History of the Blackpool Tower

History of The Blackpool Tower

On 14 May 2019, The Blackpool Tower celebrated its 125th Anniversary! Take a look at this history of The Blackpool Tower, the towns fabulous icon!

MANY THANKS to Nick Moore and his fascinating History of Blackpool for some of the historical information used in this piece. You can read it here. (Please note, the original information is copyright to Nick Moore and this edited form to Live Blackpool).

Did you know? That the River Ribble probably once flowed out to sea where the Tower now stands?

It’s clear that it previously flowed along a different route from its current course. And it’s possible that the old course was along the northern edge of Longridge Fell, reaching the sea near to where Blackpool Tower now stands. It’s not been conclusively proved. But the fact that Diamict (boulder clay or till) is found at depths in excess of 20 metres beneath the Tower supports the theory.

The History of The Blackpool Tower

So we know that this iconic and much loved building is over 125 years old, but carry on reading to find out a LOT more!

Before The Blackpool Tower

In the 1860’s, William Thornber owned The Beach Hotel, later to be flattened to make space for The Tower. It stood on Hygiene Terrace next to West Hey. In 1866, it became Woodley’s Beach Hotel, but by 1874, its proprietor was Joseph Blakoe. He’d enlarged the premises which then had 52 beds, a large dining room, and a new billiard room. He also introduced what may have been Blackpool’s first Winter Tariff.

Doctor WH Cocker bought the Prince of Wales arcade on Hygiene Terrace and opened a private aquarium, menagerie, and aviary on 17 May 1875. It also ran along Bank Hey Street. The space in front of it was an amusement park with a large seal pond. This building was the real start of the Blackpool Tower complex. Cocker had bought the building to sell to the Council as municipal offices, but they turned him down. He carried on regardless, and built the complex for his own amusement.

Foundations for the base of Blackpool Tower
Aquarium at the Blackpool Tower

The Blackpool Tower Company

In 1880, the aquarium became a Company under the title of Blackpool Central Property Company. In 1889, the Standard Debenture Corporation Limited acquired it, forming the Blackpool Tower Company in 1891.

The Blackpool Tower Company also bought the Winter Gardens Company on 9 January 1928 and took over its operation on 12 May. The rival theatres were now owned by the same business. Solicitor Charles Hardman, the chairman of the Blackpool Winter Gardens Company, and his fellow directors, were soon to be sacked. He said “One of the most dirty, sneaking and underhand transactions that have ever taken place in this town”.

Incorporated on 23 February 1928, The Blackpool Tower Company was floated on the Manchester Stock Exchange in July. Alderman John Bickerstaffe was chairman. The company was founded in 1890, buying Mr Cocker’s Aquarium block on Central Promenade, intending to build a replica Eiffel Tower on the site. William Darker Pitt first put forward the idea of a building a tower which people would pay to ascend…

Foundations for The Blackpool Tower

Contrary to popular belief, John Bickerstaffe did NOT visit Paris and then come up with the idea of a Tower for Blackpool. He and his brother simply saw the business possibilities in the venture when explained by Darker Pitt.

John and Tom Bickerstaffe had already put up £20,000 of their own money, when the London company ran short of funds. But once the company had raised the £300,000 needed, Sir Matthew White-Ridley laid the foundation stone on September 25 1891. Newly restored, you can still see it today.

Commemorative Plaque, one of many features that reveals the history of the Blackpool Tower
Commemorative Plaque, one of many features that reveals the history of the Blackpool Tower

His voice was recorded on a phonograph and placed beneath the stone in a metal Time Capsule, with newspapers and other items of the period. In 1991, a search was made, in preparation for building work. Neither remote sensing equipment nor a clairvoyant could find the time capsule.

Who built The Blackpool Tower?

The Tower architects were Manchester’s James Maxwell and Charles Tuke. It was James Cardwell and Sons of Blackpool who laid the brickwork for the buildings. Unfortunately, neither Maxwell nor Tuke lived to see the tower finished.

