Page 11 - Colin Wheeler's Memories

My Palace Theatre and other Memories Redditch Heritage

Over a period of many years the theatre had many managers but the Palace was

actually owned by Teddy Wilkinson, a milkman, know for his frugal habits, he lived
in St Georges Road and in his spare time manufactured lead fishing weights in his

kitchen. I got to know Ted well over the years and he was a small unassuming
figure who was always present somewhere in the background either ripping

tickets or showing folks to their seats. These managers were either employees
or lessees from Ted.

As most handbills and posters do not have dates it is impossible to recall events
in the correct sequence but I recall an event during one period when the manager

was having financial problems, to put it bluntly he was getting his money mixed up
with the owners, I will not identify him for obvious reasons.

It was a Sunday night concert presented by a well known band leader Vernon
Adcock, many Redditch folk will remember him because he was, for many years,

the resident band at the Winter Gardens at Weston- Super-Mare during the
summer season. They were playing to a packed house, but after the interval

Vernon Adcock came on stage and said “Thank you for being a lovely audience but
we are not going to play in the second half, we are going and we are never coming
back to this theatre again”.

© Redditch Heritage 2018 Page: 11