Category: 2015

New Facility for Aspire Academy and Highfurlong School

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BLACKPOOL ASPIRE ACADEMY Blackpool Aspire Academy is committed to providing its students with a high-quality education and remains a dynamic, engaging, and inspiring environment each day. The academy benefits from exceptional resources within its state-of-the-art facilities, creating an ideal setting for learning and personal growth. Educating young people is seen as both a privilege and a serious responsibility, and the academy holds consistently high expectations for its students. Central to the academy’s ethos are positive relationships and mutual respect, which underpin every aspect of school life. The staff at Aspire are dedicated and ambitious for every pupil, playing a crucial… Read more »

David Boyle Opens Alien, UFO, Spiritual And Paranormal Exhibition

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David Boyle was one of the Fylde coast’s most recognisable figures, often spotted with his partner Julie at club events, arriving in his replica of Jon Pertwee’s Doctor Who car, Bessie. Before gaining local fame, David had already made his mark by founding the model railway company Dapol in the 1970s alongside his late wife, Pauline. Once Dapol was passed on to the next generation, David embarked on a new chapter, relocating to Blackpool where he became a well-known, larger-than-life personality along the iconic Golden Mile. His inventive spirit extended beyond model railways—he held international patents related to solar energy… Read more »

Will Cribb Publishes his Memoirs

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Will Cribb has been living in Lytham for most of his life and decided to get Alan Whelan to help him write and publish his memoirs in 2015. This is his story: an idyllic childhood, his father’s early death, a mother’s indifference, a ten-year banishment by his stepfather to a boarding school thousands of miles away in the foothills of the Himalayas, and the shy boy’s efforts to cope with the school’s barefoot regime and tough bullies. However, this is no misery memoir. It is also about how the growing boy realises his dream of travelling to England — a… Read more »

Steve Williams Sets up Force Technology

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Force Technology was founded in 2015 to drive development and innovation in the precision, high-duty spring markets. The company chose to establish its operations within the Enterprise Zone, which met several key requirements, with many of the team members hailing from the local area. The location offers access to a strong, potential workforce, supported by Blackpool and the surrounding region’s thriving engineering and advanced manufacturing sectors. Alongside advanced processing facilities, Force Technology boasts a metallurgical laboratory and a component testing facility, including an engine dyno, further solidifying its commitment to innovation within the industry. The business management systems are fully… Read more »

Ross Goodwin Starts Judo Academy

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Ross Goodwin started Kaidokan Judo Academy in Blackpool in late 2015. Within a short time from opening, the academy achieved tremendous success within the community by being awarded the area's Community Sports Club of the Year along with the Area and Regional Coach of the Year Awards (Fylde, Blackpool & Lancashire twice). Goodwin is also a current world champion in professional wrestling who regularly appears on Sky TV.  He placed 2nd in the prestigious Mr. British Isles Swimwear competition and is a 2nd Dan Black belt Judo champion with extensive experience/victories as a competitor in Boxing, MMA and Brazilian Jitsu. He has been... Read more »

Victoria Atkins Becomes MP for Louth and Horncastle

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Victoria Atkins was born on 22 March 1976 in London, the daughter of Sir Robert Atkins, a former Conservative MP and MEP, and Lady (Dulcie) Atkins, a Conservative councillor and mayor. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of three and was privately educated at Arnold School, a co-educational school in Blackpool, and studied law at the University of Cambridge where she was an undergraduate student at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Atkins was called to the bar (Middle Temple) in 1998. She worked as a barrister in the field of fraud in London. Since leaving Arnold School in Blackpool… Read more »

Jools Holland’s ‘A Blackpool Big Band Boogie’

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Jools Holland’s ‘A Blackpool Big Band Boogie’ was specially recorded for BBC Four on 24 June 2015 at the Empress Ballroom in the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. Jools Holland and his band were joined by special guests Rumer, Marc Almond, and Ruby Turner. More than 14,000 people applied for tickets, with only a fortunate 800 securing a spot in the audience. By the end of the concert, Jools and his orchestra had almost every attendee on their feet. The concert celebrates the golden age of big band music from the 1930s to the 1950s, with Jools presenting his interpretations of classics… Read more »

Tim Burton’s Illuminations and Filming in Blackpool

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Famous for iconic films such as Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Alice in Wonderland, Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Buton filmed his then latest masterpiece – Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children on Blackpool’s seafront. It meant that the promenade had to be closed from Chapel street to Talbot Road on 8 May 2015. Actors Samuel L Jackson, Dame Judi Dench and Eva Green starred in this film, which came out the following year. In the featured image below, you can see where the fake snow starts and finishes on the Prom. To see Samuel L. Jackson talking about his… Read more »

Lucy Fallon on Coronation Street

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Lucy Fallon rose to prominence through her portrayal of Bethany Platt in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, a role she played from 2015 to 2020, and again from 2023 onwards. Her powerful performance in the role earned her multiple prestigious awards, including two British Soap Awards, an Inside Soap Award, and a National Television Award. Born on 13 November 1995 in Blackpool, Lucy is the daughter of engineer Andrew Fallon and accountant Angela Fallon. She was raised in Cleveleys alongside her two older sisters, Rachel and Laura. From a very young age, Fallon showed a strong interest in the… Read more »

Blackpool’s Strongest Man

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Strongmen from across the county came together to compete for the title of Blackpool’s Strongest Man. Among them was Greg “Man Mountain” Dunnings, a veteran strongman who also works for a charity. Standing 6’7″ and weighing 25 stone of pure muscle, 23-year-old Greg aimed to be recognized as one of the UK’s strongest juniors. He organized the event, designing a range of challenging strength tests, including the “Truck Pull,” “Conan’s Wheel,” “Farmer’s Walk,” and “Yoke Carry,” for a thrilling display of strength that was sure to draw a large crowd. Held in St John’s Square in Blackpool on June 20,… Read more »