Showtown History Centre

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Showtown History Centre

Latest news on heritage collections and engagement from the Showtown History Centre.

08/09/2026

🎟️ HERITAGE OPEN DAYS – BALLOT UPDATE! 🎟️
🎉 ALL TICKETS HAVE NOW BEEN ALLOCATED!

If you entered one of the Heritage Open Day Ballots, please check your inbox! 📧
⚠️ Haven’t received an email?
👉 Please check your JUNK / SPAM folder.
⏰ IMPORTANT:
Please confirm by 12 noon GMT today by return email.

❓ FAQs

🎟️ WHAT IF A BALLOT WINNER DROPS OUT?
There is no waiting list for balloted tours.
If a ballot winner tells us they can’t attend, a number will be drawn at random and we will contact them accordingly. 🎲
🙏 If you already know you cannot attend, please let us know as soon as possible:
📧 [email protected]
That way, someone else won’t miss out! 💜

🎫 WON A TICKET BUT CAN’T FIND IT?
Don’t panic! 😅
We know tickets have a habit of being:
📄 Dropped
🖨️ Printers run out of ink
📱 Screenshots become impossible to retrieve when your phone battery dies!
We are paperless, so there’s no need to worry.
Simply give your name on the day to the Heritage Open Day volunteer taking registration at your event location. ✅

📍 THINGS TO REMEMBER ON THE DAY

Be mindful that the location of your event will be the meeting point on the day. For example, if you are attending the Winter Gardens Tour, your meeting point will be the Winter Gardens.

🚗 We know how stressful it can be getting around Blackpool in the height of the season, so be sure to allow yourself enough travel time to ensure you do not miss your tour.

♿ Those with any access requirements, please contact your event location directly.

💜 We look forward to welcoming you!

19/08/2026

🎉 Bookings for Blackpool's Heritage Open Days are NOW OPEN! 🏛️ Explore special access & events at iconic venues. Limited spaces available! 🎟️ Book now: Blackpool Heritage Open Days – bookings & information

15/08/2026

Meet Charlie 🎩
We’re delighted to welcome Charlie, a ventriloquist doll believed to be over 100 years old, to the Showtown History Centre.
Charlie belonged to the late Ernest Radford, known as ‘Myster-E’ — an illusionist, ventriloquist, manipulator and magician who performed regularly in Blackpool, including alongside Harry Corbett, creator of Sooty, at South Pier and the Queen’s Theatre.
Thanks to sisters Sandra and Tracey, Charlie has travelled from Bradford, across the Pennines, to join us alongside a fascinating collection of Mr Radford’s performance ephemera.
We’re delighted to be entrusted with Charlie and to help preserve this remarkable piece of Blackpool’s entertainment history. ❤️

14/08/2026

Have you got your Heritage Open Days flyer yet? 👀📖

There’s a fantastic programme of events happening across Blackpool from 17th until 20th September— and you won’t want to miss what’s on!

📅 Planning to visit? Take a look through the Blackpool listings and find your must-see events.

🎟️ Booking is essential for some activities, so don’t leave it too late! Check the individual event details for booking information and how to secure your place.

👉 Find the full Blackpool programme and booking details here:
Heritage Open Days – Blackpool or scan the QR code

Grab your flyer, circle your favourites and start planning! 🎉

29/06/2026

✨June Highlights✨

We are delighted to introduce you to Belinda Scarlett our new Collections Manager and Paul Richardson our new Heritage Assistant Maternity Cover who will be based at the Showtown History Centre.

Both Belinda and Paul are very excited to have joined the team this June!!

29/05/2026

✨May Highlights✨

We have welcomed local, national and international visitors this month - all looking at different aspects of Blackpool's history including:

- Blackpool Dance Festival
- Lawrence Wright
- Pleasure Beach
- Winter Gardens
- Blackpool Central Library

Our amazing collection of event programmes have proved to be the most popular items this month!

📸 Winter Gardens Bound Programmes for 1920 - includes the very first Blackpool Dance Festival!

23/05/2026

💃The 100th Blackpool Dance Festival is in full swing and we just wanted to share a wonderful new addition to the collection with you...

We have recently acquired a 1st Prize Class Style medal from the 1937 Blackpool Dance Festival!

If you are a researcher or general enthusiast and want to see the archives (including this medal) that we have on the Dance Festival, then please get in touch. Email: [email protected] or call 01253 478090 to book an appointment.

You can also see the amazing dance gallery at our sister venue, Showtown Blackpool museum, including the original 1920 Challenge Trophy currently on display!

01/05/2026

✨ April Highlights ✨

Last month flew by! It was a pleasure welcoming visitors interested in researching all sorts of themes, including:

- Blackpool Musical Festival
- Swimming
- Aviation
- Performers
- Railways

Our volunteers have also been busy on a number of projects, including cataloguing the photographs in our Local History Collection.

📸 Corner of Queen Street before Central Library and Central Library in 1953, taken from the Local History Collection.

23/04/2026

🎤 Talk: Blackpool in 1876 🎤

1876 wasn’t just another year in Blackpool’s history - it was the moment the town truly came into its own. This was the year Blackpool became an incorporated borough: a self‑governing town with the power to shape its own future, elect its own council and appoint its very first mayor.

Join Showtown as we mark the 150th anniversary of incorporation and uncover how this pivotal moment transformed Blackpool from a fast‑growing seaside escape into a confident, ambitious resort with big plans and even bigger personality.

A Rare Opportunity:
The event will feature the original Charter of Incorporation, a remarkable piece of Blackpool’s civic history. This is a unique chance to see the document that changed everything, the moment Blackpool stepped onto the national stage with confidence and ambition.

📅 Thursday 7th May, 6pm–7pm
📍 Showtown, Bank Hey Street
🎟 £5

Book now: https://www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/events/blackpool-in-1876

📸 Dr W. H. Cocker, Mayor of Blackpool in 1876 (Gazette News 23rd March 1906)

01/04/2026

✨ Don't miss out! ✨

Join Showtown Blackpool tomorrow for:

🎤 TALK: Little People Towns in the Tower
📅Thursday, 2nd April, 6-7pm
📍Showtown, Bank Hey Street

High up in the Tower once stood a fully built model town, created for a community of talented little people who performed there. It wasn’t hidden away, it was a headline attraction, widely advertised and hugely popular in its day.

Join a Showtown curator for 'Little People Towns in the Tower', a fascinating deep dive into this extraordinary attraction in the sky. Discover how this model town came to be, meet the performers who brought it to life and explore Blackpool’s pioneering role in shaping this form of entertainment.

⚠️ Please note: This talk includes sensitive historical material and reflects on how language and attitudes have changed over time.

🎟️ Only £5 a ticket
Book now: https://bit.ly/townsinthetower

Address

Showtown History Centre, First Floor Of Central Library, Queen Street
Blackpool
FY11PX

Website

http://www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/

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