The company of Heenan and Froude constructed the tower itself. They also made the first electric crane in the world, used on the Tower construction in 1893.

Building work begins
Building work begins

Imported from nearby Rossendale, Nori stone is used in the foundations of Blackpool Tower. It’s so hard it’s also in the foundations of the Empire State Building in New York.

John Bickerstaffe quipped that the tower had been built on bales of cotton – and that was taken literally for some years afterwards! The Tower complex contains over 5 million bricks and 2,200 tons of steel.

Sadly there was also a death during construction. Builder William Campbell was killed on 13th July 1893 when he fell from scaffolding.

Building Blackpool Tower
Building Blackpool Tower

Completion of the actual Tower itself was marked when the flagpole was lifted into position in December 1893. However, the buildings weren’t finished until the following year.

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The Blackpool Tower Opens!

The Blackpool Tower opened on Whit Monday, 14 May 1894.

There was no formal opening ceremony for this important milestone in the history of The Blackpool Tower. But an estimated 70,000 customers paid their 6 pence, and entered to a grand concert in the Elevator Hall. Another 6 pence got them up the Tower.

The Tallest Structure in the Land!

The Blackpool Tower stands 480 feet to the crow’s nest, and 518 feet 9 inches to the top.

Did you know? When it was built in 1894, The Tower was the tallest artificial structure in Britain.

Working at a height!
Working at a height!

In the 1960’s it was surpassed by various aerial masts. But it lost its slot as the UK’s highest building when the BT Tower opened in London on 8 October 1965. Several people have committed suicide by jumping from the viewing platform over the years. For a while it was the world’s tallest building too, but the Chrysler building opening in New York in 1930 lost that particular title.

The next British Pathe clip shows workmen painting The Tower in 1939. Just look how they’re doing it! Today’s Health and Safety Police would have kittens!

The height of the building in an otherwise flat area did come in handy. During World War Two it was used as a radar station.

Blackpool Tower being used as a radar station in WW2
Blackpool Tower being used as a radar station in WW2. The building at the left is the Alhambra/Palace Theatre.

The Lift to the Top

Two elevators, running independently of each other, take people to the top of The Tower, where visitors can see for up to 70 miles from its crow’s nest. 500 people per hour did this on that first day alone.

Each lift can hold 45 passengers, but no more than 30 make the ascent at once. The weight of the cars and passengers combined can never exceed 10 tons. But the seven steel cables attached to each car are exceptionally strong and tested to carry at least 100 tons. Another precaution is safety brakes, attached to each lift. They come into automatic operation if anything was to happen during the descent of the cars.

The lift at the top of The Tower in 1895
The lift at the top of The Tower in 1895

Originally, the lifts were operated hydraulically. Three Crossley gas engines worked them, each with two cylinders, with strokes of 9.9m. The 99-metre ascent took one minute. The next clip of the trip to the top of the Tower is from 1947, when the gas engines powered the journey. In 1952 Otis Lifts Ltd converted it to electrical operation and added a new lift house, built on the roof.

An Historically Important Building

Another important milestone is marked in the history of the Blackpool Tower on 10 October 1973 when it’s declared a Grade 1 Listed Building. Along with Lytham Hall it remains one of only two Grade 1 Listed Buildings on the Fylde Coast.

Look around the exterior of the building and you’ll see plenty of decorative terracotta and original design features. For example you can see these original Tower entrance plaques announcing the “Circus Gallery”, “Circus Pit”, and the “Tower” at Bank Hey Street.

Terracotta details on The Blackpool Tower
Terracotta details on The Blackpool Tower

The whole building is packed full of historical architecture and decoration. Have you noticed these amazing mosaics in the front entrance foyer?

Mosaic panels inside the front entrance of the Blackpool Tower
Mosaic panels inside the front entrance of the Blackpool Tower

Roll-up, roll-up for The Tower Circus

Designed to resemble a Moroccan Palace, the newly opened Tower Circus had a huge capacity! It could hold 3000 people standing and 3,500 holding on. (The current capacity is 1,200).

