Tag: Shows

Jimmy Clitheroe, Not Born but Bred in Blackpool

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James Robinson Clitheroe (24 December 1921 – 6 June 1973) was an English comic entertainer best remembered for his long-running BBC Radio programme, The Clitheroe Kid (1956–1972). Born on Christmas Eve in Clitheroe, Lancashire, he was the only child of weavers Emma Pye and James Robert Clitheroe. His birth took place at his maternal grandparents’ home on Wilkin Street (now Highfield Road). He grew up in the mill village of Blacko, near Nelson, living at Spout Houses, a row of terraced homes below Blacko Tower. Educated at local schools, he left formal education at 14, then the standard leaving age…. Read more »

Roy Walker, Catchphrase and Lytham

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Roy Walker wasn’t born on the Fylde Coast but now lives in Lytham St Annes, which he mentioned once on Catchphrase. Unfortunately, the clip below does not contain that reference but it is rather funny. He was born on 31 July 1940 and is a television personality and comedian from Northern Ireland. He is best known as the original host of the game show Catchphrase between 1986 and 1999, and as one of the stars of the comedy showcase The Comedians. He has three children with his late wife Jean, who died of cancer in 1989. He was admitted to Clifton… Read more »

Blackpool’s Opera House

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In 1888, plans were drawn up for Blackpool’s first Opera House, a grand project designed by the renowned theatre architect Frank Matcham, celebrated for his ability to combine functionality with opulence. Construction began following the awarding of the contract on 19 October 1888. The building, named “Her Majesty’s Opera House,” featured an impressive 2,500-seat auditorium and came at a cost of £9,098—a significant sum for the era. The theatre opened its doors to the public on 10 June 1889 with a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s then-new opera, The Yeomen of the Guard. Its elegant design and ambitious programming marked… Read more »

Jodie Prenger – A Blackpool Treasure

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Jodie Christine Prenger was born in Blackpool on 12 June 1979, and grew up in the town, the daughter of a Dutch father and an English mother with Irish heritage. She has one sibling, a brother named Marko. Jodie attended Elmslie Girls’ School in Blackpool before continuing her education at Blackpool and the Fylde College. Her love for performing quickly led her to pursue a career in entertainment, starting locally and becoming a familiar face on the cabaret circuit in Northern England, particularly in her hometown and along the Fylde Coast. Beyond her stage work, she also took on the… Read more »

James Cagney at the Winter Gardens

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James Cagney’s connection to Blackpool began in 1947, when he first visited the town for a charity event at the Winter Gardens. The event was part of a benefit for the local hospital, and as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars at the time, Cagney’s appearance was a major event. It was his first visit to the UK, and his presence in Blackpool marked the start of a long-lasting connection between the actor and the country. Four decades later, in 1988, Cagney returned to Blackpool for another special event at the Winter Gardens, this time celebrating his illustrious career. This visit… Read more »

Paul O’Grady (AKA Lily Savage) in Blackpool

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Paul James O’Grady MBE DL (14 June 1955 – 28 March 2023) was an English comedian, broadcaster, drag queen, actor, and writer. Aside from all that, he was an LGBT+ champion during his days of playing loud-mouthed, heavy smoking drag act Lily Savage. The Layton Institute in Blackpool was made famous by Paul O’Grady’s Lily Savage when he filmed his Live from the Lilydrome TV show there in 1995. The club has also been graced by the likes of Joe Longthorne, the Nolans and Matt Munro. The image below shows the club as it is today. Layton Institute Images © Deeper Blue Marketing… Read more »

Cilla Black’s Blackpool

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Priscilla Maria Veronica White OBE (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was a singer and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her singles “Anyone Who Had a Heart” and “You’re My World” both reached number one in the UK in 1964. She had 11 top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart between then and 1971 and an additional eight hits that made the top 40. During this period she had several bookings in Blackpool, some of which are detailed below. In May 2010,… Read more »

Tim Burton’s Illuminations and Filming in Blackpool

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Famous for iconic films such as Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Alice in Wonderland, Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Buton filmed his then latest masterpiece – Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children on Blackpool’s seafront. It meant that the promenade had to be closed from Chapel street to Talbot Road on 8 May 2015. Actors Samuel L Jackson, Dame Judi Dench and Eva Green starred in this film, which came out the following year. In the featured image below, you can see where the fake snow starts and finishes on the Prom. To see Samuel L. Jackson talking about his… Read more »

Matt LaBlanc & Chris Evans Filming Top Gear in Blackpool

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On Matt LeBlanc’s first day filming for Top Gear in 2016, things didn’t exactly go to plan. The former Friends star was tasked with driving a Reliant Rialto, decorated in a bold stars-and-stripes design, when the car unexpectedly broke down on its way from Manchester to Blackpool. The vehicle faltered near a KFC in the Orbital Retail Park in Cannock, Staffordshire, forcing LeBlanc to make an unplanned pit stop. His Top Gear co-star, Chris Evans, wasn’t far behind, piloting his own Union Jack-themed Rialto, and he too was forced to halt as their journey took a more chaotic turn. Rather… Read more »

Hylda Baker’s Blackpool Chauffeur

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Hylda Baker, born in Farnworth, Lancashire, on 4 February 1905, was a renowned British actress, comedian, and singer, famous for her larger-than-life personality and memorable performances. Although originally from Farnworth, she made Cleveleys, on the Fylde coast, her home later in life, a place she cherished both as a residence and a stage for some of her most iconic performances. Her association with the Fylde coast ran deep, as she appeared in numerous shows and made the area a key part of her career. One of her most notable performances took place in the summer of 1956 when she starred… Read more »