Category: 1976

Mike Peters MBE Launches Universal Products (Lytham) Manufacturing

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Mike Peters, formerly of Horne, Brooke & Shenton Accountants in Blackpool, set off on his own and launched Universal Products (Lytham) Manufacturing Ltd on Boundary Road in Lytham in Jun 1976 at the age of 21. He led the company through rapid growth, so much so that the company built its own new facility in Kirkham in 1995, employing several hundred employees until Mike left the company in October 2014, some 38 years later. He changed the name of the company to UPL along the way and was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in recognition of his services… Read more »

Bette Davis at The ABC Theatre

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Bette Davis’ 1976 appearance at Blackpool’s ABC Theatre, a popular venue at the time, was part of a brief tour in the UK to promote her autobiography The Lonely Life and to engage with her British audience. The visit to Blackpool was a notable event, as it marked a rare opportunity for her fans in the town to see the legendary Hollywood actress in person, even as her Hollywood career had somewhat slowed in the 1970s. She delivered a talk about her life and career that evening at the ABC Theatre. It included a chance for the audience to hear first hand… Read more »

Robert Smith Co-Founds The Cure

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Robert James Smith, born on 21 April 1959 in Blackpool, is a renowned British musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of The Cure, a pivotal band in the post-punk and gothic rock movements. Smith remains the band’s only continuous member, having shaped its sound since its formation in 1976. Raised in a musical household, Smith was the third of four children to Rita Mary (née Emmott) and James Alexander Smith. His father was a singer, and his mother played the piano, which likely influenced his early musical… Read more »