Balmbra's Music Hall

Balmbra’s Music Hall once stood in the heart of Newcastle, on the first floor of the Wheatsheaf Public House in Cloth Market. The room began as a small music saloon in the 1840s and was later rebuilt in the 1860s under John Balmbra’s management. It became famous when George Ridley first sang “Blaydon Races” there in 1862. The hall hosted blackface artistes Thomas and Henry Handford, known as the Brothers Handford, who drew large crowds with their clog dancing and comic performances. By 1864, Tom Handford took over and renamed the venue Balmbra’s Music Hall in honour of his friend. The stage was shallow, only about five feet deep, and the gallery was later turned into a showroom. The hall played a key role in Newcastle’s cultural life during the mid-19th century. It was praised in local newspapers for its lively atmosphere and popular entertainment, especially during civic events like the Shakespeare tercentenary in 1864. Handford’s management turned the hall into a favourite spot, attracting full houses with comic songs and clog dancing. The venue also saw the rise of local talent, including Mr J D Kelly, who performed with Handford in Negro extravaganzas. After Handford left, new owners introduced a decorative proscenium, giving the hall a brighter appearance before it became the Oxford Music Hall. Today, the building no longer exists as a music hall, but a plaque on the Carlton Hotel marks its former site. The hotel itself was rebuilt after a fire in 1899 and later renamed Balmbra’s in the 1960s, though it was a modest version of the original. The plaque, placed by Newcastle City Council, recognises the hall’s place in local history. Visitors can still find traces of its past in the area around Cloth Market, where the Wheatsheaf once stood. The story of Balmbra’s is one of music, laughter, and the changing face of entertainment in Newcastle.