Issue 6 - June 2014
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.
ALL HIS WORLD IS A STAGE – MEET DUNCAN JUMP Little did he dream that when he was called to help his dad out at Blackpool Opera House aged 16, that he would still be working here 36 years later! Duncan’s dad worked on the lights before being on the Stage Door in later years. Although Duncan had started training as a HGV mechanic, he started to work part-time backstage at the Opera House and after a few months was offered a full-time job as a lighting technician. It was very much on-the-job training and lighting has changed vastly over the years. Duncan showed me a huge carbon arc spotlight which is over a hundred years old and these were still in use when he started. The carbon rods only lasted an hour and were redhot when replaced. There was no modern Health and Safety legislation but skill and care were obviously required. There were four of these in the Opera House, four in the Empress Ballroom and two in The Pavilion Theatre – static because of their size, and in each venue the spotlights had to be in synch with each other- quite a feat. From these early days, electric lighting then electronics became the norm in theatre lighting. Modern lighting is of course not only very flexible but incredibly sophisticated. Duncan showed me around some of the latest technology backstage; they have 8 moving light systems which cost £5,000 each and of course everything is digital – as demonstrated by the compact lighting console, which controls nearly everything by memory stick. He explained that projection is also used a lot nowadays in shows. In Duncan’s early working days there were 40 stage crew, whereas now he only has 15 ‘on the books’ and only 2 are electricians. Because of the nature of the business, no full-time staff are employed and the hours vary greatly depending on the bookings – from one night shows to seasonal runs, so staffing all this can
be fraught. Luckily Duncan has now had many years in management – he was promoted to Assistant Stage Manager after ten years and became Stage Manager a year later. His title has actually been Technical Manager since 2009. Much of the work includes ‘the get-in’ – bringing in and setting up all the equipment, scenery etc. which usually arrives by articulated transport for the variety of shows and events and then the ‘strip out’ where it’s all removed. This can often mean a quick turn round depending on the length of the run. A ‘list of needs’ for each show means that staff are employed accordingly. These include stage crew, lighting and sound operators, spot operators, dressers and fly men. The Opera House stage is the country’s biggest theatre stage area and has 96 fly bars which are used to hang lights, curtains and scenery as required. Duncan explained productions often provide their own sound people nowadays and radio microphones are usual, but a backstage room houses dozens of different microphones and cables for use where necessary.
No two days are the same and Duncan has many anecdotes of his years at the Winter Gardens. Obviously he has met hundreds of stars over the years ranging from international names like Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, John Denver, Howard Keel and Michael Buble to home grown talent like Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Tommy Steele, Elton John and Peter Kay. Some of course have been ‘divas’ with lists of demands (usually insisted on by their management) others more down to earth and easy to accommodate. Duncan has often found “they are not what you think they are”. Locally born opera singer Alfie Boe worked as a stagehand briefly at The Opera House and years later appears on the same stage now as a world famous star. One celebrity Duncan looked after on a summer season show from his early days and has fond memories of was Lena Zavaroni who he admired as “a superb singer” with such a powerful voice but who sadly died young. He reminded me that Frank Sinatra had seen her perform and encouraged her career. Wendy Stevenson
IN CELEBRATION OF 120 AT THE GRAND AND VOLUNTEERS MONTH In the 1970’s, volunteers saved the theatre from demolition & organised it’s purchase. In the Winter of 1980, under the banner ‘The Friends of the Grand’, they cleaned, painted & repaired the building to make it ready for it's reopening on March 23rd 1981. of House teams were set up to sell programmes, drinks and assist the theatre staff. Volunteers still work today in this role and have saved the theatre many thousands of pounds over the years. To them & all volunteers throughout the town we dedicate the following poem:
HERITAGE OPEN DAYS The Heritage Open Days at our lovely Grade II listed church mean so much. These days it provides opportunities for me to give a warm welcome to visitors and to describe and explain our Methodist traditions to them. I enjoy having conversations with interesting people. Some of our visitors are local while others have travelled from as far away as Bishop Auckland, County Durham and London – some of whom have become friends. Our many visitors are always struck by the quality of the beautiful art nouveau windows and the rich mahogany balcony and choir stalls. It is a pleasure to be able to share in the delight of those who pause to take photographs of the more modern stained glass window. Our piano and organ recitals are also greatly appreciated.
POEM FOR VOLUNTEERS To all those who use their spare time To serve and welcome To gather and to rally To undertake and accomplish, We raise our hats. To all those who work wonders On a shoestring We pay tribute. To people who give themselves Body and Soul Who do not measure Their precious hours So that our leisure Is filled with pleasure. Everywhere, all over This fragile blue globe of ours.
