Tag: Events

The Birth of Young Farmers DIY AGM at Blackpool

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The Young Farmers Community was established in 2018 in response to the cancellation of the long-standing National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) Annual Convention. The NFYFC made the difficult decision to discontinue the event following reports of anti-social behaviour at the 2018 convention in Blackpool, held over the May bank holiday weekend (4–6 May). While the federation insisted it had not been “banned” from any host towns, it ultimately chose to end the convention after 50 successful years. The announcement, made on 2 August 2018, was met with disappointment and frustration from young farmers across the country, who had… Read more »

Jenny Eclair – First Woman to Win Perrier Award

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Jenny Eclair (born Jenny Clare Hargreaves; 16 March 1960) is an English comedian, novelist, and actress, best known for her roles in Grumpy Old Women between 2004 and 2007 and in Loose Women in 2011 and 2012. She is said to have adopted the alternative surname Eclair (later her stage name) in her teens, when she was at a disco in Blackpool and pretended to be French. She focuses on growing up in the following video clip from her standup act. Eclair was born to English parents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, where her father, Derek Hargreaves, a major in the… Read more »

Steve Royle in Snow White at the Grand Theatre

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The Blackpool Grand Theatre first staged Snow White as its Christmas pantomime for the 2020/21 season. Blackpool panto favourite and BBC Radio Lancashire presenter Steve Royle starred as Muddles, marking his 18th consecutive appearance at the Grand Theatre. Royle, from Chorley, is an actor, writer, comedian, and juggler, as well as a “Gillard Award”-winning presenter on BBC Radio Lancashire and a finalist on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent 2020. In recognition of his contributions to the theatre, he was made an honorary member of The Friends of The Grand in 2016. The classic story of Snow White originates from a 19th-century… 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 »

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 »

Tower Fire False Alarm

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An unusual incident at Blackpool Tower on 28 December 2023 resulted in emergency services responding to what was initially thought to be a fire near the iconic structure’s viewing platform. However, the supposed flames turned out to be orange netting blowing in the wind, creating an illusion of fire. The situation escalated when images and videos shared on social media seemed to show flames at the top of the 158-meter-high tower. Lancashire Fire and Rescue, taking the reports seriously, dispatched six fire engines, a drone team, and climbing specialists to the scene. The police helicopter later clarified that no fire… 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 »

3 Police Officers Die Trying to Save a Man and His Dog

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Some 40 years have gone by since three heroic Blackpool police officers gave the ultimate sacrifice while attempting to save a man and his dog from the choppy Irish Sea. On 5 January 1983, a Scottish holidaymaker had been walking along the Blackpool coast near Gynn Square. 25-year-old Alistair Anthony was with his terrier, Henry, along the prom. The next twelve hours would see Alistair and three officers lose their lives with a fourth hospitalised as they tried to retrieve the dog. To this day it remains the greatest loss of police life to Lancashire officers. It was January 5 when the... Read more »

Knitting for a Guinness World Record

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Knitters from around the UK were welcomed to Blackpool sea front on 10th July 2016 to spin their own yarn in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for having the most people in one spot knitting at the same time. The hardy wool warriors were faced with a blustery cool breeze but were able to knit themselves warm. The world record at the time stood at 3089 people – set in London. With the assistance of Blackpool Town Crier ‘Barry McQueen‘ who opened the event, new recruits were summoned from pavements and were more than happy to join… Read more »

Nikki Hesford Appears on Dragon’s Den

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Nikki Hesford appeared Dragon’s Den in 2011, with her fast fashion brand that made clothing and lingerie for bigger busted women. Nikki was born in October 1985 in Rochdale, the daughter of former rugby star Steve Hesford, who used to play for Warrington Wolves, and niece of former Blackpool goalie Iain Hesford. She left Rochdale and moved to Lancaster where she set up a lingerie and clothes business called Miss Fit UK. She exited this business in 2015 and now runs The Small Business Academy, a support hub for the next generation of entrepreneurs to tap into trustworthy advice and… Read more »