Timeline for HLO for period 1890-1936
I constructed this page to try to weave all the happenings in his life into a coherent picture . Unfortunately I must have dragged the file with all the cuttings found into some obscure place, likely back in 2015/6.: now irretrievable in 2021!
Majority of appearances obtained from Findmypast - Newspapers
Help also obtained for the period 1920-1929 from the Memoirs of his daughter Irene
1890 Mar 22. Henry puts a job ad in The Era
1890 Mar 5 Plays in "Squires Wife" Company at Theatre Royal Halifax
1890. May 13 H L Osmonde appeared in "The Squire's Wife" as Mr Spriggins at the Queens Theatre, Dublin - Findmypast Irish newspapers
1891 Feb 12. Plays a part in The Slave to Drink in the theatre at West Hartlepool- article below
1891C. -early April . Living in a boarding house in Barnsley, describes himself as a tightrope walker
1891 Apr 25. Played in "Wedded to Crime" at Theatre Royal Consett
1891 May 12. Appears in "Wedded to Crime" in Theatre Royal, North Shields
1891 Dec 26. Appears in "Uncle Toms Cabin" in Theatre Royal, North Shields
1892 Feb 27. At New Theatre Ashon Under Lyne, playing a part in "Uncle Tom's Cabin"
1892. A notice appears in the Yorkshire Gazette that Henry L Osmond of Mr Hallatt's Dangers of London Company had married Florence Bannister on 7/11/1892 at Manchester Registrar Office . BUT, no such record on bmdor Ancestry !!
1893 Jan 28 . Played in a theatre in Derby
1893 Aug 22. At Huddersfield Theatre Royal. Plays the lead in "Is Life Worth Living"
1893 Sep 2. Played in "Is Life Worth Living"
1893 Dec 26 In the "Dangers of London" at the Theatre Royal Belfast
1894 Feb 22. Plays Percy Weird in "The Dangers of London" at the Bath Theatre
1894 Oct 13 In a play with Florence Bannister
1894. First known child born: Marjory Ormrod 6/11/1894 Old Thackley, 8 k N of Bradford - mother Florence Bannister
1894 Nov 13 Plays Prince Kandos in "Parsons Power" at Hartlepool
1895 . Takes over the Queens in Fleetwood- this from his obituary in "The Stage" in 1936
1895 Mar 18. At Grand Theater Derby , plays a leading part in "Nurse Charity"
1895 Jul 20. Plays a part in "Parson Thorn?" in Theatre Royal Blackpool
1896 Aug 4. Plays Frank Grey in "Secrets of the Police" at the Theatre Royal, Huddersfield
1897 Jul 24. A Leasee of New Wedgewood Royal Theatre, Burslem
1897 Oct 30 Played in "Saved from the Sea" at Princess Theatre at Glasgow
1898 Apr 23. Plays Capt of HMS Dauntless in 'Sailors Knot ' at Theatre Royal, Leeds
1898. 4 June. Plays in 'A Sailor's Knot' Boscombe Grand Theatre
1898 Aug Appears in a play that includes ...H. L. Osmond,.... Flo Bannister
1899 Produces at Garston The Union Jack. Maybe his first production?
1898 Nov 15. At Theatre Royal Bristol in 'A Woman's Revenge'
1898 Nov 26. Plays Robert Overstone in' a Woman's Revenge' at Hastings Theatre
1899. July "Our British Empire" in Sheffield with Flo Bannister, Henry L Osmond plays the principal part
1899 Dec 18. At Workington in The Union Jack. Note Flo Bannister. HLO Production
1900 Jan 29. At Prince's Theatre, Preston HL & Gilbert Osmonds production of Robinson Crusoe. Flo Bannister. Who was Gilbert Osmond- another stage name??
1900. February 17th. Appears as the leasee of the Princess Theatre Hoyland, Nether, in the Barnsley Chronicle
1900 Mar 10. The Union Jack at Alexandra Theatre, Sheffield. Gilbert Osmond mentioned. H L Osmond's London Company
1900. June16. "Work & Wages" at the Elephant & Castle- Winifred Chalmers in it
1900 Nov13. At Princes Theatre , Portsmouth The Union Jack.. No Flo Bannister
1900. Dec 1 Henrry L Osmond's Company: Henry & Winifred Chalmers in it- Burton on Trent
1900 Dec 24 Playing at Londonderry for 5 nights with "Caste". "Henry L Osmond's company performed "Caste" & " A Sailor's Sweetheart" in Derry over Christmas week. Caste had previously run for 500 nights at the Duke of York's and Criterion theatres, London
1901C. Living Fleetwood, theatre manager, with his parents and 'wife' Florence Bannister and Marjory, 6.
