William Hinds

Theatrical career

Hinds became involved in music halls and the theatre. His involvement included owning a number of seaside theatres, for example the West Cliff Theatre in Clacton, and performing onstage as a comedian, although it was said that the latter was not his greatest strength.

He also ran summer concert parties in conjunction with Jack Payne, the famous bandleader, and led a troupe called Will Hammer's Players, taking his stage name of Hammer from Hammersmith, where he lived.

In 1957 he set up Cascade Entertainments Ltd with theatre impresario George Baines and produced "Big Splash" Aqua Show at The Derby Baths in Blackpool. The show featured the singer Robert Earle and a troupe of divers and swimmers and was performed for the summer season. It was during the rehearsals for this show that he died following the bicycle accident.

Hinds's oldest son William "Bill" Hinds continued to run the jewellery shops for many years. These were sold in the 1960s, but Bill continued as a jeweller. His widow eventually sold his remaining shop in Worthing, Sussex to the other half of the family, reuniting the jewellery business. It is now a branch of F. Hinds.

His second son, Anthony "Tony" Hinds, rejoined Hammer Film Productions in 1946. He had one more son Geoffrey Hinds and two daughters Shirley Hinds and Susan Hinds. At the time of his death he had been living with his long term partner Pat Hinds, mother of Susan, for thirteen years.