27th April 1972
ENTERTAINING MEMORIES OF HOPE TERRACE

His feet held by a rope noose, the man dangled head first from a girder in Front Street, Pontefract, viewing faces of the gasping crowd as he struggled to free himself from a straightjacket. It happened when the Alexandra Theatre in Tanshelf was in its heyday and Pontefract had never seen anything like it - Harry Houdini, the great escapologist, on his first and only visit to the town, writhing his way free.

The scene was brought to life for me by 82-year-old Mrs Maude Haycroft of Luke Williams House, Horsefair Flats, Pontefract. As a girl Maude helped her mother, Emily Brown, run a guesthouse across the road from the theatre, mainly for the artistes appearing at the Alexandra.

Unfortunately Houdini’s appearance was a one-night-stand and he left Pontefract after finishing his act so the Brown’s guesthouse visitor’s book never had the privilege of his signature. The book, now looking the worse for wear after a life span of 90 years, has been passed from generation to generation of the family and is now in the possession of Mr. Robert Haycroft, of Friarwood Lane, the great-grandson of Mrs Emily Brown. Mrs Havercroft is his grandmother and for her, the book holds much nostalgia in its aging pages, containing about 200 names, expressions of thanks, and photographs of many of the music hall entertainers and repertory travellers who stayed with the Browns.

Mrs Haycroft’s sister Mabel, now Mrs Crossland, aged 80, stays with her. Recalling their young days, she said Mabel was "beautiful, very dark, with a lovely head of hair - she stole the hearts of all our visitors. A Japanese juggler wanted to take her away with him to partner him on the stage but Father would not allow it. Then an actor fell in love with her and he wanted to whisk her away."

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