1901. Daughter May Ormrod born 9/4/1901 in Fleetwood to him and Florence
Dec 24 1901 Sunderland. Henry Osmond is playing opposite Winifred Chalmers in 'Black Vampire'. Flo Bannister also in this
This likely the last joint mention of Flo and Henry
1902 Apri l8. HLO Company, he the hero, with Winifred Chalmers in it, at the Alexandria, Sheffield
1902 Nov 22. Receiving order in bankruptcy against him, He is a Theatre Manager of Clwyd St, New Brighton (New Brighton is part of Wallasey on the Wirral)
1902 Dec 6. For 6 nights only HL Osmond's no. 1 company in "Black Vampire" at Kings Theatre, Gloucester
1903. Marries Alys Winifred May Partridge in June in Cardiff Register Office- why Cardiff??
1903 Oct 27 HL Osmond in "Midnight Mail "at Theatre Royal, Sunderland
1903 Nov 6. HL Osmond as Leonard Royle in "Midnight Mail" at Theatre, Luton
1904. April 19 Leeds Dottridge & Young production of Midnight Mail - Winifred Chalmers acting in it , no Henry
1906 Feb 17 At Alexandra Theatre Sheffield in the lead role of Winifred Chalmers production of the "Master Criminal"-could Winifred Chalmers be his wife?, he under bankruptcy rules from 1902-1908/1910 . Only one mention of his Company 1903-1910
1906 May 22. He was the leading actor in "A womans's revenge" at Theatre Royal Exeter. The cast includes Winifred Chalmer
1906 21 Aug Winifred Chalmers Company 'Master Criminal' Henry L Osborne the criminal, Winifred as Cecile - Portsmouth
1906 Dec 11. Dearer than Life at Exeter- Miss Chalmers Company
1907 Mar 30 To appear at the Alexandra Theatre, Sheffield with a large cast in a play called "Master Criminal". The heroine will be played by Winifred Chalmers
1907 Jun 4. At Dundee with The Black Vampire . Leads are Henry L Osomd and Winifred Chalmers
1907 Jul 30. At Palace Theatre Bristol in The Master Criminal. He plays the lead and the heroine will be played by Winifred Chalmers. It is Winifred Chalmers' production
1907 Aug 26. "Oliver Twist" at Exeter for 4 nights- Miss Winifred Chalmers Company: he plays Sykes, she Nancy
Oliver Twist at Exeter
Another Version
(abbreviated extract from newspaper cutting)
There was a fairly good house at the Theatre Royal, Exeter, last night, when the boards were occupied by Miss Winifred Chalmer’s company in a dramatized version of Charles Dicken’s celebrated novel, Oliver Twist. The majority of the works of Dickens are by no means easy of adaptation to stage production, one reason for this being the numerous characters being introduced whilst another being the large number of scenes necessary if the book is to be faithfully followed.
In the present instance, however, Messrs. Henry L. Osmond and Ernest Noble have endeavoured to include additional incidents in their dramatized version, and with a certain amount of success.
In all there are four acts split up into no less than 18 scenes, and last night the interest of the audience was sustained throughout.
In the role of Bill Sikes, Mr Henry L. Osmond was thoroughly at home, his acting being characterised by a callous demeanour which could not but spell success.
1908 Mar 31 At Bristol, Ethel Glyde/Clyde plays a part in A Soldier of France in "Fred Osmonds" company. No mention of HLO here. Could he be operating under the name Fred Osmond?? Only mention of Ethel Glyde until 1910 at least, not surprising as she was only 14 in 1908
1908 Apr 18. Henry L Osmonds Company at Falkirk Opera House, Fife - The Master Criminal (adapted from Oliver Twist) for 6 nights
1908 May2 . Henry L Osmond is the Master Criminal in that play in Miss Chalmers' company in Falkirk local theatre . Also as Bill Sykes in Oliver Twist, with Winifred Chalmers as Nancy . ODD these 2 seemingly different productions in - different theatres?? - Falkirk!!
