Ray Kershaw meets Joan and Brian Pike - one of five generations of a family who have holidayed in Blackpool every year.
 Joan's grandparents visiting Blackpool in the 1930s |
Joan: My name's Joan Pike and I’m 67 and every year of my life I’ve come to Blackpool. Brian and myself have been married 47 years and have never missed a year in all that time.
Brian: What makes Blackpool a special place is tradition. Joan: Actually I’ve got pictures of my grandparents on central pier. They were in their forties, and some of my parents at around the same age on the pier - plus with my children. And they’ve come every year of their lives.
Brian: A typical day would be a good breakfast, a nice walk down the promenade, a ride back on a tram. We always go to Bingo, perhaps the cash bingo. Some more bingo in the afternoon. Then we come back have a relax and then go for evening meal and evening bingo
Joan: We are keen on bingo - its our entertainment - we don’t drink. Even if you just win your money back you feel you’ve achieved something. Brian: I was lucky enough to win £80 and a life size rabbit!
Joan: Brian and I when we got talking realised we’d been coming on the same week every year even as children - and we’d shared the same kind of holidays.
Brian: We first met at the Sunday school in Stoke on Trent - Joan: We used to do shows together - where Brian was king and I was queen. We were always paired together for some reason. We didn’t asked to be.
We first came together when still at school - we were actually with our parents. We went to the Aqua Show at the Derby Baths and we went to see Johnny Wisemiller who was Tarzan - a big influence to Brian who hated swimming in the Movies - and he was done up like that with a chimp!
Brian: The thrill was something I’ll never forget: he was my man and always will be and it made me think how proud I was to have my idol in front of my and my future wife beside me.
Ray: When did you decide to marry? - It would have been then. I would have been about 14.
Joan: We didn’t come to Blackpool for a honeymoon. We would of if we’d had the money. For the honeymoon, we got on the bus; Brian his mum and myself and we went to Sandbatch Market just to do some shopping.
 Brian's parents, Joan and children in Blackpool |
Joan: I can remember seeing Tommy Cooper and many others - but that's not what I remember. I’ve never strolled on the promenade without remembering my parents and grandparents and Brian’s parents. Even this morning with my grandchildren, I’m remembering the pleasure beach with my parents and grandparents. It’ll never leave me. Brian: We do the same routine nearly every day. Its unusual to want to - we get the enjoyment out of doing that. We’ve got memories of a certain place which reach through my parents and my grandparents - the memories will never go away. As long as I live.
