Ian Prince Releases his First Book
Ian Prince was born in Blackpool and lived here until his late 40s. He was quite an entrepreneur and ran a photography business, a sand picture business, and a sculpted, framed cottage business. Since then he's lived in Florida, bought various sailboats and has been sailing around the world, stopping at over 130 countries. See more about his new book below. This is Ian's current boat, a 38' Prout catamaran. Ian playing snooker in Blackpool The Voyages of the Grocklesnapper and Other Stories There are, as I’ve come to see it, only two kinds of people in this world: those...
The End of an Era: Basil Newby MBE Sells Blackpool’s Iconic Funny Girls
Basil Newby is one of the most influential figures in Blackpool’s modern entertainment history, and in 2025 he marked the end of a remarkable chapter by putting his world-famous show venue, Funny Girls, up for sale after more than three decades at the heart of the resort’s nightlife. Born in Blackpool in 1951, Newby began his career in entertainment entrepreneurship at a time when the town’s nightlife scene was expanding and diversifying. In 1979 he purchased The Flamingo nightclub on Talbot Road, establishing what became Blackpool’s first dedicated venue for LGBTQ+ nightlife. Over the years he built his name and...