So, the 2 companies, Henry L Osmond & Winifred Chalmers both producing 1908- if the reporting is correct!!
1908-1909. Living Moss lane, Burscough - daughter Agda at school there & this address on his Bankruptcy Discharge papers
1908 Oct 22. Plays Bill Sykes in Oliver Twist at Theatre Royal Sheffield . A Winifred Chalmers plays opposite him.
1909 Jan 26. At Dundee in Gaity Theatre in Winifred Chalmers Production of A Woman's Revenge. He plays the lead.
1909 May 8. Lincoln Winifred Chalmers Company with Oliver Twist, with Henry L Osmond in it
1909. Son Leslie Arthur Wyn Ormrod born 12/3/1909 at 23, Mornington Road, Pancras, London - mother Alice Winifred Partridge, his legal wife
1910 Jan . Houghton le Springs - withdraws from involvement with the Houghton Theatre Company there
1910. Son Gerald H Ormrod born, baptised & died December 1910 Leigh - mother Alice Winifred Partridge, his legal wife: their address 42, Wilkinson Street, Leigh. Map. Leigh ~ 20k W of Manchester & is where his 3rd 'wife' Ethel Beard, dies during an abortion in 1918
1911C. No trace of him in this . His 2 daughters are with his parents in Houghton le Spring, map : his legal wife, calling herself Winifred Ormrod, actress, employer, in Wednesbury[ just N of Birmingham] with son Leslie Ormrod 2.
1911 Aug 4. At Royal Hippodrome Dover, with the Belle of Barcelona
1911 Aug 26. At Sunderland Royal Theatre in Miss Plaster of Paris- Miss Winifred Chalmers production , but think he wrote this?
1912 Apr 5. Grand Theatre, Luton - The Belle of Barcelona (There is an Ethel Wilford in the cast)
1912 Jun 12. Winifred Chalmers last production, her first being in 1902 . About this time regular mentions have been found of H L Osmond's productions, right through to 1928
1912 Jul 2. Palace Theatre Gloucester with the Belle of Barcelona. Feature Ethyl Glyde
1912. Daughter Doris Ethel Osmond born Gelli Pontypridd 3/12/1912- mother Ethel Beard/Glyde
1913 Empire Theatre Tonypandy. At the end of 1912 it was sold to a company headed by Sam Duckworth, and just a month or so later a local journalist reported: “A complete transformation has been effected in the Empire – it is almost incredible that the local ‘white elephant’, the Empire, should have been converted in to such a brilliant success in the short space of three weeks. Packed houses have been the order of the day for the plays ‘Leah Kleschna’ and ‘Apple of Eden’ and the H.L. Osmond pantomime company. - this found by googling the bold print, then on page 10 of the ensuing magazine!
1913 Apr 19. Produces "The Major" at Palace Theatre, Gloucester - Henry L Osmond's Company
1913 Apr 26 Miss Plaster of Paris at Gloucester Palace Theatre with Ethel Glyde as the title role
1914 May 4. Miss Lamb of Canterbury at Grand Theatre Luton for 6 nights
1914 Jul 14 At Alhambra Manchester with Miss Ethel Glyde in Miss Lamb of Canterbury
1914 Dec 28. Cinderella produced on Hastings Pier
1915 Jan 5 In Hull with in Miss Lamb of Canterbury with Ethel Glyde
1915 Feb 6. At Grantham Empire featuring Ethel Glyde in Miss Lamb of Canterbury
1915 Mar 1 . HL Osmonds production for 6 nights of Miss Lamb of Canterbury at Grand Theatre, Luton
1915 Apr 5. Miss Lamb of Canterbury. Henry Osmond and Ethel Glyde co-star at Queens Theatre, Leeds
1915 April 30- May 7. Theatre Royal , Barry with Miss Plaster of Paris with Ethel Glyde as Eliza Plaster, the barmaid. http://cymru1914.org/en/view/newspaper/4130072
1916-1917. Took over the lease on the Vale Empire, Leven, Scotland for a year , See end of page
1916. 1/7/1916 Daughter Irene May Osmond was born Alexandria Scotland - mother Ethel Beard
1916 Dec 11. At Londonderry with Goody Two Shoes, featuring Ethel Glyde
1916. Goody Two Shoes from Xmas day in Derry
1917 Jan 24 Goody Two Shoes at Palace Theatre, Dundee with Ethyl Glyde as Boy Blue
1917 Feb 5. In Perth Theatre with Goody Two Shoes
1917 Feb 19 At Lyceum Theater Dunfrieds with Goody Two Shoes for one week
1917 Dec 15. At Birmingham Aston Hippodrome with Goody Two Shoes
1918 Jan 4. Little Goody Two Shoes at Opera House, Coventry. Ethel Clyde as title role
1918 Feb 25 At Burnley Empire - Little Goody Two Shoes. Cast includes Ethel Clyde
1918 Apr 1. At Queens Park Hippodrome, Manchester with Goody Two Shoes
1918. 18/9/1018. Ethel Clyde appearing as the Slavey/Angelin Touchemup in Burnley HL Osmond production
5 weeks later . .
