大象传媒

Known to millions as the radio voice of Romany, who on 大象传媒 Children鈥檚 Hour in the 1930鈥檚; spellbound a generation with his tales of life in a gypsy caravan. These communication skills served him well, when as a young Methodist Minister in Carlisle, he reached out to a new audience of munitions workers by holding religious services with musical entertainment in a popular cinema.
Bramwell Evans was a Methodist Minister, from a travelling family. He was appointed to Union Street Church in 1914 and moved to Fisher Street in 1917 (this became Rydal Street in the 1950's).

Evans and the Methodists in the city identified a need for social support for munitions workers especially men kept out of their lodgings at weekends, and to look after young women away from home.

They set up a club for men at 13 Fisher Street, and a club for girls. He found lodgings for over 1,000 men, women and married couples who came to work in Carlisle.

He recognised that just preaching and complaining about the evils of drink would not solve the problem, so he established Sunday evening services in Botchergate Cinema. He also offered a concert with the service attracting good quality singers and musicians. These ran from January to April 1916, and October 1916 to April 1917.

Remarkable photographs and material produced for a souvenir programme printed at the time, illustrate one of the unknown episodes in the early life of a man who went onto become a household name on radio and through his books.

Location: Botchergate, Carlisle CA1 1QS
Image: A congregation gathered at Botchergate Cinema, courtesy of David Carter

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