Billy Scarrow's Optimists of 1938

Optimists of 1938

Sunday Concerts

The issue of holding Concerts on Sundays appeared before Redcar Council this year, and again in 1939. The following paragraphs illustrate that it was a matter which divided opinion:

Redcar Beach from the Pier Cleveland Standard Aug 13th 1938:

An item in the minutes stated that an application from Mr. Billy Scarrow to hold Sunday night concerts on the beach was not to be entertained. Councillor Dobson moved that the word “not” should be deleted.

They, as a Corporation, he contended, were indulging in Sunday training and were also running Sunday night concerts in the New Pavilion. He knew there were specific terms with regard to the beach contracts and tenders but there was nothing to stop them being broken if both parties were agreed.

Two years ago similar concerts had been held subject to official approval of the programme. He submitted that this should be done again. His motion was seconded by Councillor Gillingham. He said he had been consistent about the matter throughout the whole discussion. He submitted that all sites on the sands should be permitted to indulge in Sunday trading or none at all.

They knew by their own return that the seasonal risk this year had been a great one, and these people were very definitely out of pocket on it. Thousands of people visited the town on Sundays who did not come through the week and as a progressive resort he claimed they ought to allow entertainments to take place on Sundays.

Councillor Fletcher, as chairman of the Sands and Entertainments Committee, said that he did not intend to be drawn into a discussion on the subject as to the rights and wrongs of the case. Definite conditions had been laid down and they had no right to depart from them. If they did depart from those conditions they quite deserved the criticism of the unsuccessful tenderers for the year.

On being put to the vote, Councillor Dobson’s motion was lost.

Sunday Concerts 1939

Billy Scarrow again applied to the Council to hold concerts on Sunday. The cutting below is from the Cleveland Standard of June 10th 1939, where a very similar discussion to the previous year took place:

No Sunday Concerts for Billy Scarrow Cleveland Standard 1939

From the Cleveland Standard a month later, Aug 05 1939:

When the minutes of the Entertainments and Publicity Committee were moved for adoption by Councillor J. T. Fletcher, Councillor J. Dobson moved that the application, by an alfresco Pierrot beach show at Redcar for permission to stage a Sunday performance, be granted.

Councillor J. T. Fletcher (interrupting) observed that the minute recording refusal to grant the application had already been passed by the Council and was there tonight for reconfirmation. It had been before the Entertainments Committee again, the Committee recommending the turning down of the application. Councillor Fletcher said that Councillor Dobson was therefore out of order as no notice had been received prior to the meeting. The mayor said that Councillor Dobson was entirely out of order.

Councillor Dobson sat down saying, “I do not want to be personal, but with all due respect to your ruling, I am not satisfied.”

Councillor J. Coupland: "Why has not the matter appeared on the minutes if it was open for discussion? I am not taking any ruling from Councillor Fletcher. I will not accept your ruling."

Councillor Fletcher: "I object to that: I am ruling nobody. I spoke on a point of order in accordance with the standing orders."

The Mayor: "Councillor Fletcher did not give any ruling. He merely raised a point of order."

Councillor Dobson said that he had looked through the standing orders and he could find no rule which prevented him from raising this matter. He asked if he could be informed what part of the standing order ruled him out of order.