CINEMA CAFE AND MASONIC HALL FIRE
26TH MARCH 1934
TAKEN FROM THE BUCKS STANDARD

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A fire which at one period threatened to assume serious dimensions and to bring within its grip a large group of property in St. John-street and Silver-street, occurred at Newport Pagnell on Tuesday afternoon. As to the actual seat of the fire, and its cause nothing definite is known. At about 4.15 a dense volume of smoke was seen to be issuing from the back of the Cinema Cafe premises, which are at the moment unoccupied but which up to a month ago were used as refreshment rooms and as a dance hall and centre for rolling skating. Practically adjoining is the Electric Theatre with the Masonic Hall, a large building, formerly used for entertainment and as the old home of the Church Institute. This and the Cinema Cafe premises are owned by Mr.Alfred Bullard, the lower portion of the Masonic Hall being utilised by him for the storage of valuable oil paintings and furniture which he has collected in his business as an antique dealer.
The fire was as rapid in its development as it was mysterious in its origin. At 4 o'clock men engaged in the Electric Theatre in putting in modern and more comfortable seats under the balcony observed nothing to cause alarm. A few minutes later they were disturbed by the cries of Fire and to their amazement they discovered the cafe dance hall adjoining enveloped in a dense smoke. A moment or so later the lower portion of the extensive hall resembled a roaring furnace, with the volume of flame increasing and threatening the Theatre and the Masonic Hall.
The Newport Pagnell Fire Brigade, operating under Chief Officer E. P. Whitmee, were promptly on the scene and from the river Lovat near the Iron Bridge they ran out a length of hose and were soon busily at work on the burning property. The service of the Olney section of the North Bucks Brigade were summoned and using their motor pump, they obtained a plentiful supply of water from the river Lovat on the western side of the Iron Bridge. The dance hall is an old building with an interesting history It is said to have been the old Poor House and in the firm grip of the fire it burnt like match wood. The brigades worked so well together that they were able to save the domestic apartments which abut on to St. John-street, but pictures of some value which Mr. Bullard had hung on the walls and fittings of the hall were destroyed.
At one period fears were entertained that a dwelling house between the cafe and the Electric Theatre, occupied by Mr. Sapwell and his wife and family, would be involved. A band of willing helpers removed the furniture to a position of greater safety and some of the family were very kindly provided with accommodation for the night by the Salvation Army in their hall in Silver-street, where the furniture had been removed. Meantime the two brigades were carrying on heroically, and business men, work-people and even women, devoted their energies to removing Mr. Bullards antiques and other art objects from the Masonic Hall. One of the Newport Pagnell firemen, Mr. C. Shelton, was overcome by gas fumes and had to be carried into the street.
The fire reached the Masonic Hall also the engine room of the Electric Theatre, damaging the dynamo and putting the power plant out of action. Fortunately the Theatre is connected with the electric mains, and as the building itself escaped the fire, the evenings programme of pictures was ably to be carried through.
The damage done to the Masonic Hall was considerable. The back portion, in old days used as a refreshment room, was burnt out. The flames and volumes of water played on by the brigade brought the roof in with a crash shortly after 5 o'clock and the billiards tables and furniture in the upper hall recently vacated by the District Club, was much damaged by water and falling debris.
The fire was well in hand in two hours but whilst in progress hundreds of people gathered in the streets to watch the firemen at their work. The traffic lights were stopped and the policemen directed motor vehicles by alternative route out of the town. The damage is very considerable, and would have been much serious but for the valuable work of the voluntary salvage corps in rescuing a quantity of valuable furniture, pictures, etc., from the Masonic Hall.