Sandra Mangan, Author at Blackpool Social Club

11 Feb

Funnyman Milton stops off at the Lowther

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performance

Milton Jones brings his new show Temple of Daft to Lowther Pavilion for a sell-out performance on Sunday, February 15. The king of the one-liner and Mock the Week regular is embarking on uncharted territory because his new tour strings the quips together in to a broader story, one that sees Jones take on the mantle of Indiana Jones, don the hat and set off on a madcap journey in to surrealist comedy. We caught up with Milton to talk about his new direction. Your new tour is called The Temple of Daft. Why? Basically, previous tours have been lots of…

05 Feb

Preview: Showzam! 2015’s outdoor programme is streets apart

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitions

Dancing in the streets? That's nothing – take a look at the programme for Showzam! 2015 and you'll realise that a little foot tapping is the last thing on the minds of the wide and wacky array of street entertainers. A jet-pack propelled roller skater, hair-raising style creations and life-size dinosaurs are just some of the acts set to take to the streets of Blackpool for this year’s festival. More than 40 separate performances will take place on the streets for the town’s annual February Festival of Fun, now in its eighth year. In all there will be more than 70…

04 Feb

Grand designers let imagination take flight

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsLocal News

Kevin McCloud, eat your heart out. The latest Grand Designs to grace Memorial Park in Fleetwood are strictly for the birds..... and bats! Seven bird and three bat boxes have been installed in the park following LeftCoast and Wyre Council’s competition to design the perfect home for our winged friends. Over two hundred people entered their grand designs and took part in workshops in schools, libraries and in the park itself, where they found inspiration for the look of their bird or bat box, and learned the things that are important to remember when creating a habitat for bats and birds. Ten winners were…

30 Jan

Local libraries turn over a new leaf

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsLocal News, Visual Arts & Exhibitions

Sometimes, I feel so old. On a day when John Lydon – the man I once thought of as a foul mouthed, anarchist, punk musician – came out in support of libraries, I also received an email from Blackpool Library Service. Reading it made me realise that I was looking at them in the wrong light too. Back in the day, I visited the library every week to pick my three books, usually an Enid Blyton, maybe a Nancy Drew and one of the series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Choices made, books stamped, I was on my way home in a…

22 Jan

Preview: Birds of a feather work together for joint exhibition

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsLocal News, Visual Arts & Exhibitions

Two Old Birds with Cameras (otherwise known as Dawn Mander and Jill Reidy) have been flying around Blackpool for the past few months, searching for a suitable venue for their first collaborative photographic exhibition. After a series of false starts the Birds have finally secured a fantastic space above the Galleon Coffee Bar in Topping Street. Entitled 'Inside Out', it is a photographic exhibition with a message. Focusing on the theme of inclusivity, the Birds have been shooting and interviewing volunteers from Blackpool’s large LGBT community. The show explores how local people within this sector not only see themselves but also how they…

21 Jan

Preview: Roll up, roll up for spectacular launch of Showzam! 2015

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsLocal News

This year’s romance themed Carnival Ball is shaping up to be the best-ever launch for Showzam! as weird, wonderful, awesome and amazing acts line up to provide a night of entertainment like no other. They include Mysterieuses Coiffures, a hair sculptor from France; Abi Collins, a one-woman rollercoaster of death defying stunts; Magamus, featuring a wild acrobat and juggler; gorgeous burlesque performer Kitty Bang Bang plus highlights of the truly spectacular South American circus company Circolombia. There are amazing silk artists Starfiz and guests will be greeted by Hocus Pocus, a sideshow of curiosities. Music will be provided by Kumpania Algazarra, an infectious Balkan and Ska…

19 Jan

Shining the spotlight on Blackpool’s gems

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsHeritage, Local News

It's known as the ruby anniversary - which seems appropriate for an organisation that has been looking after Blackpool's gems for 40 years. Formed in February 1975, Blackpool Civic Trust has been following its aim to "stimulate a sense of Civic Pride, to promote high standards of planning and architecture and to secure the preservation, protection and improvement of features of historical or public interest" ever since. To celebrate the milestone, the organisation is planning a special combined 40th Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony on February 27 at VIVA, when awards including Best New Build, Best Refurbishment, Best Community Group, Best Shop Front and Transforming Blackpool will be among…

14 Jan

Preview: Plenty to keep kids amused at the Mount Pavilion

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsLocal News

Stuck for something to keep the kids amused on a Saturday? Never fear – LeftCoast is here with a free programme of artistic activities at The Mount Pavilion in Fleetwood. The new programme begins on Saturday, January 24, with Recycled Theatre and Melanie Whitehead. Youngsters will be invited to help create the dark waters of the deep using junk art materials, and then go on a journey with one little fish who is fighting to keep his home free from rubbish. On January 31, children and their families are invited to immerse themselves in the tale of The Princess and the Frog with actress and storyteller Sarah…

13 Jan

Fleetwood launches new music competition

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsMusic & Gigs

A brand-new event will be music to the ears of competitors from across Wyre, Blackpool and the Fylde Coast. Fleetwood Riffs will be held at Fleetwood's Marine Hall on March 28. Open to all bands, musicians and performers from the area, the event has a cash prize fund of £1,500. There are three categories to enter – young bands aged 12 to 17, soloists and duos, and established groups. There’s a family disco and programme of entertainment planned between the afternoon and evening categories. Chris Wyatt, Arts and Events Development Officer at Wyre Council said: “It’s important we provide opportunities for local Fylde talent to showcase their…

13 Jan

Saucy cleaners answer the comedy call

Sandra Mangan1 CommentTheatre, Dance & Performance

Expect some polished performances when Dirty Dusting arrives at Blackpool Grand Theatre on Sunday, April 26. Starring Crissy Rock from ITV’s Benidorm, the show completed a sell-out UK tour in 2014 and has now returned to the stage for the new year. Gladys, Elsie and Olive are three cleaning ladies who are about to be ‘put out to pasture’ by their overzealous office manager Dave. Feeling they have little chance of gaining employment elsewhere, the ladies have to find a way to boost their falling income. Then a chance wrong number call comes into the office, looking for a sex chat line,…