1918 Jun 7. Little Miss Goody at the Grand Theatre Derby featuring Ethel Glyde
1918 Sep 18. At the Burnley Empire in Fine Feathers. Ethel Glyde was the heroine 'Angelin Touchemup'. Also May Brownlee
1918. 25/10/1918 Henry present at the death of his 3rd 'wife' Ethel Beard/Glyde/Ormrod in Leigh- this due to a botched abortion. Both their addresses given as 6 Church Road Blackpool, but actually this is in Bispham- Henry owned 2 cottages & a house there . Leigh was where he was living Dec 1910 when his 2nd son had been baptised.
1918. Late December Coventry Opera House, Henry L Osmond produces Cinderella- 9 scenes- May Brownlee as Prince Charming
1919 Jan 13. Goody Two Shoes at Victoria Opera House, Burnley
1919 Jun 2. At Theatre, Gloucester for 5 nights Miss Goody with May Brownlee
1919 Jun 9 . Fine Feathers at Rotherham Empire
1919 Sep 6. At Burnley New Empire - Fine Feathers with May Brownlee in cast
1920 Feb 4. Victoria Opera House, Burnley - Dick Whittington
1920 Apr 7. A weeks run of Little Miss Goody in Burnley Empire
Below?? - HLO not mentioned - but dated 7/4/1920
1920 Sep 4 . Gold and Glitter at Empire Theatre, Burnley
1920 Dec 17, Cinderella opens at the Palace Theatre, Gloucester
1920 Dec 27 . Babes in the Wood opens at Victoria Opera House, Burnley- Daughters Doris & Irene could have been in this - Wendy's input & this could be the occasion that Doris remembers of May Brownlee making eyes at Henry
1921. Cinderella 1st January 1921 Henry L Osmond Production with Miss Agda Osmond - a pleasing young actress makes a most successful Dandini . No May Brownlee- she in Babes in the Wood in Burnley
1921 Jan 15, At Palace Theatre Gloucester, Babes in the Wood- could Doris & Irene have performed in this?
1921 Jan 31 At Burnley Empire for 6 nights "Camouflage"
1921 Mar 16 At Burnley New Empire - Little Miss Goody - May Wood Brownlee the Principal Boy
1921 Apr 23. Who is Mrs Fred Osmond who has her own company?? Here she is presenting 'East Lynne' -mentioned in 1933 suicide report of Alice Winifred Ormerod/Partridge. Mr Fred Osmond was producing in 1914, Newcastle & in 1916,1918. Could she be his legal wife, Alice Winifred Ormrod??
1921 Dec 24 . The Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, opened at Palace Theatre, Burnley
1921. Gloucester 24th December 1921Palace Theatre – Puss in Boots (Producer Henry L. Osmond) -in the cast: May Wood Brownlee & Claude Lester
1921 Dec 26 Puss in Boots opens in Palace Theatre, Gloucester
1922. The theatre was slowly becoming less popular due to the advent of Movies
1922 Feb 9 Produced at Grand Theatre Plymouth the pantomime Cinderella
1922 Apr 19. At Taunton Empire "Dainty Ankles"
1922. Living 6 Church Lane, Bipsham on 23/4/1922 when his father dies
1922 Sep 4. At BurnleyNew Empire - Miss Chic of Chicago- this is Agda 1901
1922 Oct 6. Motherwell Empire for 6 nights Miss Chic of Chicago
1922 Nov 4. Miss Chic of Chicago at Opera House Kirkaldy Fife
1923 Jan 13. The Old Woman who lived in a Shoe at Hippodrome Gloucester
1923 Jan 22 In Truro Country Theatre with Puss in Boots
1923 Feb 23. Puss in Boots at Grand Theatre, Plymouth- maybe this was when Bipsham Town Hall burnt down, uninsured, with all his props
1923. Daughter Luna O Ormrod born 10/4/1923 Blackpool - mother May Wood Brownlee
Henry had the license of the Gosforth Arms, Middlesborough and May run this whilst he was on tour. I think she was likely his Wardrobe Mistress- replacing Wykers- around the years 1923-1927: Gaynor's mother Doris knew of her as such and said May Brownlee always had eyes on HLO- little did she know!!
