as a tea shop and small zoo, and grew with attractions like the huge toboggan slide.
On Easter Monday, 1910, the Glen Tramway from Saltaire carried an estimated 17,000 visitors out of a total of 100,000 who visited the Glen that day. Shipley Glen had become THE place to visit for thousands of Saltaire, Shipley and Bradford folk seeking fresh air and fun away from their weekly hard work.
‘Number nine‘ in the song lyrics was a rock on Shipley Glen.
Now I wonder what became of Gwen ???
Acknowledgments
Roger Clarke (Saltaire Sentinel April 2014)
Mike Brotherton (Frizinghall history Facebook)