Knott End In The 1950s And The 1960s By Norma Smith

A Memory of Knott End-on-Sea.

We, that is my father Norman, mother Ethel and my Auntie Peg, moved to Knott End in 1948 and lived at 15 The Esplanade. As well as being a boarding house (as it was called in those days) it doubled up as the doctors' surgery. For those with a good memory you might remember Old Dr Taylor Young, Dr Taylor and Dr Allen Pilling from one practice and Dr Stewart, a GP on his own. I went to Pilling Lane School where the headmaster was the formidable George Hobson. Two other teachers were his sister Miss Hobson and a Miss Hull. On a good day in the summer we were taken up the field and at the end was the seashore, where we were allowed to play. After passing my scholarship I used to travel everyday on the 85 bus to go to school in Blackpool. In the early 1960s our free time was spent between the Juke Box at the ferry end of the village and the Verona Cafe which was the local cinema. We also had a great time walking between the two venues with our transistor radios listening to Radio Caroline. My peers at the time must always remain grateful for what Mr and Mrs Stringfellow (they owned the Juke Box) did for us, organising coach trips to Blackburn St Georges Hall to see the likes of Brenda Lee, Buddy Holly and lots of other greats of that time. The Beatles then were the supporting groups!!! I left Knott End for Liverpool in 1971 but my formative years seem to have been idyllic.