General Information
During the year 2000 D J Clark built a visual record of the Lancaster &
Morecambe district using photographs and information submitted by those that
feature in the pictures. The project was conducted in association with Lancaster
Museum and has been archived for future generations to look back at the district
at the turn of the new Millennium. For more information on the project visit
the information page. If you find a caption is
wrong or there is a fault with the page please e-mail D
J Clark.
Date:
December 21st, 2000
Location: Grand Theatre,
St Leonardsgate
Photographer's Diary
23rd December Mother Goose at the Grand
I started off at Salt Ayre in the hope of a picture of the Ladies Hockey team.
They had booked the pitch, but when I turned up it was empty. I was beginning
to worry about the project only showing football as the only sport taking place
in the district. I moved onto town and to the Grand Theatre. I had phoned a
Tom Walker, the plays writer to ask permission. What is it with theatre people
and pictures ? "No you can't take pictures, I'm a photographer you can
use mine" I tried to explain and bring him on my side. "OK but only
backstage and if you get in the stage managers way you will have to leave".
As I walked in I was confronted with the bad news. "The Dame has called
in sick so Tom will have to play him, her ?" I waited in the cross-roads
downstairs in the changing rooms and picked off my subjects as they passed.
As the show went up I wandered backstage but found few vantages to get a picture.
Tom pretty well ignored me which was fine. I had bumped into Lawrence Canty,
a musician friend who was in the band. He suggested I sneak into the Orchestra
pit for a front of stage picture. Remembering Tom's warning "nothing front
of stage it is against my copyright" I waited until everything else was
done, and I sneaked into the pit. It was not a perfect picture but the best
to date. As Tom moved front of stage I hid and then back to position as the
witch appeared. I escaped at the break, there might be a few nice pictures.