Huggins and the Music Hall

From Alan Greenwood

I do talks on unusual aspects of the brewers of yesterday and one that I do is on Brewers and Theatre’s or Music Halls. I had the following information on Huggins relationship with Music Halls which may, or may not be of interest to you. Weston's Music Hall, at 242, High Holborn was another pub turned Music Hall. Originally known by the name of The Six Cans and Punch Bowl tavern. From the early 1800’s, sing-songs and harmonic meetings had been regularly held in the parlour of this tavern. When In 1835 Henry Weston became the licensee he set about converting it into a large and elegant Music Hall to be called 'Weston's Music Hall. It was an instant success. Later in 1906, it changed its name to something you may be more familiar with, the Holborn Empire but it was originally just a pub.

At the inauguration of the new Music Hall, Edward Huggins, Esq. of the well-known Huggins Brewery firm had consented to take the chair. Upwards of 300 visitors sat down to an elegant repast consisting of all the delicacies of the season. At the right hand of Mr Huggins, were seated Messrs. Henry Weston and Thos. Wm. Flavel, solicitors to Reid’s Brewery. (Huggins & Co. Ltd were eventually taken over by Watney, Combe, Reid & Co. Ltd, no doubt the music hall cemented some good contacts).

The big Huggins wall mural I had seen myself a few years ago between Kennington and Tower Bridge but it seems to have disappeared now, probably masked by a new building construction.