Grand Concert for Flood Relief

9 March 1953 in Harpenden Public Hall

By Rosemary Ross

Recently deposited in the Society’s archives by John Wyborn, one-time member of the Cobra Club: Concert programme and advertisements – BF 6.14.

Announcement in the Herts Advertiser

LHS archives, BF 6.14

The Cobra Club, an organisation of young people in Harpenden who met for social activities and to raise money for local charities, organised a Grand Variety Concert in the Public Hall in support of the Lord Mayor of London’s Flood and Tempest Relief Fund. This was in response to the devastation caused by the North Sea Floods just six weeks before, during the night of 31 January to 1 February 1953. This had caused loss of life and had forced 30,000 people to evacuate their homes.

The programme was put together with contributions from Harpenden Drama League, Harpenden Light Operatic Society, Harpenden Ballet School, Harpenden Boy Scouts (Gang Show) and St John’s Youth Club (Vaudeville). Tickets ranged from 1/6d to 10/6d, obtainable from Thorn’s in the High Street. It is not known how much was raised for the Relief Fund.

Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Grand Concert for Flood Relief' page

This page was added by Rosemary Ross on 06/10/2013.

Comments about this page

Thanks to John Wyborn for contributing this item. I wonder whether he remembers me? I saw the Concert and reviewed it for the Harpenden Free Press. It's mentioned in my book 'The View from Church Green'. The Cobra Club was a great social and charitable activity for young Harpenden people. For the concert, they brought together a lot of local talent and there are many well-remembered names in the programme, including Maurice Drake who gave a lovely tenor rendition of 'Take a pair of sparkling eyes'. The second half was memorable for a terrific performance from long-legged Ken Green as the villainous Squire William Corder, while a local beauty, Jacqueline Furneaux was the innocent village maiden in an enactment of The Murder in the Old Red Barn.

By John Seabrook
On 06/10/2015

Add a comment about this page

If you're already a registered user of this site, please login using the form on the left-hand side of this page.

Name:

Email address (See our privacy statement):

Comment:

Please type the characters that appear in the image into the text box below
(See our accessibility information):

Generate New Image Get Audio Code

I consent to my name and e-mail address being stored along with this comment, and to the website editors communicating with me by e-mail about the comment if necessary. My name may be published alongside the comment on the website, but my e-mail address will not be published. My information will not be shared with any third party (see our privacy statement).

More about...

Clubs and societies

Highlights

Designed and built by Community Sites