Scottish Music Hall &
Variety Theatre Society
The glorious days of Scottish Music Hall and Variety Theatre
History of the SMHVTS founded in 1979
The Sir Harry Lauder Society was founded in 1979 in Portobello. Further down this page please find an extract of the Minutes of the Inaugural meeting held one year later.
The Scottish Music Hall & Variety Theatre Society, grew from The Sir Harry Lauder Society which was founded in Sir Harry's birthplace, Portobello, in 1979. In 1979, a group of Sir Harry Lauder fans sat down and discussed the founding of a Society. The Society membership would be made up of those who had a keen interest in Lauder. Its founders included: Miss Greta Lauder Fraser, great niece of Sir Harry, Miss Audrey Bullen, Mr William Merrilees and Mrs R Merrilees. The founding members asked Mr Jimmy Logan if he would accept the position of Hon. President and Mr Gordon Irving was asked to join the Committee.
30 years on, the Society aims are to advance the cause of Scottish Music Hall & Variety Theatre and bring people together who are interested in this most vibrant of Art Forms -The Scottish Music Hall and Variety Theatre. Our members come from both sides of the footlights and include many artistes who are still performing in Variety, theatre historians, journalists and, above all, the theatre going public who filled the seats in the Empires, Palaces, Palladiums etc, all over the country and our membership ranges worldwide.
The SOCIETY produces a quarterly magazine titled "STAGEDOOR" and this is issued to our members every Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. "STAGEDOOR" features many articles about your favourite Music Hall and Variety Artistes. The Society also runs various events throughout the year e.g. lunches, coach trips, exhibitions and theatre visits etc. This Society gives one an opportunity to reminisce of the "Glorious days of Music Hall and Variety Theatre". Today the Society maintains a vested interest in supporting the live Variety Theatre of today as an Art Form.
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Minutes of the first AGM of the Sir Harry Lauder Society held within the Masonic Hall, Portobello on Friday 7th November, 1980.
Present: Miss G.L Fraser, Mrs R Merrilees, Miss Audrey Bullen, Mr J Cowie, Mr G Flockhart and Mr W. Merrilees.
Apologies were received from Miss Joan Balfour, Mr J Adam, Mr Stirling, Mr and Mrs J Hamilton, Gordon Irving and Mr H Lockhart.
The Constitution and Rules of the Society were unanimously adopted.
Election of Committee:
Chairwoman: Miss G Fraser was propsed by Mr G Flockhart and seconded by Mr W Merrilees. Miss Fraser then took the Chair.
Vice Chair: Mr George Flockhart was proposed by Miss G Fraser and seconded by Mr W Merrilees.
Secretary: Miss Audrey Bullen was propsed by Miss G Fraser and seconded by Mr Cowie.
Treasurer: Mr Falconer, Manager of the Portobello Branch of the Bank Of Scotland was propsed by Miss A Bullen and seconded by Mr G Flockhart.
Committee Members: Miss Joan Balfour, Mr James Cowie, Mr G Irving, Mr H Lockhart, Mrs J Hamilton and Mr W Merrilees were all duly proposed and seconded.
Society Stationery: It was agreed by the Committee that the famous pencil line drawing be used as the heading. Mrs Merrilees offered to do the art work and Mr Merrilees said he would organise the supply of stationery.
Festival 1981: Miss Bullen reported to the Committee that she had declined to accept a position on the P.T.D.A Committee for the purpose of organising the Festival and that subsequently a letter had been received indicating that the P.T.D.A would be organising the festival.
Society Growth etc: The Committee unanimously agreed that Miss Bullen should have authority to develop membership of the Society and arrange with local members events within the guidelines of the Constitution.
This Page shall be updated shortly with some more history of the Society
