Southend Timeline

• Garons Imperial Bioscope opened in the High Street
• Thorpe Bay Station Opens
• A Businessman Dies - Harry Garon
• Panto Time - Aladdin at the Hippodrome
• Southend's Suffragettes>
• A New Picture Theatre
• Southend Music Festival Starts 
• Census Year - 62,592

Garons Imperial Bioscope opened in the High Street - Garon's became synonymous with Southend.  A chain of shops, cinemas and banqueting suites would grace the town.  In fact you could not go far in the High Street without coming across one of these businesses gracing the sidewalk.  One particular shop would display hoards of meat carcasses from its frontage to sell the idea that Garon's were indeed the best purveyor of such products.  Possibly if Garon's was around today it would manifest itself more as a Waitrose or Marks Spencers.  In the day of the corner shop it was interesting to see there was always still some kind of monopoly going on, maybe not with the national brands but within the town itself.  When the Imperial Bioscope opened the in July 1911 with 500 seats and cafe it would have been a unique entertainment concept.  The heyday of the Bioscope was from the late 1890s until World War 1.  As a cinema it stayed the pace of time existing in the High Street until 1963.

Suffragettes - With a General Election looming at the end of the year, the womens movement to gain the right to vote mounted and on the streets of Southend women demonstrated as shown in the picture above.  Their wish would not be granted until 1918 and then limited by age, until 1924 when the women's voting rights were brought fully in line with men.  

Southend Music Festival Starts - Southend needed a vehicle to showcase the growing musical talent in the town.  Today this festival flourishes and provides a stage for drama and individual instrument competitions.

Census Year - Southend's popularity as a seaside resort and with transport links improving with the growing of the rail lines meant the town was an ok place to live. The town’s population reached 62,592.

Thorpe Bay Station Opens - The London, Tilbury and Southend Rail line kept pushing east, with that came more stations, the  latest being Thorpe Bay which made a welcome appearance in this growing parish.  It was originally called Southchurch Station for a couple of years before changing to its current title.

A Businessman Dies - Harry Garon passed away on 31st October 1911 aged 49.  His death brought to the town a huge funeral that took over the town, which demonstrated the respect for this businessman by everyone who knew him.  Read about the funeral here Click Here

Panto Time - The Hippodrome took the baton this festive season to host the Christmas treat; theis year the subject would be "Aladdin".  The title role being played by Miss Ethel Ward (right), while Mr Clifford Morgan will fill the part of "Abanazar."  Assisted by a full Star Company and London Chorus, the production put together by Mr. Edward Marris.

A New Picture Theatre -  The Kinemacolour Picture House opened  in Warrior Square bringing with it a new sensation, something no other picture hosue in the town could provide which was the first colour animated movies.