links
The Blackpool Tower and the link to our family!
The front colour page from the events of the year 1940 by the Tower Company. Price 3d that would be about 1.5 new pence currently!. The great George Formby is featured and listed in the programme was his film of that year ‘Let George Do It’ at the Winter Gardens. The film also starred, Phyllis Calvert and Bernard Lee. George being a secret agent. Great comedy.
At the New Opera House ran the show ‘Our Own Band Wagon’ with Arthur Askey, Norman Evens, Richard Murdoch, and the Syd Seymour band.
A suitable page to situate Wison Keppell and Betty who must be one of the most famous of Variety dancing acts performing the legendary ‘sand dance’ in Egyptian type costumes. This would be a studio promotional photograph but their visual act can be seen on various old films still available. (photo by Graham Walker). This old photo shows the Tower under construction 1898. Interesting that one of my Great Uncles, William Bratby (1850 – 1911) was one of the founding Directors who sactioned the design.
My father Richard Bratby is linked to his cousin William Bratby one of the four founding Directors of the Blackpool Tower Company. Amazing co-incidence.
Wilson Keppell and Betty
Below is my cousin Jack Fossett photgraphed with his wife Connie Reid of the Reid Twins with their friend Tony Hancock on the Promenade at Blackpool 1950.
