Tag: Born

Curtis Jobling Designs Bob the Builder

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Curtis Jobling, born on 14 February 1972 in Blackpool and now residing in Warrington, is a British illustrator, animator, and author best known as the original production designer for the stop-motion series Bob the Builder. He conceptualised the program’s characters, props, and sets, contributing to its BAFTA-winning success. His early career included work on Wallace & Gromit and Mars Attacks!, leading to his pivotal role in Bob the Builder in 1997. Jobling has also excelled in children’s literature and animation. His book Frankenstein’s Cat, a humorous tale of a misfit feline, was adapted into an animated series aired on CBBC,… Read more »

David Hoyle’s Belle Vue Start

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David Hoyle, born on 19 September 1962 in Layton, Blackpool, is a trailblazing English performance artist known for his avant-garde cabaret, satirical comedy, and thought-provoking work on LGBTQ+ issues. His childhood in Blackpool was marked by severe bullying for his homosexuality, which led to a mental breakdown at the age of 14. Hoyle’s artistic career began with performances in Blackpool, including at the Belle Vue pub (where Robbie Williams made a music video), where he developed comedic routines under the persona of Paul Munnery-Vain. After relocating to Manchester in the 1990s, he became a fixture in gay clubs and crafted… Read more »

Daniel J Whiston – Skating His Way into our Hearts

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Daniel J. Whiston, born on 21 November 1976 in Blackpool, is a celebrated professional ice skater and television personality. The son of Marj and William Whiston, Daniel has been closely associated with the Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s Ice Arena, where he began skating at age seven and performed in numerous productions. He made his debut in the arena’s show at 18 and later toured North America with Grease on Ice. Until 2006, Whiston starred in the Pleasure Beach’s Hot Ice Show, with his performances featured on DVDs such as Quixotic, Xylatomia, and Chill. In television, Whiston gained fame through his involvement in… Read more »

Craig Parkinson in The Line of Duty

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Craig Parkinson was born on 11 March 1976 in Blackpool. He began acting at an early age in school plays. He studied at Blackpool and The Fylde College before moving to London aged 17 to attend the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Parkinson is 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall. In his youth, he lived in Camden and Crouch End before moving to Gloucestershire with his wife. He was married to actress Susan Lynch and they have a son but they separated in 2019. He has played Shaun in the E4 series Misfits, twins Jimmy and Johnny Kray in the… Read more »

Andy Summers Joins the Police

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Andrew James Summers was born in Poulton-le-Fylde on 31 December 1942, though he grew up in Bournemouth. After several years of piano lessons, he began playing guitar at age 10. His love for the instrument grew after he saw Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie perform in London, and by 16, he was playing in local clubs. Summers later moved to London at 19 to form Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band, and his early influences included jazz greats like Kenny Burrell, Miles Davis, and Wes Montgomery. Summers’ career in the 1960s saw him play in various bands, including the psychedelic Dantalian’s… Read more »

Fleetwood’s Jane Couch Receives MBE

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Jane Couch MBE, born on 14 August 1968 in Fleetwood, Lancashire, overcame a tumultuous youth and went on to pioneer women’s professional boxing in the United Kingdom. Expelled from school in Blackpool, Couch described her early years as marked by “a life of booze, drugs, and street fighting.” Her life took a dramatic turn at the age of 26 when she watched a television documentary about women’s boxing. Inspired, she entered the world of combat sports, beginning with a Muay Thai fight in which she defeated a policewoman—an experience she described as exhilarating. Couch became the first licensed female professional… Read more »

Carol Royle Makes it in TV and Films

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Carol Buchanan Royle, born on 10 February 1954 in Blackpool, is an accomplished English actress renowned for her extensive work in television, film, and theatre. The daughter of actor Derek Royle, she was inspired by her family’s artistic background and pursued formal training at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Her training laid the foundation for a diverse career characterised by memorable roles across a variety of genres. Royle’s television debut came with her portrayal of Jane Mottram in The Cedar Tree, appearing in 45 episodes between 1977 and 1978. This soap opera, set in the interwar… Read more »

Cathryn Bradshaw Stars in BBC Blackpool TV Series

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Cathryn Bradshaw, born on 13 January 1964 in Blackpool and raised in Poulton-le-Fylde, attended Breck School before training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 1987 alongside Louise Plowright and Mark Strong. An accomplished English actress, she is widely known for her role as Melanie in the acclaimed BBC drama Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1990), opposite Charlotte Coleman. Bradshaw married actor Mark Strong in 1989 in Lancashire, though the marriage ended in divorce after a few years. Her first television role was in 1988, playing the Princess in an episode of The Storyteller. She followed this… Read more »

John Mahoney Wins Big in Frasier

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Charles John Mahoney (June 20, 1940 – February 4, 2018) was an English-American actor, born in Blackpool, known for playing retired police officer Martin Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier from 1993 to 2004, receiving nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. He was the seventh of eight children. His father, Reg, was a baker who played classical piano, and his mother, Margaret (née Watson), was a housewife who loved reading. His paternal grandfather was Irish. The family had been evacuated to Blackpool from their home city of Manchester when it was heavily bombed during World War… Read more »

Jacqueline Leonard Stars in Chaplin

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Jacqueline Leonard, born in 1967 in Blackpool, is an actress known for her extensive work in British television, film, and theatre. She has been married to Alex Mansfield since 2000, and the couple has one child. Leonard trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, where she won the Michael Warre Award for Best Actress in 1988. Her career highlights include roles in several popular British soap operas: Lorraine Wicks in the BBC’s EastEnders (1996–1997), Caroline Powers in the BBC’s Doctors (2000), Lydia Murdoch in the Scottish soap River City, Linda Hancock in ITV’s Coronation Street, and appearances… Read more »