Tag: 1942

Noël Coward Comes to Blackpool

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Noël Coward had a notable connection with Blackpool, particularly with the Grand Theatre. He first came to Blackpool in October 1942 to present his “Play Parade” featuring “Present Laughter”, “Blithe Spirit”, and “This Happy Breed” at the Blackpool Grand Theatre. This was part of his wartime tour of Britain. Amongst many other things, Coward was also a donor at Blackpool’s St Stephen’s on-the-Cliffs Church. With the outbreak of the Second World War Coward abandoned the theatre and sought official war work. After running the British propaganda office in Paris, where he concluded that “if the policy of His Majesty’s Government… Read more »

Blackpool Became a Key Depot for the Polish Air Force

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During the Second World War, Blackpool played a pivotal role in supporting the exiled Polish Air Force following the fall of France in 1940 and the Dunkirk evacuation. The town became a central staging area for Polish aircrew, where they were processed and assigned to training or operational units. Key sites included the Goodwood Hotel on Hornby Road, which was used for debriefing and registration, and the Lansdowne Hotel, which functioned as the official headquarters of the Polish Air Force in exile. RAF Blackpool, with its Squires Gate aerodrome, formed an essential part of this support structure, contributing significantly to… Read more »

Blackpool Loses Footballing Giant Bill Parr in Tragic Plane Crash

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William (Bill) Wilfred Parr (23 April 1915 – 8 March 1942) was an accomplished England amateur international footballer and wartime RAF pilot, whose promising sporting career was tragically cut short during the Second World War. Born in Revoe, Blackpool, Parr attended Revoe School and began playing football locally with Grasmere Road Methodists, all while working at Blackpool Town Hall. Despite his amateur status, he broke into Blackpool FC’s first team, making 18 appearances. His natural pace and talent on the right wing caught wider attention, and by the late 1930s he had established himself as an England amateur international, earning… Read more »