In 1899 the celebrated theatre architect and designer Frank Matcham fully remodelled the circus. This building work was carried out by local builders J Parkinson of Blackpool. Upon reopening on 4th of June, it’s now the Tower Aquatic and Variety Circus.

Its most famous attraction is the hydraulically-operated circus ring. It can be lowered by 4 and a half feet, and flooded with 42,000 gallons of water, for the famous aquatic finale show to be performed. The Blackpool Gazette dubbed it a dream of ‘Moorish magnificence’”.

The water finale at Blackpool Tower Circus
The water finale at The Blackpool Tower Circus

The World’s Greatest Circus Ring!

The first “free running” cage act to appear in Britain also opened with the newly remodelled circus. Julius Seeth presented a full ring-cage featuring two German boarhounds,two ponies, and seven lions. By 1901, Seeth was showing 25 lions.

By 1906, the Tower Circus was officially the world’s greatest circus ring. Along with all the other attractions, there were 40 performing polar bears.

Polar bears at Blackpool Tower Circus
Polar bears at Blackpool Tower Circus

However, working with these animals had its dangers! William Livesey found that out to his cost in August 1905. Found mauled and partially eaten in the lion enclosure he’d been attacked and killed by Tower-bred lionesses.

You might have heard of Albert and the Lion – a poem by Stanley Holloway (1933) – said to be based on this incident. It’s set in Blackpool Tower Zoo and a plaque was unveiled there in 1978.

The first elephants and bears appeared in 1895, trained by Julius Wagner. Circus elephants were walked on Blackpool beach for many years, regularly stretching their legs and enjoying a dip in the sea. Did you ever see them?

Walking elephants from Blackpool Tower Circus on the beach
Walking elephants from Blackpool Tower Circus on the beach

By 1927 the animals of Vojtek Trubka was amazingly varied. They included:

  • two tigers,
  • 10 lions,
  • four polar bears,
  • two Himalayan bears,
  • two brown bears,
  • a puma,
  • and two dogs.

In 1942, Bobby Roberts, his brother Tommy, and their wives, started out as a bareback riding troupe “the Ottawas” at the Tower Circus. They went on to form Roberts Brothers Circus.

Ringmasters at the Tower Circus

The Tower Circus has seen several ringmasters over the years.

  • The first was George Lockhart, who began his career at the Tower on 14 July 1914, his tenure interrupted when he did military service in World War 1. But he returned to Blackpool, and continued to work there until 1946. Lockhart was the first ringmaster to use the now-famous “hunter” tails and a top hat.
  • Alfred Delbosq (1948 to 1953),
  • Henry Litton (1954 to 1965),
  • Norman Barrett, pictured below, (1965 to 3 November 1990) who enhanced his job with his famous performing budgerigars. In 1973, he was assisted by Harold Holt, then Kate Endresz (1993) and Harvey Seager (1993 to 1999). By 1996 and 1997, he was assisted by Kevin Hewitt then Laci Endresz (2000).
Norman Barrett, Ringmaster at The Blackpool Tower Circus
Norman Barrett, Ringmaster at The Blackpool Tower Circus
  • Since 2000, Mooky has been both clown and ringmaster.

In 1991, First Leisure Group’s then head, Sir Bernard Delfont, scrapped live animal acts from the Tower Circus. He succumbed to pressure from his wife who was a fierce campaigner for animal rights. The Tower Circus performed its show EVERY year since 1894. Until 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic closed live performance all over the country.

Cafe’s, Bars and …. a Zoo!

On the ground floor of the Tower’s North Wing was a café restaurant, capable of accommodating 1,000 people. It had a fountain in the centre, and a balcony surrounding the entire room. It was soon renamed The Tower Bar – and stretched all the way to the North-eastern corner of the building.

Tower Bar on the corner which KFC now occupies. 1895
Tower Bar on the corner which KFC now occupies. Photo dated 1895

Above the restaurant was the Assembly Room, seating between 6,000 and 8,000 persons, used for promenade concerts or dancing. It opened in August 1894 and then became the ballroom. The Tower finally received a liquor licence in August.