1923 Apr 16. At Truro Theatre with The Dream Lady
1923 Apr 28 The Dream Lady at Coliseum Theatre, Cheltenham
1924 Daily Mail, 4th January 1924 Tivoli Theatre – Cinderella (Producer Henry L. Osmond) In the cast: Agda Osmond
The Daily Mail, Friday, January 4, 1924
None the less interesting is the appearance of “Cinderella” at the Tivoli Theatre, and great things are promised in this production.
Henry L. Osmond is the producer and there will be some novel and spectacular effects. Stella Mainwaring will be in the name-part, and the chief comedian will be Tommy Francis as Pimples the Page. Prince Charming will be played by Rona Riden and the Ugly Sisters will be Jay and Kay.
Others in the cast ………………. (list of names) including;
Agda Osmond.
A special scene will be that presented by the Raleighs introducing living representations of toys. While in the Palace scene the coach will be drawn by pigmy ponies. An augmented orchestra will be under the direction of Miss D. Raleigh.
1924 Jan 19 . Miss Nancy Hay Sparkes, the child dancer known as Wee Nancy Hay of Fairlawn, Linden Road, Gloucester is this season touring as Principal Dancer in HL Osmond's Goody Two Shoes. The production of the play took place in Barnsley, and the tour extends to Oldham, Manchester, Leeds, Halifax, Hull, Newcastle and other towns.
1924. Daily Mail, 20th August 1924 Alexandra Theatre – a revue “Miss U.S.A” (producer Henry L. Osmond) - in the cast: Maywood Brownlee.
1924 Dec 15. Court case in Blackpool. Osmond is a licensee of Gosford Arms, Middlesborough. This where Agda M Osmond 1924 might have been found in a drawer by her future adoptive mother, Charlotte Pitchford !
1924 Dec 26. Goody Two Shoes opens for 8 Nights at Hippodrome, Gloucester
1925 Feb 1. Goody Two Shoes at At Burnley Palace Theatre
1925 Mar 16. At Hartlepool Palace - Biff Bang
1925 Aug 1. Burnley Empire . Presents Biff Bang. Agda Osmond in the cast
1926 Dec 29, Babes in the Wood at the Victoria, Burnley- this- instead of or as well as the 1920 production, is maybe the show that Doris & Irene performed in
1927 Mar 16 Pantomime tour of Little Goody Two Shoes a Failure. The Principal Girl's mother in Little Goody Two Shoes sues Osmond for £50. He is living at Ripon at this time. Case heard in Stockton- upon-Tees, almost a part of Middlesborough, just to its West . HLO obviously in financial difficulties at this time- but when was the tour 1926??
1927. Daughter Patressia E F Ormrod born Middlesborough 20/5/1927 - mother May Wood Brownlee. It is thought he left May just before her birth, stating she had stolen from him. Thought to have retreated to a Fish & Chip shop in Haverford West, taking 11yr old Irene with him -having withdrawn her from boarding school, and set up a Fish and Chip shop - yet he goes on producing for another 16 months: I have decided that,although he did indeed withdraw Irene from boarding school, this was at an earlier date. In 1925/6 his mother had died. In 1927, he had sold his property in Bispham, Irene left the Red Bank Road Council School and tagged along on tour with him and Aggie, Irene attending different schools weekly. She then became a Girtie Girtana Dainty Maid until she outgrew the par,. After this she would have gone down to Haverford West to peel potatoes for him
1928 Mar 14. At Plymouth Grand Theatre "Off the Dole"
1928 May 30. At Burnley "Off the Dole" includes "12 Brownlee Girls" and "Osmond Sisters"- seemingly the only reference to his daughters dancing together
1928 Sep 19. At Grand Theatre Plymouth - And So We Go On. Includes the "12 Brownlee Girls"
1928 Oct 4. HL Osmond presents at Coliseum Theatre, Cheltenham, As We Go On
1929-1931. Likely in Haverford West, trying to save up money to start again
1932 Apr 2. Gets a cinema licence in Matlock. Stated as living at Penarth- near Cardiff- at the time, also Holme Road, Matlock Bath . Irene likely was by then working as a Tiller girl
