Growing up in Blackpool-Best memories

The Vendor

The Vendor

Well-known member
Reading the SS letter earlier reminded me how proud and lucky I am to come from Blackpool. I haven’t lived there for 60% of my life (54 years) and with the passing of my mum last November, the last family tie with my town ended. However when anyone asks me where I’m from,I automatically say Blackpool! I think it’s because growing up there in the late 60’s,70’s and 80’s created such brilliant memories and forged so many lasting friendships.

So what is your best memory of growing up in Blackpool?

Mine is working in the kiosk at the Lancastrian Chippy on the seafront in the 80’s, taking the piss out of the tourists, taking my breaks on the beach (it was sunny every day obviously) or in Grafitti Records /Melody House,investing my wages in the latest punk release with nights spent in the Bierkeller ( the one opposite the Cenotaph) watching anyone from the UK subs to Northside interspersed with nights in South Shore at the Dunes and Farmers ending in either Waves,Just Ji’s, Jokers,007 , or the Galleon but always in carnage.
 
Mine are as a kid going down to the Pleasure Beach and Golden Mile wihtout a penny in my pocket, feeding myself all day, going on loads of rides and in the arcades and coming home very happy and with a few quid in my pocket 😜
 
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Football wise, seeing huge crowds at Bloomfield Road and the Matthews/Morty era.
Town wise, many many happy hours in Stanley park, the tram ride to and from Fleetwood perhaps to meet my dad coming off the trawlers, the trams running down Whitegate drive and the railway with so many trains running in and out of the town during the summer season and the packed beaches.
I have visited most of the seaside towns in this country and none ever came close to Blackpool in the fifties, it was a privilege to have grown up in the town.
 
Playing football nearly everyday until it was dark on Stanley Park during summer holidays. Must have been fit as a fiddle come September!
 
Apart from watching Pool a little, I remember the Wartime and all the RAF who filled the boarding houses etc on Charnley, Albert and etc roads.
We forgot the war because it hardly affected us. Most mornings we would see all the RAF lining up in Charnley Rd ready to be going to their training places. We would always fall in behind them and march down the road. Used to go Stanley Park often, but had to behave because my best mates Grandad was a Park Ranger. They wore uniforms like Police Uniforms.
 
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Another one for spending time at the Pleasure Beach, sneaking on the rides and just hanging out there people watching.
 
Everything! You could not of wished for a better place to grow up in especially in the 60s & 70s and it didn’t become the most popular seaside resort in the UK for nothing, often wish that clocks could be turned back!
 
So many good memories, similar to above posts I feel fortunate to have have grown up here.
South Shore open air baths (freezing cold), Cocker St, Lido, Derby - all baths gone now. Playing footy in South Prom sunken gardens - also gone

Main memory would be the Pleasure Beach in the 70's. The Grand National will always be my favourite. In the early 70's there were no harnesses to secure you in your seat, just a strap to hold on to. I enjoyed sitting at the back because you got thrown into the air a bit.

But one day I was thrown out of the back seat. I let go of the strap, closed my eyes (for some reason) and landed back in the seat.
When I opened my eyes I looked at my mate who was looking stunned at me from 2 seats back. I had been thrown in the air and had somehow landed two rows in front of where I had been sat - a lucky lad when I look back on it !!
 
The Vendor said:
Reading the SS letter earlier reminded me how proud and lucky I am to come from Blackpool. I haven’t lived there for 60% of my life (54 years) and with the passing of my mum last November, the last family tie with my town ended. However when anyone asks me where I’m from,I automatically say Blackpool! I think it’s because growing up there in the late 60’s,70’s and 80’s created such brilliant memories and forged so many lasting friendships.

So what is your best memory of growing up in Blackpool?