Blackpool Tower Menagerie

There was a Monkey House and Menagerie on the second floor, and an Aviary on the third floor, containing the livestock from Doctor Cockers complex.

By now, the expanded collection of wildlife is one of the finest in the country. The monkey house contained a large variety of primates including chimpanzees and mandrills. The reptile enclosure housed crocodiles and turtles. There were also several cages with bears, cheetahs, hyenas, leopards, lions, a black panther, porcupines, sloths, and tigers.

Menagerie at Blackpool Tower
Menagerie at Blackpool Tower
Animal enclosure at the top of the Tower in the 1950's
Animal enclosure and roof gardens at the top of the Tower in the 1950’s

The main menagerie hall where the lions and tigers lived was transformed into the Ocean Room in 1963. Do you remember the “Dawn of Time” ride? The Ocean Room was made into it in 1992.

Blackpool Zoo on the move

In 1969, the Tower Zoo closed to the public. But Blackpool Council wanted the resort to retain its own zoological collection, so the first plans were drawn up for a prospective zoo. The menagerie was removed in 1973 and all the animals were moved to the new Blackpool Zoo on East Park Drive. In 1977, the remains of the smaller animals menagerie and the Roof Gardens (below) on level six were closed. Jungle Jim’s Adventure Playground soon opened in the space.

Roof gardens at Blackpool Tower in 1975
Roof gardens at Blackpool Tower in 1975

The Tower Lounge

The Tower Lounge, Bank Hey Street entrance
The old Tower Lounge, Bank Hey Street entrance

In the mid 1920’s the original Tower Bar was renamed the Tower Lounge. As many others have done, it fell victim to fire and burned down on 14th December 1956. But in May 1958, the Tower Lounge reopened in the old Tower Restaurant. Having been completely rebuilt it could seat over 1,000 people – just as many people as the original restaurant could.

But it was a sad day for many, when on 9 November 2014 The Tower Lounge closed its doors. Later, it was replaced by a Harry Ramsden fish and chip restaurant.

The Magnificent Tower Ballroom

The Blackpool Tower’s Grand Pavilion Ballroom also opened on that first day, 14 May 1894, along with the Vault and the Café Bar.

Composer, Oliver Gaggs, had written the “Tower Waltz” especially for the occasion, with his orchestra retained to play in the ballroom for the first few years.

Did you know? Two sections of the roof of the ballroom were originally made to open during hot weather?

In August 1894, the Tower Pavilion opened. It initially featured trapeze artists, bands, comedy and musical acts, and divers plummeting into tanks of water.

Curtis and Son built and fitted out the shops on the Bank Hey Street side of the Tower. In 1896, they were occupied by two milliners, a ship’s dealer, a cutler, two confectioners, a tobacconist, a hosier, a hairdresser, and a bootmaker.

And in 1898 the ballroom was greatly altered into the form that we all enjoy today.

Blackpool Tower Ballroom
Blackpool Tower Ballroom

Strictly Come Dancing

The annual live episode of TV favourite Strictly Come Dancing is probably the most popular event to take place in this magnificent ballroom.

It’s been a firm favourite since the show was first broadcast in November 2004. You can’t buy tickets – the BBC operate a random draw for them. The show brings money-can’t-buy publicity to Blackpool.

Fires at Blackpool Tower

There have been two significant fires at the Tower.

The first was on 22 July 1897, when “all the wooden erections and framework on the arrival and two higher platforms were totally destroyed”.

Also, the “cables holding the Tower lift burned through, and the strands of wire rope attached to the car and weight, with the result that the latter, weighing eleven tons, fell from the level of the arrival platforms to the basement of the tower, burying itself in the foundations close to the foot of the north-east leg. At its fall, it smashed a considerable portion of the iron framework, and plunged through two concrete floors into one of the private boxes in the circus, and so down to the ground”.

