Tag: Events

The Abana Shipwreck

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On 22 December, 1894, the Abana, a Norwegian barque, was wrecked along the Blackpool coastline during a fierce storm. Sailing to Florida, the ship’s crew mistook the newly-built Blackpool Tower for a lighthouse, leading them dangerously close to the shore. Battling high winds and rough seas, the vessel eventually ran aground near Little Bispham. Despite the peril, all 17 crew members and the ship’s dog were rescued by the Blackpool lifeboat team. The lifeboat itself faced challenges, briefly becoming grounded on a sandbank during the operation. After the rescue, the sailors were brought ashore and celebrated their survival with a… Read more »

The Sirene Shipwreck

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The Sirene was a Norwegian barque en route from Fleetwood to Florida when disaster struck on October 9, 1892. During its voyage, the vessel encountered a fierce storm, forcing it toward the Blackpool coastline. Unable to withstand the severe weather, the Sirene ran aground near North Pier. The dramatic wreck saw the ship’s masts topple onto the Promenade, creating a scene of both danger and awe for onlookers. Despite the perilous circumstances, all eleven crew members managed to leap from the stricken vessel onto the safety of the pier, escaping unharmed. Their survival was celebrated as a remarkable feat, considering… Read more »

Roy Castle Photo Exclusive!

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The following pictures were taken by Marilyn Read in 1988 during a Plumb Centre group tour of Portugal and are being published for the first time on Blackpool Timeline. Whilst these photos weren’t taken in Blackpool, Roy Castle is from Cleveleys and spent a lot of time entertaining in Blackpool, including his world record attempt at Blackpool Tower for Record Breakers, the TV show he hosted since its first airing in 1972. The Tower rope slide event can be seen towards the end of the video (featured below in this post) with many of his career highlights.

Grab City Fire

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In October 2002, a devastating fire broke out at Grab City, a popular amusement arcade located on Blackpool’s Golden Mile. The blaze, which caused an estimated £5 million worth of damage, also trapped the arcade’s manageress, Christine Hindle, inside the building. Fortunately, she was rescued by firefighters. The fire, later determined to be a deliberate act of arson, sparked a large-scale investigation. It was revealed that the fire had been set as revenge by a disgruntled couple, Terrence and Beryl Newton, who had fallen out with the arcade’s owner, David Bowen-Price. The Newtons, who operated market stalls within Grab City,… Read more »

Fleetwood Pier

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Fleetwood Pier, also known as Victoria Pier, was officially opened on Whit Monday in 1910, measuring just 492 feet (150 meters) in length, making it one of the shortest piers in the UK. Built at the tail end of the golden era of pier construction, it was the last pleasure pier to be constructed in the country. Over the years, the pier hosted a variety of attractions, including a cinema opened in 1942 and a pavilion added in 2011. The pier’s history has been marked by several setbacks, the most significant being a devastating fire on 25 August 1952, which… Read more »

Stageworks Worldwide Productions

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Amanda Thompson, daughter of the legendary Geoffrey Thompson and granddaughter of the founder of Blackpool Pleasure Beach, has been a pivotal figure in the continued success of the iconic amusement park. As President of Stageworks Worldwide Productions, a company she founded in 1982, Amanda has helped bring a variety of spectacular live shows to stages and ice rinks around the world. Under her leadership, Stageworks has become renowned for producing unforgettable performances, including those staged at the Pleasure Beach, where her talent for blending entertainment and innovation continues to shine. Having joined the Pleasure Beach team in the early 2000s,… Read more »

Tommy Steele at The Grand Theatre

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All round entertainer Tommy Steele starred as Dr Dolittle at the Grand Theatre. The photo was taken on 20 February 2008 out in front of the theatre. Tommy Steele brought a lot to the Doctor Doolittle role, which made perfect sense as he’s starred in so many shows that have been good for the whole family. From a title role in 1960s musical Hans Christian Andersen, via Half a Sixpence, to his stint in Scrooge, the showman is the embodiment of classic family entertainment. The cheeky cockney was perfect for a national tour of Doctor Doolittle, the smash-hit musical about the vet who… Read more »

Cliff Richard at the ABC Theatre

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Cliff Richard and The Shadows are an iconic British musical duo who not only dominated the charts but also became prominent figures in the world of cinema during the 1960s. Together, they appeared in six feature films, establishing a genre known as the “Cliff Richard musical,” which helped cement Richard’s status as a major cultural figure in Britain. Their film career began with Serious Charge in 1959, but it was their later films such as The Young Ones, Summer Holiday, Wonderful Life, and Finders Keepers that truly captured the public’s imagination. These films were incredibly popular, and their blend of… Read more »

Cannon and Ball

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Thomas Derbyshire (Cannon) and Robert Harper (Ball), known collectively as Cannon and Ball, formed one of the most beloved comedy double acts in British entertainment history. Their partnership spanned over four decades, from the early 1960s, when they first met while working as welders in Oldham, Lancashire, to their final performances together before Ball’s passing in 2020. Known for their impeccable timing, slapstick humour, and infectious personalities, the duo became a staple of British comedy, with their variety show The Cannon and Ball Show running on ITV from 1979 to 1988. Cannon and Ball’s journey into show business began in… Read more »

Marlene Dietrich at Opera House

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On 7 July 1955, legendary actress Marlene Dietrich flew into Blackpool to perform two shows at the Opera House. Shortly after her arrival at Squires Gate Airport, she requested a tour of the town and was photographed in front of the iconic Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. However, this wasn’t her first visit to the town; Dietrich had been there two decades earlier, in the summer of 1934, when she experienced an amusing and somewhat frustrating incident—she lost an antique pearl earring while visiting the Pleasure Beach. Interestingly, more than 70 years later in 2007, a construction team draining… Read more »