Issue 3 - September 2013
Blackpool Heritage News is created by Blackpool Heritage Champions to celebrate and promote Blackpool's heritage. Blackpool Heritage News is about you, your past and your present. We want your stories and your pictures. Love heritage and discover Blackpool.
FROM VELVET COASTER TO THE THRILLOMATIC! - A PASSION WITH THE PLEASURE BEACH Director and Company Secretary at Pleasure Beach Blackpool, David Cam DL BA Barrister tells of his lifelong passion after 'landing the best job in the world.' David was brought to Blackpool in 1964, originally from Southport. He is the son of a Spitfire pilot in the RAF, (who crash landed and ended up in a Stalag-Luft 3 a subject of the Great Escape film). David is fiercely proud of his father who worked at the Pleasure Beach first as Chief Cashier, then quickly appointed to Company Treasurer. At the age of 9, on his first summer visit to the Pleasure Beach, David became enthralled by the Park, a passion which continues to this day. He recalls his first tentative steps into the world of tourism. At the age of 14 I started working for my Dad's oldest school friend, Douglas Maxwell. I helped out at weekends and school holidays at the North Shore Boating Pool. Later, in 1971 I started work at the Pleasure Beach in the catering department. I was in trouble the first week for asking for time off in August to go to represent Blackpool at the World Scout Jamboree in Japan! Luckily I got to go and what an experience those three weeks in Japan were for a boy aged sixteen. The Mayor of Blackpool asked me to take a one yard long stick of Blackpool rock with me to give to an orphanage whilst I was there!' David's ambition was not initially based on a career in the pleasure industry but a career in law, but his heart was elsewhere. During a gap year he made a life changing decision by writing to the previous Managing Director Geoffrey Thompson who invited him to attend an interview. He was awarded the new position of Personal Assistant to the Managing Director and spent a wonderful year at Pleasure Beach before returning to his studies. The gap year was to change his life. Out of the blue David received a letter asking him for a further meeting with Geoffrey , 'He was so dynamic and said “if you want the job of Assistant Company Secretary it's yours. If not, fine, but if you do, I want you to go to the States for six
David Cam
months to learn the trade the American way”. Well that was it, I knew the Pleasure Beach was where my heart was and jumped at the opportunity there and then! On his journey David has made many friends in other Pleasure Parks and played host to some very famous people, including Royalty. I arranged for 'Prince William, in the very week that he became engaged, to watch Blackpool v Wolves and later went to visit the Pleasure Beach. In a letter hand written and sent as a thank you to David, he said he enjoyed himself so much that he felt like “the only kid in the sweet shop”, I have framed the letter to keep for any future grandchildren! Whilst the Pleasure Beach is continually updated with up to the minute technology, there are still Heritage rides such as the 90 year old Big Dipper, (which is still rated as the third best “woodie” in the world) and Maxim's Flying Machine. David remembers Mrs Thompson L D talking about 'The Velvet Coaster,' named after its velvet seats. 'Built around 1908 the seats were a bit special and because so many visitors in those days were, of course, mill workers both in Lancashire, Yorkshire and beyond whilst they would manufacture velvet, only here they had the chance, for 3d not only to sit on them but to zoom around the track.' And there is the Ghost Train. Originally called, 'The Pretzel Ride,' this caused confusion, 'Only Americans and Germans knew the meaning of the word so no one wanted to ride it, 'The Ghost Train,' which was the title of a play, and film at the time, was the inspiration for the change of name thought of by a cashier. Afterwards it was adopted for all similar rides, but represents another first for Blackpool!' From David's office he can hear the sounds of visitor's having fun, whilst he works hard to continue that tradition. 'I'm extremely lucky that Geoffrey wrote to me inviting me for that interview. Once you come into the Pleasure Beach it is so enthralling. It is most gratifying to “manufacture fun for a living” and to throw open that window and hear the shouts and screams of the laughter and fun. I put my heart into my work here and I have always joked that when I grow up I'll get a proper job. David has been a lifelong Ambassador of Blackpool and Pleasure Beach. Chairman of the British Association of Amusement Parks, President of the European Association, Director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, and have served on the International in Washington D.C. It's been an honour and a privilege to represent Blackpool and I really feel I have been part of the Pleasure Beach family, it really is a family firm!’ Shirley Matthews B.A (hons)