Fire of 1897 at Blackpool Tower
Fire of 1897 at Blackpool Tower

The second fire was on 14 December 1956. Caused by a lit cigarette, this fire destroyed the Tower Ballroom and the Tower Lounge. The repairs took 18 months to complete, seeing the ballroom floor replaced with 30,602 blocks of oak, mahogany, and walnut.

Fire damage at Blackpool Tower ballroom in 1956. Photo: Blackpool Council Tower archive
Fire damage at Blackpool Tower ballroom in 1956. Photo: Blackpool Council Tower archive

Restoring the Ballroom Floor

Fast forward another 70 years or so to early 2022 the fabulous parquet floor is fully restored, back to its original glory. With layers of varnish and ballroom dancing removed to reveal the beautiful blocks of wood. Resealed and highly polished it looks just like it did all those years ago.

During the renovations following the 1956 fire, the Wurlitzer organ console is placed centre stage, on the famous slow rising lift.

The magnificent Ballroom and Wurlitzer Organ
The magnificent Ballroom and Wurlitzer Organ

Originally the console moved forward from the rear of the stage on a motorised platform. The Ballroom’s electronic organ uses that apparatus today.The new frontage of 1969 was removed in 2011 when the original carvings and canopies were restored.

Today, up to 9,000 people visit the tower every day of the year.

The Blackpool Tower in the Merlin Years

Another chapter in the history of Blackpool Tower began on 1 September 2011 after a £5m restoration. Years of work have transformed the look of this favourite Fylde Coast landmark, revealing many of the stunning features.

The 2011 renovation of Blackpool Tower
The 2011 renovation of Blackpool Tower begins

In 2010 Blackpool Council bought The Tower from it’s then private owner Leisure Parc’s, the business controlled by Trevor Hemmings.

They spent £38.9m on three attractions including The Tower, the Winter Gardens and the Golden Mile. Merlin is now the operator of the Tower attractions and also manage SEA LIFE and Madame Tussauds.

This magnificent building is slowly being restored. You’ll enjoy the next video, filmed in 2020, looking at the work around the outside –

The Blackpool Tower Eye

The Skywalk is complete with a floor-to-ceiling glass observational panel – launched as part of the newly named Blackpool Tower Eye. The view is amazing – of the seafront, beach, piers and Fylde coast. On a good day you can see Manchester, the Lakes, and even Scotland.

The old café became a gourmet burger restaurant.

The Dungeon

The Blackpool Tower Aquarium closed in November 2010 after many years. There’s a new attraction there now, called “The Dungeon”, which opened on 25 August 2011. Almost all of the creatures from the aquarium moved to their new home at the new SEA LIFE Centre.

The Blackpool Tower Dungeon
The Blackpool Tower Dungeon

It’s a Lancashire version of the London Dungeon. Actors perform vignettes telling tales of smugglers, Pendle witches, the plague, and Vikings.

The Dungeon officially opened on 25 August 2011, and we were fortunate enough to go along. Here’s our video of the ghouls arrival!

Modernised Lights

The Blackpool Tower has also been fitted with a full set of LED lights – which were first switched on on 12 February 2013. The whole structure now has 5,508 LED lights, each containing 42 individual LEDs.

The illuminated heart in the middle overlooking the promenade contains more than 900 LED lights.

Jungle Jim’s and the Fifth Floor

On 3 May 2019 visitors were surprised to find that, without warning, Jungle Jim’s had closed. With ball pits, snake slides and more and its lost city themed décor it had been popular with children for many years.

In 1977 Jungle Jim’s opened in what was the remains of the smaller animals menagerie and the Roof Gardens on level six. It was named after James Walmsley, manager of the Tower Aquarium, Menagerie and Aviary in the 1890’s. As a youngster he was involved with building the aquarium and by 1891 was managing the attraction. He had ‘a wide knowledge of wild beasts and various kinds of fish’. Because of Jim the Tower had born and successfully reared more lion cubs than anywhere else in the country.