Did you know...? In 1735, Ernest Whiteside, living in a two bedroomed house at Fumblers Hill (at the bottom of what is now Cocker Street), added two more bedrooms to his house and so became the first housekeeper to rent
Needless to say, months of planning and preparation go into organising these events. Rotas for stewards, musicians and refreshment servers need to be arranged along with the copying of leaflets, hand-outs and quizzes. I always breathe a huge sigh of relief when the bunting is up and flying and when we open our doors once more. Please join us at 10.00am on Thursday 11th September 2014. You will be assured of a warm welcome! North Shore Methodist Church is on the corner of Cocker Street and Dickson Road, just off the promenade to the north of the North Pier and the Metropole Hotel. Diana Holden
THE AIR RAID SHELTER MANSLAUGHTER OF 1944 On the night of 25/26 July 1944 a shocking event took place on Blackpool’s Promenade which would dominate the headlines in Blackpool’s newspaper for many days, and the events described in this article have been drawn from the archives. Private Thomas Montoya was a 24 year old American aircraft mechanic from New Mexico who was based in this country towards the end of World War II. Like many other American servicemen, he was drawn to Blackpool’s lively nightlife. During the evening of 25 July 1944, Thomas befriended a local Bispham girl, Joan Long, in one of the resort’s hostelries. By all accounts Joan was a cheerful, ordinary, rather naive 22
Metropole Hotel situated at the rear of the picture
year old who enjoyed visiting public
American Court Martial which was held
discharge from the United States
houses with friends.
at Blackpool Police Station. At his trial,
Military. At the inquest into the death of
Montoya pleaded not guilty.
Joan Long, Dr Bruce, a police surgeon,
Later that evening Joan and Thomas
found that Joan Long had died from
walked along the promenade and made
Thomas Montoya was found guilty of
their way to an air raid shelter. These
the manslaughter of Joan Long and was
shelters had been incorporated into the
sentenced to ten years’ hard labour. The
Joan Long was buried in the Roman
colonnade on the seaward side of the
sentence carried with it a dishonourable
Catholic section of Layton Cemetery;
asphyxia due to manual suffocation.
Metropole Hotel. It was here that Joan’s
over one hundred friends and relatives
body was discovered by two
attended her funeral. Fearing that some
servicemen and two local civilians. One
would attend out of morbid curiosity,
of the civilians was Charles Woodhouse
steps were taken by the authorities to
of Lytham Road, and it was he who
keep the general public at a respectful
informed the police of the grim
distance.
discovery. Article by Barry Shaw Officers from Scotland Yard were drafted-in to assist the Blackpool police to solve the crime. In early August 1944, detectives had leads regarding a person they wished to question, and it was not
Did you know...?
long before Thomas Montoya was traced and brought in for questioning
The Metropole Hotel which was opened in 1785 was the very first hotel built on the promenade!
and later charged with the manslaughter of Joan Long. As Montoya was an American citizen, legal proceedings passed from the civil
It was then named ‘Bailey’s Hotel’!
authorities to those of the American military, and so he appeared at an
The Air Raid Shelter Photo courtesy of the Gazette archives
ON WITH THE SHOW Ain’t Misbehaving, Little White Lies, When the Guards are on Parade, Are We Downhearted? No!, Lazybones, these are just some of the hundreds of titles of the songs from the shows in Blackpool during the first half of the 20th century, which form the legacy of local legend Lawrence Wright. In 2014 Britain commemorates fifty years since the death of this impresario who, with his catchy tunes and live shows, such as his On With The Show which ran in Blackpool from 1924 until 1956 and his involvements in the 1943 Festival of Britain, was instrumental in forwarding Blackpool as the seaside capital of live light entertainment. But who was Lawrence Wright really and how was he connected with Blackpool? There were many Lawrence Wrights for he was an intensely private family man, an incredibly successful music publisher and a talented musician. He also became an unintentional symbol of copyright issues and intellectual property rights arising from his entanglements with the BBC and the Performing Rights Society. His published songs such as Carolina Moon, Star Dust and The Blackpool Walk wafted from performers in song booths across town and out over the sea. These songs and their singers captured the spirit of the interwar and post war years, shaping an image of Blackpool as a seaside resort of music, entertainment and pleasure. Today, little is known of the private man. By the time Lawrence Wright died in 1964, he had accumulated wealth, fame and success from his myriad business interests, media promotions and long running shows. The names of his many famous friends resonate even today – Dame Gracie Fields, Jack and Elsie Hylton, Reginald Dixon, George Formby, Jack Epstein, Max Miller and scores of others. Although today his words remain in his frequent letters to the Evening Gazette and his amusingly dictatorial instructions on correct formats for creating advertisements for promoting the town’s shows, his personal life is now known only from his chatty, engaging memoirs and absorbing talks of show business which are related in staccato style and brief disjointed phrases that just hint at the man behind the glitzy persona of
