Fifth generation local resident Merle Jenkins has won the Theatre Royal’s ‘Win A Seat’ competition with a moving tribute to her late husband Les.
The pair met at the local theatre back in 1949 and shared a love story spanning more than six decades.
Theatre Royal co-owners Felicity Cripps and Tim Heath said that as part of their continuing quest to fully refurbish all the original art-deco cinema seats they recently decided to run the ‘Win A Seat’ competition.
Felicity said entrants were asked to submit a personal story from their experiences at the theatre and what they would choose to be engraved on a seat plaque and why.
The competition came to a close at midnight on November 30. Felicity and husband Tim were kept busy receiving and reading entries right up until 10pm that evening.
“The stories were moving and funny, there were historical anecdotes, devious tales of the 80s and 90s, and beautiful stories from more recent times. Every entrant had a unique and interesting tale to tell and many moved me to tears,” Felicity told the Mail.
“The people who hold memories of time spent within these grand old walls are the people who have helped make the Theatre Royal so special and so significant to our beautiful town and beyond over generations,” Felicity said.
“We wanted to celebrate that and one day we hope to collate all these wonderful anecdotes into a publication, so these stories aren’t lost.”
Merle said that on November 2, 1949 she was at the theatre to see a film when a young man, Les Jenkins, asked if he could sit beside her.
“His mates were saying ‘Look Jenks is sitting with a girl!’ she laughed.
“He said he couldn’t take me home – I lived in Chewton, he was in Campbells Creek and it was a wet night. That was the start of it all – we kept going to the pictures every Friday night on a permanent booking downstairs. Sometimes if there was a cancellation upstairs we could go up there – we thought that was so good!” Merle said.
“I was very spoiled as he bought me a box of scorched almonds every week. One week I recall Les saying ‘I can’t remember the picture we saw!'” recalls Merle.
They only had eyes for each other.
Merle said in the early days of their courtship she would ride her bike from Chewton and Les would ride from Campbells Creek and they would meet at the theatre.
“One evening a man leapt out from behind a tree at Wesley Hill and scared the life out of me. Fortunately, I didn’t fall off my bicycle and I flew all the way into Castlemaine. I didn’t look back!” Merle said.
“After that Les wouldn’t let me ride into town. He insisted on riding to Chewton rail, hail or shine so we could catch the bus into Castlemaine together,” Merle said.
“We were married two years later. We were married for 64 years until Les passed away in 2015,” she said.
“So, you can see why the Theatre Royal is such a sentimental memory for me. I am very pleased to be a Loyal Royal member and sincerely pray that the TR keeps on going for many more years to come. Thank you, Felicity and Tim, for all your hard work in keeping this grand old theatre alive and well,” she said.
Merle’s story has won her a gold plaque on a refurbished cinema seat in honour of her first date with Les.
“I said if I was lucky enough to win I would like the plaque to read: ‘Les and Merle Jenkins – Our First Date 2/11/1949 – Merle Jenkins – aged 88 years’,” she said.