Mine is working in the kiosk at the Lancastrian Chippy on the seafront in the 80’s, taking the piss out of the tourists, taking my breaks on the beach (it was sunny every day obviously) or in Grafitti Records /Melody House,investing my wages in the latest punk release with nights spent in the Bierkeller ( the one opposite the Cenotaph) watching anyone from the UK subs to Northside interspersed with nights in South Shore at the Dunes and Farmers ending in either Waves,Just Ji’s, Jokers,007 , or the Galleon but always in carnage.
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we must have crossed paths at some point, Im the same age as you, the dunes was just down the road and my first regular, the highfield and the winmarith as well were part of the route into town. The Bierkeller with for the battle of the bands was my first introduction to live music. I must have moved away from the town at about the same time as well. Playing football in the sunken gardens on the prom, the arches at either end were perfect goals, they were also a reasonable pitch for a small cricket game. Skateboarding on the ramp to the Go-kart track at squires gate, getting through the fence to use the swimming pool at Pontins,
 
Costero Poderoso said:
we must have crossed paths at some point, Im the same age as you, the dunes was just down the road and my first regular, the highfield and the winmarith as well were part of the route into town. The Bierkeller with for the battle of the bands was my first introduction to live music. I must have moved away from the town at about the same time as well. Playing football in the sunken gardens on the prom, the arches at either end were perfect goals, they were also a reasonable pitch for a small cricket game. Skateboarding on the ramp to the Go-kart track at squires gate, getting through the fence to use the swimming pool at Pontins,
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Probably did CP, although I wasn’t from South Shore. I was from near Vic Hospital but through a mate got to know a lot of South Shore lads. Friday night: Dunes,Farmers ( when it was decent) Winmarith and on into paradise (ie town) so there’s a very good chance, happy days!
 
As a child i loved the arcades and the piers. The pleasure beach was great even though i wasnt a massive fan of thrill rides. I used to love taking in the atmosphere all the sights, sounds and smells, it just seemed magical.



i got older I still used to enjoy just nipping in for a half an hour if i was in the area.I would have a wander perhaps put a few bob in the machines, maybe have a drink or some food if i could afford it. Sometimes i enjoyed a quick cycle through it on my way home. I probably still would if i could.

It was free to go in back then though.
Charging an entrance fee unfortunately ruined my enjoyable quickie visits.
 
The summer seemed to last forever. Spending hours on the Lancashire show ground ( now the zoo and hotel) . Bike ride to watch a Jaguar land on the still being built M55. Hours of football and cricket on Stanley park. Whatever they say about Blackpool, it was the best place to grow up.
 
Never lived in Blackpool (lived in Thornton). Apart from BFC some fond Blackpool memories for me:

1. Every other Saturday in mid 1960s my grandmother (who, with her 4 sisters was a Revoe girl) took my sister and me to the morning children's feature at the old Odeon, fish and chip lunch at her sister's in Lewtas St and then back for the afternoon feature.
2. Grandmother, at the age of 64, taking my sister and me on every ride on the pleasure beach.
3. The ICI children's annual outing to the Tower Circus (when they still had animals) and tea at the Laccarno. You were picked up by special Blackpool buses and all had a luggage label attached to you in case you got lost.
4. Fishing in the Stanley Park lake and falling in!
5. Annual Baines school gala at Derby Baths
6. In the summer and with my mates from Thornton, getting on our bikes and riding to Blackpool to spend the whole day enjoying ourselves which just a shilling in our pockets. We always managed to come back with change. No parental fretting about children playing outside their house, like nowadays.
7. Walking the illuminations, which we used to do as a family if the weather was fine.
 
Learning to swim in the slipper pool at Derby Baths.
Walking around the sea wall of the Boating Pool and fishing for crabs there.
Unscrewing illumination light bulbs for a dare in the Gynn Gardens.
Free zoo and pool tickets in 1977 for the Centenary.
Knocking on Charlie Caroli’s door and asking for his autograph.
Sneaking into the Tower.
Playing football at Stanley Park for hours and hours.
Walking to The Pleasure Beach from Gynn Square, and back.
Going to Rawcliffe‘s to get my Umbro Blackpool shirt.
Bypassing the queues for the log flume because my dad worked there.