Lawrence Wright, who was, at various times, known as Horatio Nicholls, Gene Williams and Everett Lynton. Lawrence also exists on film in a few unreliable and grainy Pathe clips where he is shown playing piano or singing with companions. Born in 1888 in Leicester into a musicloving family he, his father and his brother, Horace, played several musical instruments. Lawrence left school early, was apprenticed to a music publisher and later sold song sheets from a local market stall, establishing in 1906 the Lawrence Wright Music Company which still exists today. Buying the rights to publish the songs written by other composers entitled the Lawrence Wright Music Company to sell the words and music scores as song sheets for performers to read and play at live outlets. A later and controversial development involved organisations such as the BBC recording those singers performing the songs and of the playing the recordings back to the public through the radio. Recording performers throughout the town provoked important questions of ownership and privacy encouraging the imposing of strict regulations to copyright. Today, a national blue plaque in Leicester’s Lower Conduit Street commemorates the beginnings of Lawrence Wright’s music empire. Initially he wrote, performed and published his own songs and music, later publishing those written by others. His company’s first hit published in 1910, Don’t Go Down the Mine Daddy, is said to have sold one million song sheets and by 1912 he was working from his own London offices at 19 Denmark Street which became known as Tin Pan Alley and was considered the British mecca of popular music. In 1926, Lawrence founded the renowned, influential Melody Maker music magazine although he later had to relinquish control of this in order to focus on his other business interests. Blackpool was already famous for its live theatre and music attracting visitors and investors like Lawrence Wright. Buying property in Blackpool, he perhaps remained in the area because of the sea air and atmosphere of leisure combined with investments and personal interests
Lawrence Wright suited him. A relentless promoter and canny publicist, his creative exploits and media melodramas are legendary for Lawrence was an arch manipulator of public opinion. Still alive in accounts of Lawrence Wrights businesses are wonderful tales of riding a camel around London’s Piccadilly Circus, of contracting Blackpool florists to deliver 500 flowers daily to his pier show stars and of his dropping leaflets from a plane flying around Blackpool Tower to promote Me and Jane in a Plane. Today, the name of Lawrence Wright is well-known and his company famous internationally. His role in restructuring light entertainment in Britain is matched only by his part in reshaping Blackpool’s live theatres into a vibrant source of music and sheer fun. Lawrence Wright paved a golden path for future entrepreneurs, investors and entertainers. Lynne Charoenkitsuksun
Did you know...? In 1937 George Formby's song "With My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock", was banned by BBC radio for having suggestive lyrics
LIFEBOAT 150 We recently included an article on the shipwrecks along the Fylde Coast. They have been a feature of life for the people and for the town's prosperity for hundreds of years. Disasters at sea and the 'rewards', either from Sightseers, wreck salvage or from resulting tourism have contributed significantly to the towns prosperity. In its 150th year, Blackpool Lifeboat enjoys a much praised recorded history. The stories of exploits, tragedies, rescues, lives saved and people involved, are testimony to the courageous work of the volunteer crew of our Lifeboat. Articles, newspaper reports, books and pamphlets and Pathe Newsreels, together with actual accounts and records provide a real insight into the workings, personalities and activities over many generations. From its humble beginnings, political intrigue, strident personalities, as well as humanitarian motives have played there part in ensuring that those using the sea for work or play, can do so safe in the knowledge that a team is on hand to reduce the risks involved. This, the first in a short series of articles, doesn't seek to rewrite or recount what has already been written, it seeks to signpost people to the Legacy of artefacts linked inextricably to the Lifeboat service at Blackpool. It does so by highlighting locations and current situation of many of the items that provide real evidence of our connection with it. The legacy presented by the many volunteers who work unstintingly fundraising, in the office, shop, the shore crew and the crews themselves are not included, though they are present representatives of the people legacy of the Blackpool Lifeboat. The first lifeboat, the 'Robert William', was launched on 20th July 1864. In service from 1864 to 1885, it was launched 21 times and saved 81 lives. The second Blackpool Lifeboat, had been paid for at a cost of £398, by a legacy from Samuel Fletcher of Gt Ancoats St, Manchester. Sadly, Mr Fletcher had died intestate, before his dream to provide a lifeboat in Blackpool had become a reality. When his assets were passed to the Crown, Queen Victoria herself decreed that his long time wish was to be fulfilled and she directed that funds from his estate should be appropriated to the RNLI in order to provide a Lifeboat to Blackpool. The new, 10 oared, self-righting boat was named on a date coinciding with the launch of the new tramway system, in September 29th 1885. The combined event drew a massive audience and the Lifeboats from Fleetwood, Lytham & St Anne's. The naming ceremony was a grand affair with a procession through the town and no less than 27 Mayors of towns throughout Lancashire and Yorkshire. The Lord Mayor of Liverpool carried out the
