New Shows/Listen Again

The 1970s...

We are of course BBC Radio Lancashire – but that’s not the name we were born with! In fact for 10 years were known as BBC Radio Blackburn, and only served North East and Mid Lancashire. Gerald Jackson takes us right back to the very beginning

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In the 1970’s – "It Ain't Half Hot Mum" was one of the BBC’s top shows. Its rather unlikely star was a wonderful Lancashire Lld who was quite small – but had a massive voice! As you’ll hear, Don Estelle lived in Darwen as a youngster, and was Gerald Jackson’s special guest on Boxing Day morning 1975 as he joined us and a live studio audience at our King Street studios.

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In the late 1970’s and early 80’s journalist Pat Seed devoted her life to a massive fundraising campaign for Christies Hospital. She’d been diagnosed with terminal cancer – but wrote a book and raised millions as she fought the disease. Gerald talked to Pat live on air the day she reached the first million.

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Whether you’re a Prestonian or not, you probably know the expression “Once in a Preston Guild”. The Guild of course is only celebrated once every 20 years – and the next is in 2012.

Back in 1972 – we were in the Town Centre for the third proclamation of the Guild Merchant. Stuart Whaley was in the studio that Saturday morning back in September 1972.

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Sadly many of the Lancashire folk we’ve heard this week are no longer with us. Some had lived to a ripe old age – and some died far too young.

In 1978 Blackburn’s Russell Harty was a big TV star – with his strong Lancashire accent and wonderful way with words he entertained the nation with his TV shows and radio programmes. Gerald (are you spotting a theme here?!) invited Russell to be his special guest for a series "Personal Choice" – where you could talk about your life and select the music that was very special to you. Russell was a guest on 27 December 1978.

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In the 1970’s we had our very own BBC poet laureate for Lancashire. John Bilsborough was asked to write special verses for all kinds of occasions – and his witty words live long in the memory! He left the county some years ago – and now lives and writes in Wales. Listen to his poem "The Weather Forecast"

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1984 - 1988...

We heard earlier of how the crisis at Leyland Daf led to over 1,000 jobs being lost. Well it was all seemingly going well in 1988 after Daf had taken over Leyland Trucks and promised the world. Back then BBC Radio Lancashire sent reporter Steve Titherington to the Netherlands to the factory at Eindhoven.

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Remember Edwina Currie, the former health minister who often got into hot water? Back in 1988 she was forced to resign over what she said about eggs but before all that she was put on the spot by BBC Radio Lancashire reporter Ian Bent when she came to the county on a visit. She was greeted by a local strike by nurses and questioned about a campaign which was underway to raise money for a new scanner.

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In May 1984 a group of villagers from St Michaels on Wyre went to visit the Abbeystead water pumping station because they were concerned about local flooding. It was a visit which was to end in tragedy when there was a massive explosion caused by a build-up of methane gas. Sixteen people were killed in what was one of Lancashire's biggest tragedies.

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We heard about the great Eric Morecambe earlier in the week when we reflected on the unveiling of the statue on the promenade in 1999. It was back in May 1984 when Eric Morecambe died after suffering a heart attack and our very own Gerald Jackson (yes he's been around a long time hasn't he?) put together a special tribute and looked back at his remarkable career.

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1988 - 1998...

On the eve of the Ashes test at Old Trafford in 2005, a trawl through the BBC Radio Lancashire archives produced some memorable moments. Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff went on to be named 'man of the series', but in this recording you'll hear him at the age of just 14! He tells Gerald Jackson about his hopes for the future - playing with Phil Neville... and other family members talk of their belief that 'one day' the young Lancashire lad would go on to play for England! 

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We go back to 1992 - and the Preston Guild. It dates back to 1179 when King Henry II granted Preston the right to have a Guild Merchant, a club which local craftsmen and traders needed to join to carry on their business. The first Guild was in 1397 and since 1542 has been held every 20 years. Even news editor Chris Rider was not around then, but he was in 1992 to report on the processions which took place through the town centre.

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Back in the eighties there used to be three factories run by British Aerospace - at Warton, Samlesbury and Preston, but in 1989 there was a bombshell for the workers.

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Do you remember this story? A daring robbery at the Nat West Bank in the centre of Preston in which the bank manager and his family were held hostage and where the raiders got away with £500,000. It happened in September 1988 and after the alarm was raised armed police surrounded the building but the gang had already got away. They had forced their way into the bank after kidnapping the manager Roger Ball and driving from his home in Morecambe to Preston. The police began an appeal...

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Let's take you back to March 1988 to reflect on a murder case in East Lancashire which was solved with a single phone call to the BBC Crimewatch programme after a scientist put together a reconstruction of the face of the victim. The burning body of Sabbir Kilu was found near to Great Harwood but at first the police were unable to find out who he was. Their appeal on Crimewatch was to have dramatic results.

Detective Superintendent Roy Fletcher led the investigation into the burning body case and Detective Inspector Ernie Pemberton actually took the call which solved the murder of Sabbir Kilu killed in Leicester but whose body was brought to Great Harwood. His wife and two other relatives were jailed for his murder.

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1994 - 1999...

They had been thinking for ages in Morecambe of how to pay tribute to the resort's famous comic and finally in 1999 they did. The statue of Eric Morecambe was unveiled by the Queen no less, watched by Eric's family and a whole host of fans who gathered on the prom. BBC Radio Lancashire was there live too with Jim Bowen, Sally Naden and reporter Nigel Thompson reporting on the proceedings.

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Back in 1996 came a story which was stranger than fiction. It involved a group of women who broke into the British Aersopace factory at Warton, causing over £1m worth of damage - but when it came to court they got away with it. Chris Rider reported on the story for BBC Radio Lancashire.

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It was a traumatic time if you were working at Leyland Daf in 1998. The parent company got into financial problems and went into receivership leading to more than 1000 job losses. There was some light when a new company was formed to keep truck making in the town. Listen to how BBC Radio Lancashire reported on the dramatic events back then.

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Many of us rely on the motorway to get around and we also enjoy our countryside and that issue was at the heart of a controversy when it was decided to extend the M65.
It was in 1994 when the bulldozers moved in and the tree protesters were waiting.

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All you Blackburn Rovers fans will enjoy this trip down memory lane! To 1995 when Rovers took on the might of the Premiership. Jack Walker had spent his millions, Alan Shearer was banging in the goals and dramatically on the last day of the season Rovers beat Manchester United to clinch the title.

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2000 - present day...

BBC Radio Lancashire have covered many Royal visits over the years, the latest was only last year when the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh came to Blackburn and the Ribble Valley.

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In one of the greatest comebacks in the world of sport, the club which became famous for being kicked out of the Football League made a famous return to the big time. 

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It was one of the county's biggest tragedies and led to a major police investigation. On the evening of 5th February 2004, 23 cockle pickers from China died after being trapped on the sands at Morecambe Bay. BBC Radio Lancashire reporter Tim Padfield was the first journalist at the scene.

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We reflect on what was a once in a lifetime event, when the village of Much Hoole became the centre of attention. The date was June 2004 and the event was called the Transit of Venus, when the planet passed in front of the sun. Nobody alive had seen it and it won't happen again for another 237 years! Much Hoole became a focus as this is where the transit was first observed by Jeremiah Horrocks in 1639. BBC Radio Lancashire reported live from the village all day.

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2002 was the year Preston became a city leading to local celebrations and a visit from the Queen. Listen to how BBC Radio Lancashire reported on the story.

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