The Stage

Chit chat: Magician conjures up Blackpool’s rich history

Published Tuesday 8 December 2009 at 13:00

All eyes on Blackpool this week, as it welcomes Queen Liz et al to the Royal Variety Performance at the Winter Gardens. But the event Tabard is most looking forward to is actually not happening until next Tuesday - in the slightly less grand surroundings of the Central Library.

Ken Dodd - almost certainly armed with his tickling stick - will be launching a new collection of weird and wonderful showbiz memorabilia left to Blackpool Council by Cyril Critchlow, who, when he died aged 85 in May 2008, claimed to be the world’s oldest magician.

A resident of Blackpool, Critchlow was also a bit of a hoarder and managed to collect more than 20,000 items relating to the entertainment heritage of his home town.

It charts the resort’s history ranging from the 1860s right through to the nineties - with details of stage shows at traditional venues sharing shelf space with clowns and other circus acts, and with Victorian curiosities and sideshows including fat boys and fasting men, girls in goldfish bowls and married midgets.

A host of photographs, many of them signed, document the stars who played in the resort - with familiar blockbusting names such as Tommy Cooper, Max Bygraves, George Formby, Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Gracie Fields, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, the Beatles and Ken Dodd all represented.

Here’s Tabard’s favourite - The Midget Mansion. According to its billing, it’s “as interesting as the Queen’s dolls house.” Maybe they can ask Liz to verify that while she’s in town.