Blackpool memories
Here are memories of Blackpool and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Blackpool or a Blackpool photo.
Elijah
My Great Uncle Elijah pulled the Blackpool Wheel down. The Company was probably Ward Bros. He had souvenirs made, in the shape of a coin Ed
Holiday Memories
My parents spent annual holidays at Taberners boarding House in Albert Road, Blackpool Central, when they were young children, and upon hearing of their eventual courtship and engagement many years later, the then owners vowed to postpone the sale of the boarding house until they were to marry and have their honeymoon there in 1948. Later on the boarding house was sold on to a family by the name of Hill. Of course my parents continued to use the boarding house as their holiday venue and thus my elder sister and I now enjoyed yearly holidays there. My earliest memory would be in 1959 walking along Central Pier, at a point where your photo was taken as you walked by, and could be purchased. We always bought them as we didn't have our own camera back then. My fondest memories are of the 'Muffin the Mule' rides which were dotted along the golden mile, also 'Donkey rides on the sands' at 6d a time (old money). Then if the... Read more
Good Old Stan
I was to live in Blackpool for a short while and would work on a farm; I lived with my sister and brother in law in Delphine Avenue. Lawrence my brother in law leant me his Honda fifty motorbike, I pulled into a petrol station some 15 miles away and proceeded to ask the pump attendant for a gallon of two stroke petrol. He informed me that as far as he was aware this type of bike was a four stroke engine and that straight petrol was the norm, but I was so stupid and big headed that I insisted that it was a 2 stroke engine! The customer is always right - where he simply said have it your own way and put in 2 stroke oil into the tank with petrol. Having kicked up the bike I set off back to Blackpool and got less than one hundred yards from the garage when the engine came to a spluttering stop. I began to push the... Read more
The Booth Family
My Grandfather and Grandmother were married in this church. My grandfather John Booth was a rock manufaturer - the Exhibition Rock Company in Gorton Street. I saw the lights being turned off in 1939 when the war broke out. My Father Ronald Monk had the first internal airline in the UK going from Blackpool to the Isle of Man and Liverpool. At the Isle of Man airport one can see the propellor from his seaplane. It was while doing this that he met my Mother Madeline Monk nee Booth.
Spencers Chalet Site
I am trying to trace Spencers chalet site which was situated in Singleton, Blackpool, going back to the 1960s. I have recently visited the area and I think it may have been on the Windy Harbour site or nearby. It was owned by James and Emily Openshaw. I would be most grateful if anyone can relate to the site or better still have pictures. The owners at that time around 1962 were related to me but as I was only 5 years old then I remember very little about them, but would be most grateful if anyone could shed any light on this.
Chubby at The Winter Gardens
We drove to Blackpool on our way back from Gretna after getting married. Went to see Chubby Brown at the Winter Gardens. Beautiful building, a great night and a lot of laughs. x
Days Out in Blackpool in The Forties And Fifties
Between the years 1944 and 1956 my family and I lived in Preston, Lancashire and from there it was only a short ride on the train or bus to Blackpool, where we spent many happy days. This photo shows the sands and the wooden steps up to the promenade as I remember them. My mother preferred to go to Lytham, where it was quieter and more select, but there was far more to do at Blackpool, where we spent hours on the sands, paddling in the sea or building sandcastles. When the tide was up we played in the paddling pool or went on one of the three piers. Also there were donkey rides - I remember falling off my donkey! We never went up the tower - I can't think why - that was a treat I saved until I was able to bring my partner from Germany to Blackpool in 1991. However the sands could be treacherous - I remember there was one point where the water came... Read more
The Queens Bars in Cleveleys
I was a part of a double cabaret act in the 60's. My then husband and I were Ricky and Jackie Day...we both sang and played guitars. We were resident at the Queens Bars in Cleveleys for summer seasons and my son James was Born at Glenroyd Hospital in Blackpool in 1964. Peter Blythe was a budding Medical Hypnotist... hypnotised me to have "painless Childbirth" (It didnt Work folks!) But he and his wife Maxine were good friends of ours...and I am afraid I pretended it did, so as not to upset them! The queens Bars put on a very popular cabaret show...our best friends in those days were JIMMY & RITA Rose. Jimmy did a country and Western guitar vocal act...how I would love to know what happened to them after we lost touch when we moved on (as acts did in those days), and they bought a bungalow to settle in Cleveleys. Does anyone remember any of these people or places?
My Memories of Blackpool
I remember my parents taking us children to see the Blackpool illuminations as a birthday treat, where we would see all kinds of animations along the prominade and all the trams where also lit up, that was some 48yrs ago. I don't know if this still happens, enjoy.
