THIS week in Down Memory Lane we travel back only 40 years to see the opening of the Thameside Theatre in Grays in 1971.

The theatre was part of the new complex in Orsett Road, incorporating the library and museum.

This new development was built in two phases, the rear tower block first and then the front foyer, museum and theatre so the existing library could move from the old Carnegie Free Library building on the frontage of Orsett Road in to the new build without closing the service.

Theatre manager was Brian Pridmore, supported by Brian Seddon on the technical side and Peggy Sach in the box-office.

The 327-seat auditorium looked down on the 30ft sq stage floor, which was constructed of Canadian hard rock maple.

The projector room included cinema projectors and a state-of-the-art lighting system, as well as a telephone link to the stage and a paging and cue system.

October 18 saw the first ever play performed on the stage “The love of four colonels”.

Seats were priced at 50p and 40p during the week and 60p and 50p on the Saturday.

Players included Peter Green, Lou Brooks, Jessie Kinge, Josephine Webb, David Green, Gordon Curnow, Gwen Clear, Metwen Jones and directed by Antony Carrick. Other performances in the first month included the Royal Ballet School, Roy Budd Jazz Trio, Philomusica of London and the film Great White Hope, the life story of heavyweight Jack Johnson. Adverts in the Thurrock Gazette also show that the first pantomime in the new theatre was to be Pinocchio (oh no it wasn’t!).

This year also saw the opening of the Stanford-le-Hope Manorway dual carriageway and as one new facility opened others were closing for the last time, like the Castle Pub in Grays.