John Durey Junior, known as Jack, first came to Alnwick from Forest Hall in 1908 to play the piano for the Corn Exchange Variety Theatre and Cinema.  In the days of silent films live music was required, to provide a sense of peril and daring do! He returned to the Corn Exchange permanently in 1912, as pianist and musical director.

Travelling acts from across the country, and even around the world visited the Corn Exchange in Alnwick. Many were quite extraordinary. These included, for example The Girl Aquatic Marvels, two ‘mermaids’ who dived from great height into a glass water tank and performed underwater stunts. Also The Togo’s, Japanese acrobats and Jugglers, who juggled while sliding down a rope suspended from the ceiling.

Jack accompanied them all. The only reason we have a record of these amazing acts, and many more is the great collection of autographs, promotional postcards and newspaper cuttings kept by Jack Durey, between 1912 and 1939. These have all now been passed to Bailiffgate for safe keeping, in memory of a remarkable life.

 

A page from Jack Durey’s autograph book

 

Jack was an entrepreneur. He was a pianist for the cinema and variety acts, but also an excellent piano teacher, composer, photographer, artist and journalist. As a composer he was inspired in the Autumn of 1914 by the plight of Belgian refugees arriving in Alnwick fleeing from the German invasion. It prompted him to compose a piece of music entitled The Belgian Maid.

 

A year later, in 1915, he married Evelyn Minto

 

Towards the end of the Great War he served in the Royal Navy

 

Jack published articles on local history with his own photographs and sketches in newspapers. He had a shop on Fenkle Street, that sold his photographs, postcards, birthday cards and Christmas cards. as well as sweets and tobacco.

 

Jack  was a highly requested band leader and concert pianist, and appears often in the local newspapers of the time.

He and Evelyn lived happily in various places in Alnwick, including Duke Street and Swansfield Park Road, finally settling in St. Georges Crescent. He passed away in 1962 at the age of 71, a father and grandfather.