Author: Ed

Stanley Park Centenary Celebrations to Feature Spectacular Drone Show

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A spectacular drone show will light up the skies above Stanley Park as part of the park’s centenary celebrations this October. The display will be created by Celestial, the company behind the acclaimed drone performance filmed at Stanley Park for Britain’s Got Talent in 2025, which was later seen by millions of television viewers. Opened in 1926, Stanley Park is celebrating its one hundredth anniversary throughout 2026 with a programme of community events, heritage activities and family entertainment. The main celebrations will take place on 2 and 3 October, marking a century since the park officially opened. Visitors can look…

Peter Shakeshaft Helps Keep St Annes History Alive

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Few people have done more to record and preserve the history of St Annes-on-the-Sea than local historian Peter Shakeshaft. Through decades of meticulous research, he has become one of the leading authorities on the town’s heritage, producing books that have become essential references for historians, researchers and anyone with an interest in the Fylde Coast. He was born in St Annes in 1942, where his parents had settled in the early 1920s. He lived in St Annes until 1958, when he moved to Freckleton, before returning to St Annes in 1967, where he has lived with his wife, Maureen, for…

Mexico Disaster – When the Fylde Coast Mourned 27 Heroes

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On the night of 9 December 1886, one of the greatest tragedies in British maritime history unfolded off the coast of Lancashire. What began as a routine rescue mission soon became the worst disaster ever suffered by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, claiming the lives of 27 lifeboatmen from St Annes and Southport and leaving communities across the Fylde and Sefton coast in mourning. More than a century later, the Mexico Disaster remains one of the most powerful stories of courage, sacrifice and heroism associated with the Fylde Coast. The tragedy centred on the German barque Mexico, a three-masted sailing…

David Cameron’s Visits to Blackpool During His Rise to Power

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In the years leading up to the 2010 General Election, Blackpool became a regular destination for David Cameron as he sought to rebuild the Conservative Party’s fortunes and strengthen its support across the country. The resort hosted major political events and repeatedly featured in the party’s campaign strategy, making it an important backdrop to Cameron’s rise from Leader of the Opposition to Prime Minister. Oct. 3, 2007 – Winter Gardens, BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND – DAVID CAMERON MP CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADER.GIVES FINAL ADDRESS.CONSERVATIVE PARTY CONFERENCE 2007.BLACK POOL, ENGLAND 10-03-2007.DAVE GADD- – 2007.K54905(Credit Image: © Globe Photos/ZUMAPRESS.com) Following the Conservative Party’s strong performance…

‘Spiderman’ David Hulme climbs Blackpool Tower for England’s 2002 World Cup Campaign

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As England prepared to take on the world’s best in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Blackpool Tower became the focus of patriotic celebrations when chief rigger David Hulme made one of his now-famous climbs to the summit of the landmark. On 13 June 2002, Hulme, dressed in his trademark Spider-Man costume, scaled the Tower carrying the Cross of St George to show support for the England team. The colourful spectacle drew attention from visitors and the media alike, but behind the publicity lay the demanding work of one of Blackpool’s most unusual occupations. As chief rigger, Hulme was responsible for…

Roman Findings in Poulton

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For many years historians believed that the Fylde Coast was little more than an inhospitable landscape of marshes, bogs and tidal creeks during the Roman occupation of Britain. While Roman forts stood at Kirkham, Ribchester and Lancaster, there appeared to be little evidence that people had settled permanently on the Fylde itself. That assumption changed dramatically in 2008. During work to install a new sewer pipeline on farmland east of Poulton-le-Fylde, archaeologists made a discovery that would transform our understanding of Roman Lancashire. Hidden beneath centuries of soil lay the remains of a previously unknown Romano-British farming settlement, providing the…

Blackpool Street Angels Gets off to a Flying Start

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For more than a decade, Blackpool & the Fylde Street Angels has quietly become one of the town’s most respected community organisations, offering practical support, compassion and hope to some of the area’s most vulnerable people. What began as a small volunteer initiative has grown into a charity that provides outreach, emergency accommodation, supported housing and a wide range of services aimed at helping individuals rebuild their lives. The organisation was founded with a simple but powerful purpose: to reach out to those who had nowhere else to turn. Volunteers began walking the streets of Blackpool during the evenings, offering…

Wanderland: Wyre’s Family Festival Brings Adventure to Poulton-le-Fylde

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Wanderland has quickly become one of the Fylde Coast’s most popular family events, transforming Cottam Hall Playing Fields in Poulton-le-Fylde into a colourful festival of entertainment, creativity and outdoor adventure. Organised by Wyre Council, the event was created to offer families an affordable festival experience where children and adults alike could enjoy a full day of activities, performances and attractions with almost everything included in the ticket price. The festival was first held in 2024, with the aim of creating a brand-new family event for the borough that combined the atmosphere of a traditional festival with the accessibility of a…

Wellington Bombers Built at Squires Gate During the Second World War

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During the Second World War, Blackpool played a vital role in Britain’s war effort through the construction of thousands of Vickers Wellington bombers at Squires Gate. While today the area is known as Blackpool Airport, during the war it became one of the country’s most important aircraft manufacturing centres, transforming the famous seaside resort into a hub of wartime industry. As the threat of German bombing increased in the late 1930s, the British Government introduced the Shadow Factory Scheme, designed to disperse aircraft production away from traditional manufacturing centres. Blackpool was selected as an ideal location due to its existing…

The Sweet History of Waller & Hartley: Blackpool’s Beloved Confectioners

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The Waller & Hartley Sweet Factory was a long-established confectionery business in Blackpool that became a beloved part of the town’s industrial and social heritage. Known for producing a range of traditional British sweets, the factory was representative of the thriving confectionery industry that once flourished in seaside towns where tourists and locals alike sought classic treats. Founded in the late 19th century by the partnership of Thomas Waller and William Hartley, the business began by making boiled sweets, toffees and boiled sugar confections. Its products were sold locally and beyond, often wrapped simply and sold in shops, market stalls…