Tag: Government

Frederick Arthur Stanley – Blackpool’s First MP

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Frederick Arthur Stanley, the 16th Earl of Derby, had been born on 15 January 1841. For many years he was known as the Honourable Frederick Stanley, and later, from 1886 until 1893, as Lord Stanley of Preston. A figure of both politics and sport, he had served Britain as a Conservative politician and had held some of the highest offices in the government. His time as Colonial Secretary ran from 24 June 1885 to 28 January 1886, before he crossed the Atlantic to serve as Governor General of Canada from 1 May 1888 to 18 September 1893. Away from politics,… Read more »

Lytham St Annes Borough Council – Town Hall

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Fylde Borough Council was established on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a result of the merging of three former local authorities: Lytham St Annes Borough Council, Kirkham Urban District Council, and Fylde Rural District Council. The council’s main administrative building is the former Southdown Hydro Hotel, which was purchased in 1925 to serve as the town hall after the merger of Lytham and St Annes The district was named Fylde after the coastal plan. It was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. The… Read more »

The Lytham Assembly Rooms

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The Lytham Assembly Rooms, originally built in 1862, served as a social hub for the growing seaside town of Lytham, offering both salt water bathing and indoor entertainment. Initially, the building housed baths, a theatre, and assembly rooms, but the business struggled and the Clifton Estate eventually acquired it. The Assembly Rooms have since been adapted and refurbished to meet changing needs, including use as Lytham UDC offices and a soup kitchen during severe weather. 1840 – Baths existed on Central Beach in the 1840s but closed about 1853. 1860 – Contract granted to Charles Holt of Bolton for construction… Read more »

Official Opening of St Annes’s Public Offices

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St Annes’s Public Offices is a municipal building in Clifton Drive, St Anne’s-on-the-Sea, Lancashire, England. The building, which was the headquarters of St Anne’s-on-the-Sea Urban District Council, is Grade II listed. A local board of health was established in the rapidly developing town of St Anne’s-on-the-Sea in 1878. Following significant population growth, largely associated with seaside tourism, the town became an urban district in 1894 In this context civic leaders decided to procure new public offices: the site they chose formed part of the garden of an adjacent residential property. The new building was designed by Thomas Muirhead in the… Read more »

Establishment of Defence Business Services in Thornton-Cleveleys

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The Defence Business Services (DBS) building in Cleveleys wasn’t built as a single entity but rather evolved from existing structures. It was established on 4 July 2011, by merging several Ministry of Defence (MOD) executive agencies. Whilst the exact date of the physical building’s construction is not known to Blackpool Timeline, it is clear that the entity known as DBS was formed on that date.Defence Business Services (DBS) operates a facility in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire. The facility’s full address is: Tomlinson House, Norcross, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, FY5 3WP. DBS provides a range of corporate services to the Ministry of Defence (MOD), including… Read more »

Rare Post Box Still Situated at Stanley Park

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Edward VIII post boxes are rare due to his short reign (326 days in 1936) and subsequent abdication. Approximately 161 pillar boxes and a smaller number of other types were produced during his time on the throne. These boxes are now sought after by collectors and enthusiasts of British post box history. They feature Edward VIII’s distinct royal cypher, which is an ornate font with the letters “E” and “R” (Rex/Regina) distinct and separate. The short reign and subsequent abdication led to a limited production of boxes with his cipher. Pillar boxes (type A) are rarer than narrower type B… Read more »

The Robinson – £8.2m Restoration to the Stanley Buildings

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The renovation of Stanley Buildings in Blackpool town centre is nearing completion, transforming previously disused space into a contemporary business centre to be named ‘The Robinson’. The name is inspired by Blackpool Corporation’s former chief architect, John Charles Robinson, who between 1920-1944 designed many of Blackpool’s landmark civic buildings including libraries, schools, swimming baths, leisure facilities and tourist infrastructure. Notable examples of his work include the Derby Baths and South Shore Open Air Baths, the Technical College on Palatine Road, Stanley Park’s Art Deco café, Cricket Club Pavilion and Golf Clubhouse. Several promenade features include the Solarium (now Solaris), the… Read more »

Nigel Farage Speaks at Blackpool’s Imperial Hotel

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On 20 June 2024, Nigel Farage brought his Reform UK campaign to Blackpool, addressing a sold-out crowd at the Imperial Hotel. Prior to his speech, Farage unveiled a new campaign poster in the town and spoke to local media including the Gazette, positioning Reform as the only real alternative to both Labour and the Conservatives. He urged locals to “join the revolt,” claiming that Britain was broken and only his party had the answers to fix it. Responding to a question on what Reform could do for Blackpool, Farage pointed to the party’s flagship pledge: raising the personal income tax… Read more »

Current Blackpool South MP – Blackpool Born and Bred

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Christopher Paul Webb, born on 26 April 1986 at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, is a British Labour MP for Blackpool South. Raised in a working-class family—his father a postman, his mother a teaching assistant—he attended Layton Primary and St Mary’s High School before going on to study British Politics and Legislative Studies at the University of Hull. While at university, he served on the student union council and led the Hull University Rugby League Club. His first job, at the age of 14, was on a souvenir stall on Blackpool Promenade, a fitting start for someone who would later describe himself… 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 »