Pathetic to some, perhaps, but I feel blessed for growing up in Blackpool.
 
Good original post 👍. Just Ji's quality!! Wasnt the Pleasure Beach half price in June or did I imagine it ?. It really was a quality place to grow up, in much more simpler times. Pool, you mention 1977, seem to recall getting commemorative coins at school for that, but I might be mixing it up with the Silver Jubilee ?
 
We got free entry to Blackpool zoo and the tower for the queens silver jubilee!
I remember pubs when they were pubs and not family restaurants with a bar like they are now. Dunes, Farmers, Winny, Highfield 👍
The Pleasure beach, all day sundays then skating, which I was shit at😁
Tram surfing🤪
Bike riding everywhere, playing football til it went dark!
The Ivy leaf holiday park, the swimming pool there was as big as a puddle and was always packed out.
Top board at the Derby baths trying to impress a girl, never did it again!!
I loved Blackpool in the 70's and early 80's as it was still a family destination. The shows on the piers and the rest of the theatres packing the tourists in.
Oh the memories and nearly all good ones.
Wonder what the kid of Blackpool do to entertain themselves now?
 
Seasideforever said:
A lot of time spent on Layton flashings ,football cricket putting and tennis,annoying the parky and the playground slide,umbrella swings and Top 10 kept us entertained,we would have footy games of 20 a side there was that many kids lived round there.
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Yes and me,late 60’s , early 70’s
 
Many memories of growing up in Blackpool.
Playing on the grassed area by the side of Squires Gate Lane in front of Vickers (prior to Hawker) aircraft factory.
Saturday morning pictures at the Empire.
Going to see my grandparents in Thornton, sometimes on the train.
Playing football for Roseacre School at the old airport.
Walking through the Pleasure Beach in summer.
Boy Scouts on a Friday night.
Later working a second job at the Casino on the Pleasure Beach (to save up to come to New Zealand). Closed for a few hours in the afternoon in those days so I was able to go to Bloomfield Rd. on a Saturday.
Losing regularly at snooker to Davepick.
Summers always appeared to be sunny!
 
Making daisy chains in Stanley Park by day, and then getting giddy on cider a few hours later by night 🥴
 
Another for all day every day on the PB.
My best mate from primary school had an uncle on the board.
Used to get a stack of A ride tickets everyday, only needed a handful ‘cos most time spent in the FH.
On the way home we’d hand out all the spares to random families, must’ve cost the Thompson’s a few quid.😁
 
Saturday aged 5/6 going to Odeon,summer hols spent in Derby baths,sometimes the open air lido in SS. Sea wall Gynn to boating pool,football at lift shaft,rock gardens,clubs traders,adam & eve,village,touchdown tavern/just ji's,addisons,metro/springs. Not forgetting a 6 iron bought for me by my mum for my 6th birthday,great gays and trips with my few mates.
 
Bagging at North Station, Bumping Machines, Weekends in the Fun House. All night drinking at the Albany Club on Bond st and The Round Table Lytham rd. Half price drinks nights at the 00s and Adam and Eve.
 
Wizzerboy said:
We got free entry to Blackpool zoo and the tower for the queens silver jubilee!
I remember pubs when they were pubs and not family restaurants with a bar like they are now. Dunes, Farmers, Winny, Highfield 👍
The Pleasure beach, all day sundays then skating, which I was shit at😁
Tram surfing🤪
Bike riding everywhere, playing football til it went dark!
The Ivy leaf holiday park, the swimming pool there was as big as a puddle and was always packed out.
Top board at the Derby baths trying to impress a girl, never did it again!!
I loved Blackpool in the 70's and early 80's as it was still a family destination. The shows on the piers and the rest of the theatres packing the tourists in.
Oh the memories and nearly all good ones.
Wonder what the kid of Blackpool do to entertain themselves now?
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Ivy Leaf outdoor swimming pool remember it very well, spent many a happy day there👍
 
Apart from watching the mighty Pool on the Spion Kop with massive gates, in the 60s, the music scene was great. You could walk along Central Prom and take in the Little Vic or the Huntsman, and watch the Rocking Vicars, Lee Wade and the Wild Ones, the Atlantics and many others. Or you could go to the Queens in Cleveleys and enjoy the Wheels, Yardbirds, Pretty Things, Screaming Lord Sutch etc. Played in our own band, the Styx, for the whole season at the Palatine. Happy days!
 
