Category: 1956

David Durie Makes His FA Cup Debut Against Manchester City

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David George Durie (13 August 1931 – 30 August 2016) was an English professional footballer widely admired for his prolific scoring ability and exemplary conduct, spending the majority of his career at Blackpool Football Club. Born and raised in Blackpool, Durie attended Revoe School and signed with his hometown club in 1952. Initially brought in as cover for Allan Brown, he gradually carved out his own place in the team. He made his league debut on 23 February 1953 in a 2–0 defeat to Charlton Athletic and scored his first goal later that season in a 5–1 loss at Middlesbrough…. Read more »

Derek Woodman Rides in His First TT Race

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Derek Woodman, born in Blackpool on April 26, 1959, is a former world-class motorcycle racer and the longtime owner of one of the UK’s top BMW dealerships. Raised in a working-class family, he wasn’t expected to go far academically, but his love for motorcycles and mechanical work led him to become a skilled toolmaker. Despite his mother’s objections—due to a past family tragedy involving motorcycles—Derek’s passion for racing grew, and at 14, he visited the Isle of Man to watch the famous TT races, which left a lasting impression. After leaving school at 15, he worked at a motorcycle shop… Read more »

Jimmy Clitheroe, Not Born but Bred in Blackpool

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James Robinson Clitheroe (24 December 1921 – 6 June 1973) was an English comic entertainer best remembered for his long-running BBC Radio programme, The Clitheroe Kid (1956–1972). Born on Christmas Eve in Clitheroe, Lancashire, he was the only child of weavers Emma Pye and James Robert Clitheroe. His birth took place at his maternal grandparents’ home on Wilkin Street (now Highfield Road). He grew up in the mill village of Blacko, near Nelson, living at Spout Houses, a row of terraced homes below Blacko Tower. Educated at local schools, he left formal education at 14, then the standard leaving age…. Read more »

Kim Novak at The Opera House

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In 1956, Hollywood star Kim Novak visited Blackpool during her time in England for the premiere of The Eddy Duchin Story. The premiere took place at the Blackpool Opera House, where Novak posed for several publicity photos for Columbia Pictures, adding to her rising fame. The film, a biographical drama about the life of pianist and bandleader Eddy Duchin, starred Tyrone Power and Kim Novak. Directed by George Sidney, the film was a Technicolor production shot in CinemaScope, and was one of the biggest hits of 1956. It received four Academy Award nominations, with Harry Stradling nominated for his cinematography…. Read more »