"Blackpool's Seaside Stars" is a fascinating collection of
celebrity profiles, together with many rare pictures from the
archives, and sprinkled with Gazette readers' memories. This
selection only scratches the surface of Blackpool's remarkably deep
and rich entertainment heritage. It is an entertaining and
enjoyable read! Oh we do like to be beside the seaside...A timeless
refrain not just from millions of Blackpool holidaymakers, but also
from a galaxy of stars - who helped build the Lancashire resort's
reputation as THE major entertainment centre outside London. It was
the northern mill workers who helped make Blackpool into Britain's
number-one holiday resort. They came in their droves to sample its
unique atmosphere and bracing sea breezes. They loved the Tower,
the Golden Mile, the Illuminations and Piers, but they also
demanded to be entertained throughout the decades. The thirties saw
the start of a golden era, with Blackpool beginning to gleam as the
capital of seaside fun. Stars of music hall, stage and screen -
from both sides of the Atlantic - clamoured to perform in the
resort, which could boast some of the biggest and best provincial
theatres. Even during the war years Blackpool was fondly regarded
as a safe haven, which kept a smile on the face of thousands of
service personnel and civil servants, dazzled by appearances from
the country's top acts. When the hostilities finally ended,
Blackpool bounced back with the finest entertainment line-up in the
country, in its heyday offering as many as 15 live shows each night
during the summer season. Just about every group and solo star of
note in Britain and even America headed here during the fifties and
sixties - live radio and TV specials came direct from the resort
that really knew how to rock. The fun has continued since the
seventies, with families flocking to see summer season shows. So
step back in time with legends such as Gracie Fields, Jimmy
Clitheroe, George Formby, Laurel and Hardy, Marlene Dietrich, Bob
Hope, Morecambe and Wise, Hylda Baker, Thora Hird, Sid James, Bruce
Forsyth and even The Beatles. More recent household names include
Tommy Steele, Les Dawson, Russ Abbot and Cannon and Ball. All have
featured in "Seaside Stars", a weekly feature within "The
Gazette's" "Memory Lane" pages, which has proved such a hit that it
has provided the basis for this book - a fascinating collection of
celebrity profiles, together with many rare pictures from the
archives, and sprinkled with "Gazette" readers' memories. This
selection only scratches the surface of Blackpool's remarkably deep
and rich entertainment heritage, but we hope it will be a lasting
souvenir to rekindle memories for residents and holidaymakers
alike.
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