WHAT’S ON naming of the 'Samuel Fletcher of Manchester'. The 'Samuel Fletcher' would have a celebrity career, attending some of the most well known rescues and wrecks of the time, The 'Bessie Jones' (1880) when the Coxswain, Robert Bickerstaffe won one of the RNLI highest award, the Silver Medal. Attending the wreck of the 'Abana' followed in 1894. However, its first outing in December 1886 was to be the most tragic episode in the history of the Fylde Coast, the 'Mexico: the Widow Maker', with the loss of the 14 crew of the St Anne's Lifeboat and 13 from Southport. The Lytham Lifeboat, having landed the Mexico Crew, put to sea again in dreadful conditions in order to find the long over due St Anne's Lifeboat. It was joined by the Samuel Fletcher, which was promptly overturned in the wild sea, losing its Coxswain, Robert Bickerstaff. Luckily he was pulled back to safety by other members of the Crew. The St Anne's Lifeboat was found washed ashore in the midmorning and both boats were recalled. By 1893, the crew were looking to a new boat with features that made it more stable and safer and with a sail to augment the oars. By 1896 Blackpool had a new up to date 'Watson Class' lifeboat. She was also to be called the 'Samuel Fletcher of Manchester'. In a continuing illustrious career, both Samuel Fletchers attended 17 callouts saving 49 lives between them, including the 'Foudroyant' (1897). She was retired in 1930 and sold to Blackpool Council for £70 and used as a pleasure boat on the Stanley Park Lake. Left derelict for many years in storage, in 2009 she was handed to Sea Cadets at Bispham where she provided a glimpse of real boat handling to the youngsters. There is a hope to refurbish her at a cost of £25,000. Meanwhile, as if in waiting, she sits quietly at the Lightworks depot at Squires Gate. If you want more information about the 'Samuel Fletcher of Manchester' contact the author. MPC - May 2014
Sunday 6th – 7th July more info www.friendsofstanleypark.org.uk Saturday 14th – 15th June Scarecrow Festival at Salisbury Woodlands to be opened by the Mayor at 9.30am. Organised by the Blackpool Civic Trust. More info www.blackpoolcivictrust.org.uk CIVIC TRUST DAY Saturday 21st June In St John’s Church and in St John’s Square if weather allows PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION The Exhibition will be open to the public from Thursday 29th May until Friday 4th July. An Architectural Photographic Exhibition Fylde Gallery, Haven Road, Lytham. Blackpool Civic Trust, Fleetwood Civic Society and Lytham St Annes Civic Society have joined together to present an Architectural Photographic Exhibition of buildings, old and new, to be held at the Fylde Gallery in Lytham. Buildings selected in each town, reflect similarities and also differences in their historic and geographical past. The three societies share strong mutual pride and concern in caring for, protecting and enhancing the built environment of their towns. Fylde Gallery is located on the first floor of Booths Supermarket at Haven Road, Lytham, FY8 5EG and is open from 9.30am until 5.30pm seven days a week. TOTALLY TRANSPORT EVENT Sunday 22nd June A selection of classic cars, buses, coaches and lorries. Family entertainment on Solaris Green, South Promenade includes Memorabilia stalls, music, and free entry. More info www.visitblackpool.com ARMED FORCES WEEK Monday June 23rd— Sunday 29th June Various events throughout the week in Blackpool, beginning at Blackpool Town Hall at10.30am with the raising of the Armed Forces Flag . Saturday 28th June Armed Forces Day celebration, to be held in Stanley Park this year with various events and exhibitions and educational talks and hopefully a fly past of a Spitfire. Ending the armed forces week there will be a service and new name dedication on Sunday 29th June to be held at the Cenotaph Blackpool. Please assemble at 10.30am, the service begins at 11.00am and thee will be a short parade along the promenade. More info www.visitblackpool.com
The stern of the 'Samuel Fletcher of Manchester' at its present moorings at Squires Gate
WORD POOL Wednesday July 2nd—Saturday 5th July Blackpool’s Annual Festival of Words. Word Pool festival. Various events at various locations in Blackpool, starting with a very special twilight event on Wed 2nd July and ending with a fun filled ‘Giants’ family Day in Stanley Park on 5th July. For more information contact Lynn Pattinson 01253 478238 or Clancy Mason on 01253 478266
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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