Visiting Blackpool Illuminations as A Child.
Around the year 1950 a coach would take all the children in our road on a trip to see Blackpool Lights. Those days they called the coach a charabanc. Does anybody remember that name? How happy all the children would be going on that trip to Blackpool. I remember very well leaving in the early evening on the coach with our parents so excited. And arriving at Blackpool and riding up the promenade so mesmerized at all the pretty lights and all the differant themes of nursery rhymes. We would have hot baked potatoes on our trip home and always returned with a stick of Blackpool Rock. Happy memories of yesteryear!
Memories of Lancashire
Little Nellie
Hi anyone remember "Little Nellie" (husband Joe) and their daughter Annie and grand daughter Margaret, from Sultan Street in Accrington. We used to travel down on the same bus with them every Friday night. In those days, we got the bus from the bottom of Water Street/Melbourne Street (now Eastgate). They had a caravan on Thornfield for years and years. When you passed the shop and turned onto the site, their caravan was way down the bottom, tucked in a corner. Little Nellie was extremely small and always seemed to wear mens wide legged trousers, with turn ups!
June
I Was There When Pic Was Being Taken
The camp shop pic was being taken when I was stopped while leaving the Bungalow next to the orchard, I was 8 yrs old. I was going to the shop. The 2 women I think were Auntie Dorene on the left from the house on the left, she was working in the shop part time, and Auntie Nellie Scott who also worked there, she rented the second house down from us, from my mum Clara. We later had Sunnyside Cafe built in 1967. Margaret Hall worked for my mum then, they were new to the village, she worked at the mushroom factory as well.
1960 Onwards
"Oh Happy Days". My first view of Staining was the 9th June 1960. I remember it well. I seem to remember the Staining bus did NOT go into the village, but stopped across from the old Plough pub. My gran had bought a caravan there, just up Chain Lane, on Mrs Smiths caravan site. Mr and Mrs Smith lived in the farmhouse, their 4 daughters lived nearby in the two red brick semis which Nana Smith had had built. (Auntie Fred'a has now been altered beyond all recognition). I got to know them all over the years. "Auntie Irene" Openshaw, with husband Norman and sons Charles, Dennis and Philip - their house was next to the caravan site and known as "Glentoo". Then there was Auntie Annie and Uncle Richard next door. Then Auntie Rosie and husband Joe who lived in the farmhouse, down the old lane, near the windmill (near a pig farm where Charles worked at one time). Then lovely lovely Auntie Freda and husband Fred Chadwick, with... Read more
Staining Now
I left Staining in 1974. We lived in the street where Fred Chatwick,had his garage with son Fred. My mum knew Irene very well as she worked to at the mushroom farm in Staining, along with the late Mary Whiteside and husband Frank. My best friend at the time was their daughter Teresa. I moved back to Staining in 1998, down the Nook, it's all changed, the little caravan site has gone and also Uncle Jim's Farm, who sadly got murdered many years ago now. I have very fond memories of Staining as a child, and that is why I returned. Reading your stories made me chuckle as I can relate to most of the people who you know and the village itself. Hope you reply, just love reading about the good old days in our tiny village.
Thornfield Holiday Park
One of my earliest memories was of falling in the dyke with my best dress on, I was around 18 months old and on Mrs Smith site which I think was close to Dover Lodge. I remember the delicious milk from Wrigglesworths which had red writing on and a picture of a cow on the bottle and a red top. After the dyke incident we moved to Thornfield. I have very fond memories of this site. I was friends with Margaret and also knew her Grandma Nellie. I used to be friends with a family called Cooper from Yorkshire especially Elaine. I would love to hear from any of the girls I played with back then. The Ways who were from Manchester and had a daughter called Sonya and an Austrian friend called Esther Sheikel. Esther's parents were trick cyclists in the circus. I would have tea with Esther's family and her grandmother would make schnitzel and noodles. I learned to speak German very well from... Read more
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Places this week
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- Ilfracombe, Devon
- Cononley, West Yorkshire
- Watford, Hertfordshire
- Blaenavon, Gwent
- Chedworth, Gloucestershire
- Taunton, Somerset
- Wrexham, Clwyd
- Fleetwood, Lancashire
- Godstone, Surrey
- Forest Row, East Sussex
- Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
- Langley Park, County Durham
- Birkenhead, Merseyside
- Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire
- Thornton Heath, Surrey
- Collyhurst, Lancashire
- Brentford, Middlesex
- Chiddingfold, Surrey
- Thetford, Norfolk
- Fyfield, Essex
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