New exhibition at Scarborough's Old Parcels Office celebrates town's entertainment heritage

The Old Parcels Office is taking part in Heritage Open Days by hosting an exhibition that charts the development of the entertainment industry in Scarborough from the 1660s to the present day.
By Sue Wilkinson
Published 4th Sep 2023, 15:45 BST
The Old Parcels Office is hosting an exhibition - When the Entertainers Came to Town - as part of Heritage DaysThe Old Parcels Office is hosting an exhibition - When the Entertainers Came to Town - as part of Heritage Days
The Old Parcels Office is hosting an exhibition - When the Entertainers Came to Town - as part of Heritage Days

The growth of Scarborough as a holiday destination led to the growth of a thriving entertainment industry offering everything from music halls, dance halls, skating rinks, swimming pools, aquariums, arcades, theatres and cinemas.

Some of these attractions remain today and have reinvented themselves for the new generation of holidaymakers while others lasted for just a few short years.

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Much of the material used in the exhibition has been provided by local architect Adrian Spawforth, whose family have a longstanding connection with Scarborough.

Adrian said “It’s fascinating to look back and see how the town kept visitors entertained long before the days of film and television.

"Traces of some of the buildings can still be seen today while others such as the underground Aquarium failed to stand the test of time.

"What we see is a town and its entertainment industry that is constantly adapting to the demands of the next generation of visitors. Recent examples are the open air theatre reinventing itself for a modern audience and the Old Parcels Office originally built as an excursion station becoming a thriving arts centre.”

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As well as the exhibition featuring maps, postcards, memorabilia and a booklet written to accompany the show, there will be a map for a self-guided walking trail for visitors to discover the sites of some of the lost and the remaining entertainment attractions. There will also be an opportunity to look round the grade II listed Old Parcels Office at Scarborough Railway Station.

This exhibition has been made possible with the support of Spawforths, a Yorkshire based firm of architects and planners, Yorkshire Coast BID and by the National Lottery.

When The Entertainers Came To Town is at the Old Parcels Office from Friday September 8 to Sunday September 17, each Thursday to Sunday, daily from 11am to 4pm. Tomorrow there will be an illustrated talk by Adrian Spawforth at 6.30pm.Admission to the exhibition is free

Related topics:Scarborough