A ROARING SUCCESS
It was a wonderful surprise for me to be in Stanley Park on 21st August at the Italian Gardens as the new ‘Medici’ lions were being installed. A huge crane, transporter and a team of men using slings and pulleys expertly guided the lions onto their newly built stone plinths. The installation took some time as the lions were also well secured with bolts. The process was fascinating to watch and attracted attention from passers-by. Some thought the lions were being wrongly installed as they face away from each other, but the originals were of course facing outwards – as if guarding the wider expanse of the park. The original lions were donated by John Magee, the head of Magee Marshall brewery of Bolton in 1926. He bid 400 guineas for them at an auction at Stowe House in Buckinghamshire. They were copies of the Medici Lions which are still on display in Florence. There is a lot of history and interest around the Medici lions which were carved by two separate
people 1500 years apart, and it was common for people to compare the merits of the two. As a pair they have been copied over the years and Blackpool was fortunate in having the particularly impressive lead-cast lions on show for nearly 90 years.
Because of the increase of vandalism in the park, it was decided, for their safety, to return the lions to Stowe House, who I understand, have paid for the latest pair in Stanley Park to be created. I had a discussion with one of the installation team, who coincidentally was from Blackpool but now lives in London. The company, Rupert Harris Conservation, are conservators of fine metalwork, and historic and modern sculpture and are based in east London. I noted from his card that they are “By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen” – so only the best for Blackpool! He explained that they had been also responsible for the removal of the lions from Stanley Park and had taken castings of them before
their installation at Stowe, to create our new lions. They have done a splendid job and as the lions stand majestically at the bottom of the steps overlooking the beautiful Italian Gardens we can celebrate a new era of our wonderful Stanley Park. Wendy Stevenson
DISCOVERING OUR HIDDEN HERITAGE
A chance meeting whilst delivering heritage leaflets as an accredited Blackpool Heritage Tourist Guide led me to a treasure trove of heritage all wrapped up in a three star guest house!
ASH LODGE From the very first glimpse of the original stained glass entrance door and the masthead in the hallway the Lodge reveals its intricate cornices and special features. In the lounge there is a magnificent marble fireplace which adds to the Victorian ambience of the Lodge as it would have been when it overlooked the Raikes Hall Park (Royal Palace Gardens). During which time the Gardens were Blackpool’s main pleasure and recreational area, consisting of a lake, Ballroom, theatre, Indian lounge, fountains, horse riding, archery and many bars. In fact the land in which Ash Lodge stands (C1895) was acquired from the Raikes Hall Parks and Gardens and Aquarium Company. Outside the Lodge there is a small cottage where the servants
were housed as well as the attic rooms, stables, and a walled cottage garden. Interestingly at the back of the property there are the remains of the old road from Staining to North Pier still intact. The late Victorian Lodge is a wonderful jewellery box of fabulous architecture and period adornments that have survived the changing faces of Blackpool. Recently a group of Blackpool Heritage Champions were privileged to be offered a tour by the owners, Mary and Margaret, followed by a grand tea and homemade cakes; in fact the only thing missing seemed to be our lack of Victorian attire. From the moment we entered we knew we were in for something special that day, as each room revealed more and more of the elaborate stained glass, depicting fruits in season and even a lakeside scene. My personal favourite was the bridal suite stained glass door with its stunning detail of love birds, hearts, tumbling fruit and richly plastered columns. I imagined how the bride and groom would have looked out onto the sumptuous Raikes Hall gardens from this room so long ago. The owners have in the early 1990s taken time to refurbish the dining room ceiling with the help of their artist friend Catherine, restoring all of the original hand painted fine detail. Ash Lodge is an absolute gem! A reminder of an age long ago but with all the modern amenities for today’s living. It blends beautiful architecture with modern living whilst remaining respectful to its rich heritage. If anyone has a building containing a glimpse of the past please contact us as we would like to highlight and celebrate all aspects of our heritage. Please email blackpoolheritagenews@volunteercentrebwf.org.uk or call 01253 301004. Shirley Matthews B.A. (hons)
