Heritage Archives - Blackpool Social Club

24 Oct

Abingdon Post Office earmarked for cultural hub as Blackpool launches plan to preserve heritage

Government cash for the former Abingdon Street Post Office arrives alongside a five-year plan to make the town’s history work for its people Blackpool has a new plan for looking after its past, and the money is already coming in to act on it. The council has approved a new Heritage Investment Strategy for 2026-31 in the same week government funding was announced to protect two of the town’s historic buildings. Blackpool Council will use £850,000 from the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund to start restoring the former Post Office on Abingdon Street, in the first phase of a wider…

28 Sep

Roots in the House: a celebration of Black excellence

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsGuide, Heritage, Theatre, Dance & Performance

Workshops, performance, fashion and food build towards a family-friendly catwalk competition where the audience crowns the winner – Roots in the House, a celebration of Black excellence in Blackpool lands at House of Wingz this Black History Month. House of Wingz is gearing up for its annual celebration of Black culture, creativity, queer joy and community on 10 October. Running from 5pm to 8.30pm, Roots in the House brings together an exciting programme of workshops, performance and participation, building towards a spectacular family-friendly catwalk competition, where the audience gets to decide who takes the crown. Expect the richness and creativity…

16 Jul

Meet Harriet: the 9ft puppet making her debut at this year’s Tram Sunday

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsGuide, Heritage

The people of Fleetwood have been building their own mythology out of clay, wax and an old fishing trawler. Amber Archer went along to a workshop to help bring a new nine-foot community puppet to life ahead of Tram Sunday celebrations this weekend. “Her name comes from an old fishing trawler of the same name – one of the oldest serving in Fleetwood," says Emma Clarke, an artist helping to bring Harriet, The Spirit of Fleetwood, to life. The creation of the 9ft puppet has been led by Janine Walker, with support from Emma and the people of Fleetwood. Her…

06 Jul

Doors open to Happiness! The Ken Dodd Exhibition

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsHeritage, Visual Arts & Exhibitions

There are few performers associated with Blackpool’s entertainment heyday more than Ken Dodd. His marathon shows entertained audiences and frustrated stage managers in the resort for over six decades. Blackpool’s museum of entertainment, Showtown, now brings us a new exhibition, Happiness! devoted to the comedy maestro. Stephen Dunstan headed to the launch. Following opening remarks from Showtown’s Head of Heritage Jill Carruthers, veteran stand-up Mick Miller opened proceedings with a warm and touching tribute to someone he clearly considered to be a good friend as well as fellow comedian. His anecdotes included the first of several on the day about…

04 Jun

Creative spotlight on North Prom colonnades as Blackpool submits £30m restoration bid

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsHeritage, Local News

Blackpool Council’s £30m bid to restore the Grade II listed North Promenade colonnades could secure the future of one of the town’s most distinctive stretches of seafront. They’re a place where civic architecture, seaside spectacle and everyday community life have met for more than a century, and where recent creative work has helped demonstrate why familiar landmarks are worthy of investment. For generations the North Promenade colonnades have been more than sea defences to Blackpool locals and visitors. The dramatic sweep of staircases, terraces and sea-facing structures run almost a kilometre along North Promenade and have offered a quieter, more…

05 May

In the Frame: Fylde Folklore Society’s May Day

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsHeritage

Fylde Folklore Society's first May Day celebration honoured tradition and brought the community together in the most uplifting way. Elizabeth Gomm shares her photos from the event. Yesterday saw May brought in style, with a festival bursting with colour, music and centuries-old tradition as the Fylde Folklore Society hosted its first May Day folk festival. Staining Village Hall was packed throughout the day as families and visitors gathered to celebrate the arrival of May in true folkloric style. The sleepy village hall was filled with music, laughter and the rhythmic sounds of dancing feet as performers and guests embraced the spirit…

24 Apr

Celebrate May Day with the Fylde Folklore Society’s free Family Festival

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsGuide, Heritage

This May Bank Holiday Fylde Folklore Society invites the community to Staining Village Hall for a free family folk festival celebrating the traditions, music and spirit of May Day. On Monday 4th May, from 12pm to 5pm, the event promises an afternoon rooted in heritage, with a lively and welcoming atmosphere for all ages. A highlight of this year’s celebration is the Society’s exciting new project – the restoration of a gifted heritage May Pole. With plans already underway, the group hopes to revive the long-standing tradition of Maypole dancing in the Fylde, bringing a much-loved custom back into the…

17 Apr

Dance festival opens to public for centenary celebration – and asks locals to hunt for lost treasure

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsGuide, Heritage

A missing Art Deco statuette from Blackpool Dance Festival has sparked a public appeal as organisers invite locals to step inside the famous event for a rare free celebration. Could a long-lost piece of Blackpool Winter Gardens history be sitting in your loft? As organisers of the Blackpool Dance Festival launch an appeal to trace a missing Art Deco trophy from the event's early years, they are also opening the doors to the public, offering a rare chance for local people to experience the world-famous event for free. The bronze and ivory figurine was created by celebrated sculptor Demetre H.…

18 Mar

Preview: Murmurations – workshops for women at Blackpool Grand

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsGuide, Heritage

This Spring Blackpool Grand is hosting Murmurations – a series of interactive sessions for women aged 18+ who are interested in connection and creatively Through history, comedy and photography, workshops will explore what being a woman living in Blackpool has meant historically and what it means today. The first workshop this Saturday will explore the histories and folklore of the Women Who Built Blackpool & the Fylde, hosted by our favourite cemetery lady, Deborah Contessa and Blackpool Social Club contributor, folklorist Zowie Swan who gives us an insight into the histories explored here. From boarding house to ballroom, it is no…

03 Jan

We’re Still Here! Bigger, bolder and back for 2026

Catherine Mugonyi0 CommentsHeritage, Local NewsBlackpool, lgbt culture, LGBTQIA

LGBTQIA+ heritage project We’re Still Here! has been awarded £235k from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for an exciting series of public exhibitions in Blackpool in 2027. Abingdon Studios commissioned project We’re Still Here! is delighted to announce it has secured major funding for the continuation of a pioneering LGBTQIA+ heritage project, producing two new major exhibitions at the Grundy Art Gallery and Showtown. We’re Still Here! was founded in 2021 by Garth Gratrix and Harry Clayton-Wright - two internationally acclaimed artists from Blackpool with deep roots in the local cultural landscape - with the aim to create the first…