There will be quite a lot of Suttonians who remember the Empress Cinema, which stood on the site now occupied by the Red Rose Centre.

I certainly paid a few visits there as a young boy before its demolition in 1971.

Built of reinforced concrete with stone facings, the Empress opened in January 1923 and, with its oak doors, carpets and marble and mosaic floor in the entrance hall, was rather swish inside.' It boasted that there were no draughts! The builder and owner of the cinema was W.H. James, who was also a local councillor. The Empress was soon 'doing good business', with its 1,010 seats invariably occupied.

If you didn't fancy what was on at ‘the pictures', there were always' other places to visit in Sutton at this time. Most-notably, there was Sutton Park, which was proving more popular than ever with local people and those from outside the town: in July 1925 the number of people paying to enter the park was 6,500 higher than it had been the previous July.

Suttonians could also play billiards at the New Empress Billiards Room. Each Easter there was also a tennis tournament, and, throughout the, summer, cricket matches. To raise funds for the Cottage Hospital, Sutton Coldfield entertained' Yorkshire in 1928. To even things up, Sutton was allowed to field 15 players. There was 'a capital crowd' in attendance, though, Sutton, not unexectedly, did not emerge the victors. There was also an annual horse show in the grounds of Moat House, where the prize money totalled £350. It cost 25 to get in, 1s after 4 pm.

Those who wanted to go swimming, in public baths however, were disappointed - a plan- to open such a facility in South Parade in 1927 came to nothing. The great event of the decade was the Sutton Pageant in July 1928. This was to mark the 400th anniversary of the charter obtained by Bishop Vesey which granted Sutton self-government through a warden and corporation. An. 'enormous crowd' watched a recreation of Sutton's story in the park; featuring local people dressed up as 'animal-skinned, woad-painted' early Britons, Roman soldiers, 'richly-robed clerics, acolytes and choir chanting the Credo' and Bishop Vesey 'making plans for the park, a grammar school and the preservation of law and order'.

Glimpses into Sutton's Past 1800-1914 by Stephen Roberts is now available in hardback, £15.99.

Associate Professor
Stephen Roberts