Yeah Odeon Saturday morning club, remember it like that scene in gremlins, kids everywhere. How on earth your mum found you after shopping God only knows.
Climbing over an off license wall to nick empty glass bottles & then taking back in the front door for a few pence refund.
Playing cricket all summer trying to be Jeff Thomson.
Knee trembler down an alley by.Man Fridays then going back in to finish my pint 🍺
 
As a kid there was the beach,piers,arcades,derby baths,open air baths,to many parks to mention the pleasure beach the list is endless. Then there was 16 years old onwards, the pubs the night clubs the young ladies on holiday it was like having a golden ticket. Growing up in a hotel also had its advantages as well. You can’t beat being sandgrown,
 
Costero Poderoso said:
we must have crossed paths at some point, Im the same age as you, the dunes was just down the road and my first regular, the highfield and the winmarith as well were part of the route into town. The Bierkeller with for the battle of the bands was my first introduction to live music. I must have moved away from the town at about the same time as well. Playing football in the sunken gardens on the prom, the arches at either end were perfect goals, they were also a reasonable pitch for a small cricket game. Skateboarding on the ramp to the Go-kart track at squires gate, getting through the fence to use the swimming pool at Pontins,
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Dunes circa 76-81 I remember the massive crowds outside when the weather was good
 
Plumbs said:
Jumpers for goalposts in Kingscote Park.

The 1892 Lancashire Cup final against Newton Heath all over again but last goal won it 👍
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Jumpers for goalposts on the 'flashings, last time I did that , some scroat from Layton nicked them😉 Travelling across the Devonshire Road divide into third world Blackpool, it was like going back in time. Saying that, it stood me in good stead for going to Fleetwood in later life.
 
Similar childhood to many on here.

North Shore lad so Boating pool, lift, the cliffs, Rock gardens playing hide and seek.

The quarry near Holy Family church, 40 a side football matches on Claremont park.

Being out all day on my bike. Never being bored. There was always someone to go and see or something to do.

Going on the trams all the time to go to Coral Island or the "plesh".

Ice skating on Friday nights (beat night Hawaii 5-0 music!) and Sundays all day.

Footy at Poulton Youth on a Saturday morning and pie (from Burtons) and beans after for lunch whilst watching Saint and Greavsie. Remember being absolutely gutted if youth football was cancelled due to the weather - which seemed all the time and Cottam Hall was like the Somme after a downpour.

Cycling up to St Annes

Cycling to Thornton and then onto Fleetwood to watch the boats.


Just a brilliant town and place to grow up. I do feel kids miss out these days. We live in a different world.
 
Willie Mcgrotty said:
Yeah Odeon Saturday morning club, remember it like that scene in gremlins, kids everywhere. How on earth your mum found you after shopping God only knows.
Climbing over an off license wall to nick empty glass bottles & then taking back in the front door for a few pence refund.
Playing cricket all summer trying to be Jeff Thomson.
Knee trembler down an alley by.Man Fridays then going back in to finish my pint 🍺
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The women in Aireys never seemed to get suspicious about the number of empty coke bottles we took back for 3d a time.
Tried to take a soda syphon back once for 7 and 6 but the guy in the shop wouldn't buy it.

