Hippodrome Theatre, Margate September 1916

Mr Mayall, Manager of the Hippodrome Theatre, Cecil Square, Margate invited VAD hospital patients to a free matinee performance on Wednesday afternoons. This is one of a series of photographs taken in September 1916. The comedy farce Please Help Emily is advertised along the balustrade of the balcony. A large print of one of the photographs was presented to Mr Mayall in 1918. In c. 2007 this was in the Margate Museum collection. There were nine VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) hospitals in the Thanet area during the War. Most opened to receive wounded Belgian soldiers in October 1914. Later their patients were British, Australian, Canadian. Some hospitals, such as Wanstead House in Margate, closed in 1917 because of the threat posed by increasing air raids. Others remained open until early 1919

Advertised Afternoons Balustrade Birchington Detachment Farce Hippodrome Hospitals Increasing Invited Margate Matinee Mayall Patients Please Quex Raids Receive Recuperation Rehabilitation Remained Thanet Threat Voluntary Wanstead Wednesday

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