MURDER IN THE BUNGALOW One of the last women to be hanged in Great Britain was Louisa Merrifield of Devonshire Road, Blackpool; she was executed by the state inside Manchester's Strangeways Prison on 18th September, 1953. The crime was murder from poisoning. The victim, Sarah Ann Ricketts was a spritely 79 year-old widow who had advertised for home help at her Devonshire Road bungalow. Louisa Merrifield was hired and moved into Miss Ricketts’ home together with her husband Alfred on 12th March 1953, by the end of April Sarah Ricketts was dead. Sometime in 1953 between early March and late April, Sarah's will was altered, leaving her house and worldly goods to the Merrifield couple. According to the rather confusing records available, Dr. G. B. Manning, consultant pathologist from North West Forensic Science Laboratory, conducted a postmortem and found haemorrhage points on Sarah's organs and mouth, poisonous substances in her liver and oddly dark fluids in her stomach, all strongly indicating death by poisoning. On 30th April, Louisa was arrested at the bungalow after coroner Detective Sergeant Norman Steadman put his theories to the borough's police chief constable. His men 'combed' the neighbourhood, digging up the bungalow garden in the search for tins of poison, probably 'Rodine'. Contemporary newspapers report that while crowds gathered to watch the investigations, Louisa apparently organised songs and refreshments for all and even enlisted the Salvation Army to play 'Abide by Me'. People described Louisa as 'short, thick set, middle-aged', in sporty hat and glasses, Louisa in photographs appears combative, confident, even lacking any full understanding of the gravity of the charges against her. In those days buying 'Rodine' for household purposes aroused little suspicion. The previous century had witnessed a surge in domestic uses of poisons, newly available on fly-papers on the high street. Displaying similar symptoms to cholera, 19th century victims had a good chance of receiving death certificates from doctors but in the early 20th century, measures controlling their sales and usages were imposed. By the 1950s, tinned 'Rodine' rat poison was favoured above traditional arsenic or
strychnine by those wishing to manage a rodent infestation or for those who wished to use it for something more sinister! In mid-May, while visiting his wife awaiting trial, Alfred was arrested. Louisa's trial lasted 11 days and took place that July, eliciting evidence of her boasting locally about a forthcoming inheritance, one witness quoting Louisa’s claim of “she's not dead yet, but she soon will be.” Other evidence about Sarah's varying states of health during her last months, mentioned tangled tales of various mysterious handbags, sneering allusions to Alfred's light coloured suits, worries about someone - either Sarah or Louisa - unable to afford insurance premiums, all accounts by various home delivery drivers who regularly visited the victim and the evidence of doctors including the coroner attending Sarah. Administering the smelly, unwieldy poison probably posed nights of headaches for the murderer or murderers. Hard to measure accurately or to extract efficiently, the active phosphorus ingredient is hard to control at room temperature or in water. 'Rodine' nevertheless seemed the best choice at the time. Alone for 10 years following the death of her last husband 10 years earlier, Sarah probably ingested the poison from the jam or rum both of which she frequently enjoyed at home, her staple diet of eggs and brandy attracted attention and comments from the many doctors treating her during her last few weeks of life. Attractive to rats, the especially strong
