Here’s an interesting fact to start us off. If you are of a certain age you might remember the renowned organist Reginald Dixon, who performed at the Blackpool Tower ballroom, and was massively famous on the BBC. If you’ve ever heard “Oh I do like to be beside the seaside”, it’s probably him! This is Reginald, with the “Mighty Wurlitzer” organ he played in Blackpool – probably the most complicated beast of its time

The reason for mentioning him is that he was born in Sheffield, and started playing piano and organ when he was just two years old. In 1917, at the tender age of 13, he left school to concentrate on music, and became the organist at Birley Carr Methodist Church. He soon became interested in cinema: film was silent in those days, and cinemas had a resident organist to improvise music appropriate to what was happening on screen. Often the organ (and organist) would rise up into view from underneath the floor! Around 1921 he was musical director at the Stocksbridge Palace cinema, earning £3 per week (perhaps £150 in today’s money)

But it seems like Birley Carr was his first job!