The Fifth Floor

In August 2019 the space reopened, transformed into the Fifth Floor. It’s a multi purpose space and family entertainment bar.

The new 750-capacity venue opened in the Tower’s 125th year of providing amazing and memorable family experiences.

The Fifth Floor
The Fifth Floor at The Blackpool Tower

Restoring the Ceiling

In late 2020, The Blackpool Tower Ballroom received £764,000 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. The purpose of the fund was to help venues impacted by Covid-19. It enabled the repair and restoration of the legendary ballroom ceiling, back to its former glory. What a great opportunity to do this work, while the building had to be closed because of the pandemic. And it provided employment for local specialists.

Ballroom dancing with Strictly Come Dancing at Blackpool Tower Ballroom
Ballroom Dancing at Blackpool Tower Ballroom

Did You Know?

To confuse German pilots during the War, a replica Blackpool Tower was built on the hills of North Wales!

Lord Haw Haw announced that the Luftwaffe had bombed Blackpool Tower, completely destroying it. It was even said that a picture had been published in German newspapers of the Tower, lying on the beach.

To no one’s surprise the Tower was seen next morning in its usual place. One wit remarked that our engineers must have been extremely busy during the night getting it back into position.

Lookout observers were also stationed on The Blackpool Tower, along with many of the Fylde’s windmills.

The Blackpool Tower’s Neighbours

The Alhambra and the Palace

The Alhambra was opened on the 28th of May by George Sims, with a formal opening evening on 3 July.

It boasted a 3,000-seat Palace Theatre of Varieties, Waxworks, a 1,200 seat, three-tier circus, a 3,000-capacity ballroom, restaurants, a billiard room, and a winter garden.

Alhambra Theatre on the Promenade
Alhambra Theatre on Blackpool Promenade, next to The Tower

The foundation stone had been laid by George Sims on 4 December 1897 and covered a secret stash of contemporary artefacts. Blackpool builders Whitbreads constructed the building.

It replaced the old Prince of Wales Theatre and Baths. Later the elliptically shaped circus in the old ballroom, was transformed into the “Ideal Skating Rink”.

The first two clowns appeared at the Alhambra Circus. They were called “August” (real name Harold Wade) and “September” (real name John Griffith).

The Alhambra went into liquidation in 1902, after being run at a loss. It couldn’t compete with The Blackpool Tower next door. In 1903 it was bought by the Blackpool Tower Company, the circus removed and replaced by a ballroom, and a theatre was built.

The Palace Theatre

Renamed the Palace Theatre, it opened on 4 July 1904, with one of the world’s first moving staircases.

The Alhambra ballroom went on to become the Palace Panopticum, which then became the Palace Picture Pavilion in 1909. When Vernon’s Bioscope was installed, it had its own cinema! The cinema operated until 1911, when it was turned back into a ballroom.

An underground tunnel was built to join the Palace to the Tower in 1914. Staff used it to move between the two buildings – even sharing orchestras!

More Photos of Old Blackpool

If you’ve enjoyed this piece about the history of The Blackpool Tower, take a look at the other pages in this history section.

Then have a look at the Visit Fylde Coast Pinterest account. We’ve got thousands of new and old photos from all over the Fylde Coast.

Old Blackpool Pinterest Board from Visit Fylde Coast
Old Blackpool Pinterest Board from Visit Fylde Coast

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21 thoughts on “History of The Blackpool Tower”

  1. I am a passionate visitor to Blackpool and Collector of Blackpool/Tower Memorabilia.
    The Artical about the original Tower Restaurant 1895 – I found particularly interesting/ And laying of the Foundation Stone.
    For amongst my collection – I have 2 original, engraved goblets – being engraved with the Blackpool Tower/ and wording Restraubt on them.
    I also have the ORIGINAL – Gold Medal given to Sir Mathew White Ridley presented to Sir Mathew – along with a Silver Malet and Silver Trowel on his laying of the Foundation Stone o The Blackool Tower.