smell of 'Rodine' means disguising its presence from potential victims can be awkward. Alcohol and jam therefore mask its 'garlic aroma' perfectly. On 31st July, after five and a half hours of jury deliberation produced a verdict of 'guilty', Justice Glyn-Jones donned black cap to pronounce the death sentence. On 18th September, Louisa was hanged by the neck until she was dead. Shortly afterwards, Alfred was released without retrial and he moved into the bungalow, in which he now had a half-share. Newspapers reported Sarah had two daughters, one in Bispham, the other in Congleton. Both Sarah Ricketts and Louisa Merrifield had married several times, two of Sarah's husbands apparently committing suicide, according to reports and captions to photographs in the media, which were sometimes unclear about who was related to whom. Despite pre-murder bragging, Louisa did not confess to the crime after Sarah actually died. No trace of any poison was found on the murder site. Although death certificates were often easily issued in cases of symptoms manifesting those of insanitary diseases, such as cholera, which poisoning resembled, the doctor examining the corpse of Sarah Ricketts refused to issue the certificate, called for a police enquiry, contacted Scotland Yard and on the evidence available, gave a verdict of 'death by yellow phosphorus poisoning'. Lynne Charoenkitsuksun
What’s On Blackpool Heritage Guided Tours Stanley Park - To book a tour of Stanley Park please contact 01253 301004 Winter Gardens - Thursday 5th & 19th September, Thursday 10th & 24th October Start time 11.00am Book your place now by calling 01253 478222 or online at www.visit blackpool.com
Heritage Open Days Blackpool and the Fylde Coast Thursday 12th September to Sunday 15th September This year there are over fifty venues opening their doors to offer you the opportunity to discover the unique heritage of Blackpool and the Fylde Coast. To take advantage of this free event pick up a program today or visit www.heritageopenday.org.uk
Visit the Heritage Exhibition Stanley Park Visitors Centre Open every Wed to Sun 11am - 3pm Lost – Blackpool’s Lost Buildings Now until September 15th Landscape Masterpieces September 18th - 10th November Stanley Park An exhibition on the design and later development of Stanley Park and its buildings. The exhibition coincides with the launch of a new, free E-Book on the Park at the beginning of October. Dug In 16th to 19th January 2014 Highlighting recent research, this exhibition will uncover the secrets of the forgotten World War 1 training trenches under Watson Road Park and the social history of the town during WWI.
Music at the Stanley Park Bandstand Every Sunday in September until the 22nd Line up info on 01253 31894 or www.friendsofstanleypark.org.uk
Illuminations Switch On Weekend - 30th August Blackpool Illuminations - 30th August to 10th November
Blackpool World Firework Championships Every Friday evening in September from dusk (weather permitting) 6th, 13th, 20th & 28th September
Talks Blackpool and Fylde Historical Society 01253 301111Blackpool Cricket Club Stanley Park Talks usually held on fourth Tuesday of month at 7.30pm from September to April, visitors £2
WHATS ON AROUND THE FYLDE Fleetwood Museum – Talks - Thursdays at 14.00 – Free Admission 12th September – Titanic – Last Night of a Small Town 10th October – Dramatic Lifeboat Rescues Near Fleetwood 1st October – Decimus Burton Event Tel.01253 876621 St Annes on the Sea Music and Arts Festival Friday 6th—Saturday 14th September Indoor and Outdoor Events – some free, others by ticket, for further information contact 01253 711584
Blackpool and The Fylde Coast Thursday 12th to Sunday 15th September 2013
Blackpool Heritage Captured Photography Blog The blog is a photographic record of Blackpool's heritage and was set up in response to the number of photos taken over the last 18 months showing the various projects that the heritage champions have been involved with. It also provides a snapshot of Blackpool in the second decade of the 21st century. The idea is to show by means of a monthly record, an overview of photographs taken, either as part of my travels around town or as part of heritage projects and events. The photos that are taken are a mixture of Blackpool old and new, the Talbot Gateway being an example of a new build. Some of these buildings may be seen as ‘monstrous carbuncles’ now, but in a hundred years they could be considered to be heritage worth saving. Another reason for constantly taking photographs of buildings is the fact that
they are redeveloped every few years or so, an example would be the football ground at Bloomfield Rd. Sometimes it is to increase capacity or a change in the buildings use or requirements or in some cases to changes in legislation, such as (health and safety and disabled access). Therefore original, or certain features may be lost forever. Another area that can produce good photos is the contrast in weather. As seen on the blog, the contrast in conditions can produce differing results. This means that the task of taking photos is never-ending and the rich plethora of photos showing an ever-changing face of Blackpool will never be finished.
