Category: 1917

America’s First World War Troops Arrive in Blackpool

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The arrival of the first United States military personnel in Blackpool during the First World War marked a significant moment in both the town’s history and the wider story of the American Expeditionary Forces. Following the United States’ declaration of war against Germany on 6 April 1917, Britain became the first destination for thousands of American servicemen crossing the Atlantic before continuing to the battlefields of France. Among the earliest to arrive were members of U.S. Army Base Hospital No. 4, who landed at Liverpool on 18 May 1917 before being billeted in Blackpool. They were the first detachment of…

Alistair Cooke Gets a Firm Footing From Blackpool

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Alistair Cooke, KBE (born Alfred Cooke on 20 November 1908, died 30 March 2004), was a British-American journalist, author, and broadcaster whose career flourished mainly in the United States. He became best known for Letter from America and America: A Personal History of the United States, and for presenting PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre from 1971 to 1992. His calm, intelligent delivery and distinctive voice made him one of the most recognisable broadcasters of his time. Even after retiring from television following more than four decades in broadcasting, he continued recording Letter from America until shortly before his death. Cooke was born…