Category: 1926

Norman & Joe Gledhill Start Making Domestic Cylinders

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Two brothers, Norman and Joe Gledhill, founded a business manufacturing domestic copper cylinders in 1926, starting in small premises in Blackpool. Norman, who was married to Louise Ainsworth, had three children: Keith, Houghton, and Norma. As their cylinder business expanded, they moved to larger premises, but with the outbreak of World War II, copper supplies were severely restricted, halting production. After the war, Norman and Louise established Norman Gledhill & Co Ltd, focusing on manufacturing cylinders for plumbers’ merchants. During this time, their sons became involved in the business, with Keith delivering cylinders on a hand cart and Houghton working… Read more »

The Doric Hotel

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The Doric Hotel was originally known as Wrigley Terrace. The Taylor Family acquired the hotel in 2000 and in later years became part of the Waterside Hotel Group alongside the Park House Hotel and Pavilion on the Prom. The Doric Hotel reopened its doors on 10 February following a five-week closure for renovations. This latest development is part of a significant investment in the property, totalling £250,000, which positions the Doric Hotel as a standout among Blackpool’s 3-star establishments. The refurbishment included a complete transformation of key communal areas such as the reception, lounge, bar, and corridors. The updates reflect… Read more »

Stanley Park

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The park was officially opened on 2nd October 1926, by Edward George Villiers Stanley – 17th Earl of Derby from whom the park takes its name. Stanley Park is a public park in the town of Blackpool on the Fylde coast in Lancashire, England. It is the town’s primary park and covers an area of approximately 104 hectares (260 acres). The park was designed to include significant sporting provisions, along with formal gardens, a boating lake and woodland area. It was designed and built in the 1920s, under the eye of Thomas Mawson. It is located in the Great Marton and… Read more »

Parks Art Deco Cafe

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The Parks Art Deco cafe is frankly stunning. A majestic art deco building set in beautiful Stanley Park, the cafe was built in 1926 and is grade two listed. It is owned by Blackpool council and is fully licensed, although as we went for breakfast we didn’t indulge in the glorious jugs of Pimms they had advertised. There is seating both indoors and outdoors facing the Italian gardens, so wherever you choose to sit you certainly have a room with a view. When I was in Blackpool last month, the local historian Ted Lightbown also took me to the Stanley… Read more »