1932 Jul 9 An open air production in Harrogate
1933 His wife Alice Winifred Ormerod commits suicide 25/3/1933 London. Did this news reach him??
1935 Apr 16. Victoria Theatre Dundee?? -dubious this is our HLO! Found only one other article on this Henri- the same magician act in Plymouth June 1935
Found out a bit more about HLO from the sites below:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/garlands/381-385.htm
A lesser known figure from the Victorian & Edwardian musical stage: Henry L Osmond was in theatre management, but he also found time to compose the music for the two musicals Miss Plaster-of-Paris (1910) and Miss Lamb of Canterbury (1914) both of which had provincial tours.
http://www.valeofleven.org.uk/vale-empire.html
Under New Management – for a while
James Boyd received a presentation from his staff on the stage of the Empire in April 1916 and handed the theatre over to what was described as “its new tenant”, Harry Osmond. Osmond was well known in the profession and no doubt it was a safe choice by Boyd at the time. Osmond quite rightly set about stamping his name on the theatre – quite apart from anything else it would have been expected of him. The first newspaper adverts after he took over had his name immediately below the Vale Empire banner:
“Lessee & Manager – Harry L Osmond”.
James Boyd had never done this and in fact Osmond’s name disappeared from the adverts after 3 or 4 months. Obviously since he had to pay rent for the theatre, attracting a big audience all the time was the top priority for Osmond. It is tempting to see his early programmes as lowering the Empire standards by trying to draw in the public to see shows with sexual undertones. His first couple of weeks included:
“The Girl in the Taxi” - a comedy play,
And the week after that
“The White Slaves of London” - described as being direct from the Glasgow Metropole, but everything else about it is left to the reader’s imagination.
However that’s probably stretching things a bit, partly because the standards of the Empire drama had never been particularly high and partly because Osmond soon returned to the tried and tested Empire formula. May saw a revue and by the end of the month “Mr Osmond goes back to drama by staging two western plays”. These westerns were something of a novelty in those days but unfortunately no details were given about them. By way of further innovation, it was also Osmond who put on the aforementioned I’Ada as the headline act in July 1916.
The Empire shut for a summer break which was the same as that taken by the local works. In those days this was not the Dumbarton Fair at the beginning of July, but was in August. When it re-opened right at the end of August with a play – “Eliza Comes to Stay” Osmond’s name had disappeared from the adverts and never re-appeared, although his name continued to be used in editorial content in the papers. In September he introduced “go-as-you-please” competitions which he advertised as being held every Thursday night. They didn’t last long at this time and were soon phased out, but in the last years of the Empire the go-as-you-please shows were a permanent feature and in some weeks in the late 1920’s they were the only show being put on at the Empire. They were, of course, very cheap to stage.
December 1916 was a busy month at the Empire with the re-appearance of John W Ridding’s English Opera Company which performed three operas during the week – Rigoletto, Il Travatore and Maritana. For good measure they were also putting on a Sacred Concert on the Sunday night in aid of limbless soldiers and sailors. There were a number of Sunday-night Sacred Concerts at the Empire during the war, all in aid of war charities. What distinguished them from any other sort of concert was simply that the music was religious or classical and any spoken pieces would also be of an “uplifting” nature. They seem to have attracted good audiences, especially since they began at 8 o’clock allowing people who had been at an evening church service to go straight from church to the concerts, and to help a good cause.
The other highlight of December 1916 at the Empire was the presentation of a play written by Harry Lauder – “The Night Before”. Lauder’s brother, Alick Lauder, appeared in a leading role which was no doubt an additional draw. The play toured extensively and by all accounts it was worth the attendance money with Alick Lauder turning in a pretty competent performance. This was followed by a comedy “Bauldy” and then into January 1917 with the annual panto.
The Empire panto in January 1917 was Aladdin and that is one of the last references there is to Harry Osmond at the Empire. By March 1917 it was announced that the Empire was under new management. There was no mention of Osmond’s departure but it was almost exactly a year since he had taken over and it is quite possible that he had signed a one year lease which was not renewed by one or other of the parties.