Serbia visiting the site. The blog can be found at http:blackpoolheritagecaptured.blogspot. co.uk/ a link also exists on https://sites.google.com/site/blackpoolhe ritagenews/ or by using the QR code attached to the newsletter. Hopefully the blog will stimulate a healthy debate amongst the people of Blackpool and the UK as to what is heritage and is it worth keeping? Therefore, comments /suggestions regarding the blog can be submitted to blackpoolheritagenews@volunteercentre bwf.org.uk or call 01253 301004. Kevin Taylor
Up to the end of July the site has had over 500 hits with minimal publicity, with people from the UK, USA, Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, Venezuela, Canada and
‘Collected Memories’ Archiving the Catherine Rothwell Collection II As mentioned in Newsletter 2, The Catherine Rothwell Collection available in central library's Local History Centre, has expanded its scope to include additional material, some perhaps better regarded for its intrinsic historical content, rather than as free-standing artefacts or primary records of past events. Additional material has been given, left, donated, lent and forgotten by researchers, local historians, police sources and even the occasional mystery donor. This means the entire Collection has evolved physically too, with indices for each original main volume in the pipeline, and increased numbers of boxed files, their contents wider ranging in theme than the original multi-volume core Collection. The boxed files, now still being organized, hold newspaper cuttings, small posters, leaflets, and catalogues. Also stored in the broader Collection are some tattered old books and lots of original manuscripts – (many by Catherine Rothwell herself) - From computer printouts, typewritten manuscripts, scrawled faded foolscap or neatly organised inks on pale aqua paper. At the moment, subject material ranges from near monographs of old ships and boats to the story of Fleetwood's fishing industry and dainty posters advertising long ago festivals. In contrast to the main volumes, the value to researchers or browsers of much of the newer, boxed less valuable material) lies only in the information within, carefully preserved or copied from photographs, documents, articles and drawings. Such data then relates the real history of many of the real people, places and events shaping the heritage of the Fylde Coast, frequently corroborating the collective memories and narratives of others on local events; for instance the hurricane night floods of the 1970s which you may have read about in Newsletter 1, also remembered in the records of others, including those of Catherine Rothwell. Startling to today's readers may be the unexpected facts and relationships pictures and tales of 'sand grown' royals from the early 20th century, aerial photographs of Blackpool before its urban
sprawl. Biographies and statistics of trawlers, accounts of shipwrecks in the Irish Sea, races to the Isle of Man, ghost stories, tentative poems, local 'happenings' and of course, the people. always the ordinary and not so ordinary men and women who created the myths and ideals of the town and its surroundings. Painstakingly written out in biro, fountain pen or pencil, hard pressed into yellowed starchy papers or clearly printed, the manuscripts are interesting documents simply for their information, as real historical records, examples of their genre and period or as extracts from the life works of some fairly famous local authors. Whether you wish to search for specific facts or are just browsing at leisure, the new grey card boxed files, supplementing the main Collection's sturdy blue volumes which are in the process of being arranged and catalogued. While the whole project is available in the Local History Centre for the public to view, it is expected to be fully searchable sometime in the next few months. Lynne Charoenkitsuksun
Did you know...? Blackpool has one of the oldest electric tramways in the world. It is run by Blackpool Transport, who are owned by Blackpool Borough Council. The tramway is the oldest surviving first generation tramway in Britain dating back to 1895, serving Blackpool and nearby towns Cleveleys, Thornton and Fleetwood
If you would like to contribute to this newsletter or comment on the contents please contact 01253 301004 or email blackpoolheritagenews@volunteercentrebwf.org.uk Mission: To provide support and inspiration for volunteers, organisations and groups to develop volunteering in the community. The Volunteer Centre Blackpool, Wyre & Fylde is a Registered Charity, No: 1125184 and a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England & Wales No: 5756723 Copyright 2013 Š
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