  2. I first saw Reginald Dixon when i was 4 years old, i just remember my mother picking me up ,and saying ”Look,look,watch the organ come up”, me wondering what she meant, since then i was hooked on the ballroom ,and the Wurlitzer ,having shaken Reginald Dixon’s hand in 1963,was a great thrill for me,i have seen Reginald Dixon play many,many times, he is still unique,and have visited the ballroom more times than i can remember,as my family lived in St Anne’s,and i often stayed with them,just so i could hear the great man,and many times afterwards.

  3. It is rather saddening to see that there is so little devoted to the man behind the Tower Ballroom Wurlitzer. The instrument he designed, and dare I say it, the ballroom, were put on the global map by Reg Dixon. He also designed the specification of the Empress Ballroom Wurlitzer at the same time, and his success lead to the installation of the Opera House Wurlitzer and the Palace Ballroom Wurlitzer.

    Imagine someone performing to 4-7000 people several times a day for 40 years and in that time broadcasting over 3000 times to all four corners of the globe at all hours of the day and night. Receiving fan letters from all over Europe, India, Russia, Africa, Australia, etc. Recording over 400 records and selling millions of them, performing to tens of millions of people in their lifetime in Blackpool only to have little more than a couple of sentences about the instrument they made famous and synonymous with the British seaside, and not a single mention of the person who made it famous.

  4. A great article. Very informative. As a sand grown’un celebrating 60 years this year, I am fiercely proud of our heritage on the Fylde coast. You brought back so many memories of the Tower from my childhood up to my daughter and son-in-law having their wedding celebration in tower ballroom. Such a special place! Thank you Blackpool Tower-on your birthday week 126 years and looking good.

  5. Susan Kingsmill

    My grandmother, Alice (Maisie) Myerscough, was in the dance troupe at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom. I don’t know which year but she had my father in 1936 so it would have been prior to that. We did use to have a photo of her standing in the ballroom next to a famous musician but it’s a long time since we saw the photo. I want to say it’s Henry Mancini but don’t know if I’ve just imagined it!

    Does anyone know where I could find out further information? Many thanks.

  6. Is there a video ( vhs or disk ) available showing the history of the tower and surrounding Blackpool. Please advise . Many thanks . Cyril Baker.

    1. I’m sure there must be. Have you looked on Amazon and Ebay? There’s a little shop at the entrance to North Pier that sells tram memorabilia. They might have something (when we can go out again!)

      1. Hi Jane
        The details on the Nori bricks are not quite correct they were made in Accrington – Nori coming from Iron but the template was back to front
        Andy

  7. Can anyone remember when a man got mauled by a tiger in the tower circus in the 1990’s i think. Trying to remeber, i was there with my sister when it happened.

  8. Wasn’t there an interactive space center there in the 80’s 90’s. I remember an infinity mirror and a musical floor and and a flash gun wall. Happy times as a child.

  9. Very interesting article which I will pass on to my Father in Law, Great grandson of Maxwell Tuke one of the architects of the tower.

  10. and who can remember the greatest comedy act of all time at the tower of charlie cairoli & paul freedman

    1. I remember Charlie Cairoli and I was always allowed to watch the elephants on the beach it was the highlight of the holiday!

  11. mr Eric Roberts

    My uncle Joseph Thomas was a rigger on the tower maintenance crew and fell to his death from a platform on one of the legs of the tower after a plank snapped in November 1960.

    He left a son, ( Dennis ) and a daughter, ( Delyse ) in addition to his wife Edith.

    He is buried in the graveyard of the Church on the L.H.S of Preston New Road as you leave Blackpool towards Marton.

    Eric Roberts ( Nephew )

  12. A fascinating read bringing back many memories of teen years and
    Saturday nights dancing at The Tower Ballroom, drinks in the Ocean Room and visits to the Roof Gardens, and the Acquarium.

    My parents met in the Palace Ballroom whilst on holiday, then when married moved to Blackpool, I was lucky enough to be born in Blackpool.

    What a wonderful place to grow up in and spend the Teenage years.

    Thank you for the article.

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