Peter Bradshaw Interview: Bill Keys - The Fireman
Title
Peter Bradshaw Interview: Bill Keys - The Fireman
Date
19 July 2017
Description
Oral history interview with Peter Bradshaw, Assistant Manager at the Theatre Royal from 1974 to 1977.
What's the story?
Peter Bradshaw was Assistant Manager at the Theatre Royal from 1974 to 1977. This was the time when the theatre was particularly run-down, leading to its closure and massive refurbishment in 1977.
In this interview Peter talks fondly about Bill Keys, the fireman, employed at the theatre due to gas lights still being used on the upper circle and balcony, even in the 1970s.
In my day we still had gas lights in the balcony, so we had to employ a fireman. The fireman we had was about 80. His name was Bill Keys. He’d stand there in a fireman’s uniform with a peaked cap and welcome people in, so people thought that he was one of the Management. What a lovely man. What an absolutely lovely man. After the interval you’d see him going across the road, I probably shouldn’t say this, to the pub and he used to sometimes come back and he was staggering and whatever and he’d have a pint in his hand for me, which I’d find outside my office door, but it was usually about a quarter, because he’d spilt it as he’d walked over, but you know what a lovely man.
The gas lighting was in the Upper Circle because at one time all theatres were lit by gas, or sodium arc is it they used to use? Some sort of sodium. So yes, so by law we had to have on duty a fireman, just in case anything did go wrong, so that was Bill’s job. We also had to have a night watchman every night. They had to live, well sleep, at the theatre, I’m sure he must have slept through most of it. So that was really the staff. I’m just trying to think if there was anything else …
In this interview Peter talks fondly about Bill Keys, the fireman, employed at the theatre due to gas lights still being used on the upper circle and balcony, even in the 1970s.
In my day we still had gas lights in the balcony, so we had to employ a fireman. The fireman we had was about 80. His name was Bill Keys. He’d stand there in a fireman’s uniform with a peaked cap and welcome people in, so people thought that he was one of the Management. What a lovely man. What an absolutely lovely man. After the interval you’d see him going across the road, I probably shouldn’t say this, to the pub and he used to sometimes come back and he was staggering and whatever and he’d have a pint in his hand for me, which I’d find outside my office door, but it was usually about a quarter, because he’d spilt it as he’d walked over, but you know what a lovely man.
The gas lighting was in the Upper Circle because at one time all theatres were lit by gas, or sodium arc is it they used to use? Some sort of sodium. So yes, so by law we had to have on duty a fireman, just in case anything did go wrong, so that was Bill’s job. We also had to have a night watchman every night. They had to live, well sleep, at the theatre, I’m sure he must have slept through most of it. So that was really the staff. I’m just trying to think if there was anything else …
Type
Oral interview
Location of item
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall
Rights
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall
Contributor
Interviewers: Phil Smith & Mena Severn
Transcriber: David Chilton
Transcriber: David Chilton