A great scam our little gang had in North Shore was Milk race ending on the middle walk. They used to give free programs away in the morning which we'd sell for sixpence to hapless holidaymakers in the afternoon.
Our kid and I had a biscuit tin full to the brim of old pennies which we "won" on the North Pier amusements, we'd money launder this with our school dinner money and bus fare.
Gynn gardens, NSGolf club, NS Boating pool was our playground.
Brilliant place to grow up in the 60s, so different now.
 
Have some vague/random memories of the Squires Gate area...

Remember the petrol station on the left on Squires Gate lane between where subway is now and the lights at blowing sands - was it a Q8? There is a bungalow there now at the end of the row of older houses, built after the garage went. Also remember a caravan park roughly on what is the site of Belverdere Gardens. Anyone remember the name?
Of course the (single lane) road ended at blowing sands back then and was a cart track whereas today we know it's two lanes all the way to the m55.

I am now getting to an age where I can say 'I remember when this was all fields..'
 
strahovski said:
Have some vague/random memories of the Squires Gate area...

Remember the petrol station on the left on Squires Gate lane between where subway is now and the lights at blowing sands - was it a Q8?
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Garage was the Foudroyant which used to sell outboard motors for speedboats as well as the petrol. Ivy House Holiday camp used to be on Belverdale Gardens.
 
Yes the 60's was a special decade for me, loved the atmosphere.
Walking down the Golden Mile the Bingo callers, the Burger stalls, the amusement arcades.
Lot's of money in the town it really was a special time.
My first job was at Harry Johnston paper shop.
Then donkey lashing.
Naventis ice cream factory.
Bagging.
Then in my spare time I played the amusements 😂
It saddens me now to see the decline of Blackpool and other Seaside towns.
But I love this town and always will. ❤
 
Dave62 said:
So many good memories, similar to above posts I feel fortunate to have have grown up here.
South Shore open air baths (freezing cold), Cocker St, Lido, Derby - all baths gone now. Playing footy in South Prom sunken gardens - also gone

Main memory would be the Pleasure Beach in the 70's. The Grand National will always be my favourite. In the early 70's there were no harnesses to secure you in your seat, just a strap to hold on to. I enjoyed sitting at the back because you got thrown into the air a bit.

But one day I was thrown out of the back seat. I let go of the strap, closed my eyes (for some reason) and landed back in the seat.
When I opened my eyes I looked at my mate who was looking stunned at me from 2 seats back. I had been thrown in the air and had somehow landed two rows in front of where I had been sat - a lucky lad when I look back on it !!
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So you defied gravity? It sounds like a George Formby film....turned out nice though.
 
1953 said:
So you defied gravity? It sounds like a George Formby film....turned out nice though.
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Was only about 11 at the time so difficult to remember, but it must have thrown me forwards (not straight up) with such force that I travelled in the air quicker than the ride over about 1 second. Not sure how I ended up in the next seats, just glad that I did; so yes "turned out nice again hasn't it". 👍

If you look at people on the back of the older fast roller coasters, you will see they are slightly thrown forwards rather than straight up
 
WestHertsUnsocialClub said:
Jumpers for goalposts on the 'flashings, last time I did that , some scroat from Layton nicked them😉 Travelling across the Devonshire Road divide into third world Blackpool, it was like going back in time. Saying that, it stood me in good stead for going to Fleetwood in later life.
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You can only travel into the third world by getting the train to Euston 😀
 
I can probably share most of the 60's and early 70s memories. Last summer job I had was tram
conductor right through to the end of the lights.
Empire Pools as well.
Did a bit of autograph collecting in the younger days. First pubs were The Blue Room, The Railway and a bar in the Winter Gardens.
Pleasure Beach/Fun House.
All Blackpools baths. Derby, Cocker. Lido and Open Air
Sand hills
Football was at Boundary Park (Grange Park).
Fires and dens on the fields that are now Herons Reach, all ticked
and the list goes on.
 
I think for me it was just the fact we could go in the arcades in the summer. All my relatives would descend on our house in the summer and I rarely had my bedroom to myself as cousins and relatives kids would stay over! Never got bored of it even though we'd be on the front most days.
 
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