We have not long returned to our home town of Redditch to live, after living in Spain for 11 years. We decided to pay a visit to the old haunts we went to as youngsters so we went to the Redditch Palace Theatre.

What a wonderful place. Seeing the show brought back so many memories of the Palace. I remember being on stage there in the Easter Parade show in around 1953 as a bunny rabbit. I still have the photo taken of me on stage. Later on our daughter was on the same stage in around 1971 as a soldier girl. She went to the same ballet /tap class as I did many years before, run by a Mrs Biggs who was married to Tommy Biggs the greengrocer in Evesham Street which is sadly no longer there – more memories. She had her school at the old Institute in Easemore Road. The building is still there. I used to love tapping on the wooden stairs. We remember the Palace being a roller skate rink.

One week I would go there and then the next Saturday to the Saturday morning cinema at the Gaumont in Church Road. My cousin would pay to go in himself and then let us in at a side door. Even though we were near the police station it did not worry us. We did share our sweets with him for getting us in for free.

The Palace has also been a bingo hall and I remember taking our two daughters there to see Sooty and Sweep there in the early 1970s.

How many memories came flooding back when we went to see Blake and the fabulous children’s choir (what a wonderful performance).

Our Palace needs to be remembered.

We suggest people of all ages go to the Palace. You will be pleasantly surprised as there is a wide range of entertainment to appeal to all and it is not by any means expensive compared to other theatres in major cities. Go on give it a try!!

Dawn and Alan Cummings Birchfield Road Redditch