Category: 1964

Tessie O’Shea Returns to Blackpool to Share Bill with The Beatles

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Teresa Mary “Tessie” O’Shea (13 March 1913 – 21 April 1995) was a Welsh entertainer and actress. She was born at 61 Plantagenet Street in Riverside, Cardiff to newspaper wholesaler James Peter O’Shea, who had been a soldier and who was the son of Irish emigrants, and his wife Nellie Theresa Carr. O’Shea was reared in the British music hall tradition and performed on stage as early as age six, billed as “The Wonder of Wales”. When staying at Weston-super-Mare as a child, she got lost and was only discovered when her mother heard her singing the Ernie Mayne hit,… Read more »

Haven Leisure Limited and Cala Gran in Fleetwood

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Cala Gran Holiday Park in Fleetwood, near Blackpool, is a popular Haven holiday park offering a range of caravan accommodation and amenities. It’s located relatively close to Rossall Beach, which is a dog-friendly beach accessible within a 20-minute walk. Cala Gran provides a variety of facilities including a splash zone, mini market, launderette, and various sports and entertainment options. Caravan holidays at Cala Gran have a great mixture of adventure and relaxation. There’s their family pool, complete with a water slide for the kids, steam room for grown-ups and big action activities including the thrilling Leap of Faith and their… Read more »

The Carr Family Behind Diana Warren & Boston Man

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In 1959 Cyril Carr set up one of Blackpool’s first men’s fashion retail shops in Church Street opposite the Winter Gardens. During those times it was a revelation to see men wearing colourful and stylish clothing as the larger stores were unable to keep up with the fashion trends. Diana Warren was launched in 1964. For 21 years they successfully traded from 88 Church Street until 1980 when the company moved to The Hounds Hill Shopping Centre when it was first opened. At that point, Anthony (Tony) Carr took over the company which had already expanded to open branches in… Read more »

Blackpool Greyhound Stadium Closes

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Blackpool Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound track that closed down on 30 October 1964 with the site being sold for housing. It was called Stadium Avenue after being sold to builders for £80,000 and should not be confused with the Clifton Park Racecourse at Squires Gate, a short-lived track that was nearby to the south. The stadium opened on the Saturday afternoon of 30 July 1927 in front of the 5,000 spectators. The six race card included one hurdle race with all races over the 500 yards distance, the first race was won by Carrow Boy at 3-1 odds in… Read more »

John Evan Meets Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

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John Evan, born John Spencer Evans on 28 March 1948, in Derby, Derbyshire, is a musician and composer best known as the keyboardist for Jethro Tull. While his birthplace is often cited as Derby, the official Jethro Tull website claims he was born in Blackpool. His father was a headmaster at a Derbyshire village school, and his mother was a concert pianist and piano teacher. The family relocated to Blackpool, Lancashire, in October 1949. Evan was educated at Blackpool Grammar School, where he met future Jethro Tull members Ian Anderson and Jeffrey Hammond. He later attended Chelsea College, now part… Read more »

Tour of Britain Cycle Race

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The Tour of Britain cycle race has long been a highlight of the British sporting calendar, drawing international and local talent to compete in a grueling test of endurance and speed. On 7 June 1964, the race made a memorable stop in Blackpool, a town synonymous with British seaside culture. Blackpool in the 1960s was a thriving hub of entertainment, tourism, and community spirit, and the town’s iconic landmarks, such as the Blackpool Tower and the bustling promenade, provided a dramatic backdrop to the race. Blackpool’s wide streets and the scenic coastal roads of Lancashire created a natural stage for… Read more »

Rolling Stones Riot at Winter Gardens

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Scenes at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool after riots broke out during the Rolling Stones concert on 24 July 1964. It was one of the most notorious riots in rock and roll history and it happened right here in Blackpool. A teenage mob forced The Rolling Stones to flee from the Empress Ballroom, as they stormed the stage wrecking their kit. The cheers and screams of the teenagers turned into threatening boos and the five band members ran from the stage to safety while grand piano was reduced to matchwood. In March 1964, the Stones were back in the North West, playing at… Read more »

Veteran and Vintage Car Rally

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The Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Rally of 1964 stands as a remarkable moment in the history of classic motoring events. Organised by the Lancashire Automobile Club, which continues to thrive today, the rally was a celebration of automotive heritage. That year’s event featured over 160 entries, drawing enthusiasts from far and wide to showcase their treasured vehicles. A standout scene from the rally, immortalised in photographs, showed a Ford Model T Fire Engine making its way along the Blackpool seafront, with the iconic Blackpool Tower providing a fitting backdrop. This annual rally, a highlight of the motoring… Read more »

Tania Mallet in James Bond – Goldfinger

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Tania Mallet, an English actress and model, is perhaps best remembered for her role as Tilly Masterson in the iconic James Bond film Goldfinger (1964). Born on 19 May 1941 in Blackpool, she was the daughter of Russian noblewoman Olga Mironoff, a former chorus girl, and English millionaire car salesman Henry Mallet. Her maternal grandfather, Pyotr Mironov, was a colonel in the Imperial Russian army and a member of the Russian aristocracy, while her great-grandmother, Countess Lydia Andreevna Kamenskaya, was a descendant of Count Mikhail Fedotovich Kamensky, a renowned Russian general in the Napoleonic Wars. Tania’s distinctive name was often… Read more »

Lewis’s Department Store on the Prom

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Lewis’s used to have one of their many department stores on the promenade. Lewis’s was a chain of British department stores that operated from 1856 to 2010. The first store, which opened in Liverpool city centre, became the flagship of the chain of stores operating under the Lewis’s banner. The modern Blackpool branch stood next to Blackpool Tower and was opened in 1964 on the site of the old Alhambra. It closed in 1993 and the building was stripped back before being reclad in brick. This image is from an old amateur 35mm colour transparency from the 1960s.