January 2009 Archives

AS Countdown begins a new era under the stewardship of Jeff Stelling and co-host Rachel Riley, LookBack speaks to two people who appeared on the show, the very first to be broadcast on Channel 4 in November, 1982.

David Wright, of Duke Street, competed on Countdown back in 1983, meeting Carry On star Kenneth Williams who was in Dictionary Corner, and, of course, the programme's legendary original presenter, Richard Whiteley.

David drew one episode and "came a not very close second" in the 'rematch' against the same opponent.

He said of recently retired Carol Vorderman's early role: "Carol was simply the lady who tried to solve the numbers and not the personality she became."

Southport was represented on the show 25 years later by schoolboy words whizz Bradley Cates.

Caroline Pittam remembers when her son, Bradley, appeared in 2007, when he was 11 years old.

She said: "He was lucky enough to meet Carol but unfortunately not Richard.

"However, he did meet Des O'Connor as it was his first game of the series when Bradley appeared.

"It was a fantastic day and a very memorable moment for both Bradley and myself as he made me and the rest of his family and school very proud and is something that will stay with me forever."

Bradley went on to win three shows despite still being at school and only just lost out in his fourth encounter.

Caroline added: "He had some fantastic moments throughout his recordings, correcting Des on a pronunciation also beating Carol at a sum she was unable to get, he kept coming out with words that I thought would be beyond him for his age."

The programme is now into its 60th series but most recent hosts Des Lynam and Des O'Connor chaired it for just four years between them, compared to Richard Whiteley's 23-year run.

By LAURA DAVIES
WOOLWORTHS was at the pinnacle of high street success across Britain for decades, but final closing time came earlier this month.
Unfortunately, the closure of the chain has left tens of thousands of employees without a job to return to in the New Year. But it wasn't always doom and gloom, as the pictures here show, with ex-employees of the Southport store having attended numerous parties during their time at the store.
Looking back, Margaret Anderson, 67 of Marshside, recalls the heyday of being a Woolworth's employee.

Speaking this week to LookBack, Margaret said: "It was like one big family. The customers were your friends and you enjoyed serving them.
"There where so many customers. The company were good and they treated us all well."
Margaret, who started work as a Saturday girl at 15, said: "I am still friends with most of the people I worked with. We're all so heartbroken over what has happened.

"I worked there for 50 years, and I am sad, so sad, but for those who have been made redundant its dreadful. Whatever anyone wanted, Woolworth's sold it.
"From shoe polish to sweets, we had it all. Even Jean Alexander (Coronation Street's Hilda Ogden) used to come in."
Angela Soyer, 49, now redundant after 32 years as an employee added: "All of the parties for retirements and Christmas were brilliant. They were held in the canteen and we put on our own shows.

"We put on pop acts, and dressed up. Everyone enjoyed watching them. It was a really friendly, party atmosphere. It really was a brilliant company to work for. I miss it very much."

TWO men swindled hundreds of people in Southport out of their socks back in the 1990s.
The pair shared a bizarre fascination with feet that eventually saw them hauled before a Crown Court judge, jailed for 18 months, and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years
Claiming to be collecting the socks for good causes, the men approached unsuspecting victims in the resort's bars and clubs and paid revellers up to £5 for their footwear.
They made sure to take pictures of the victims with their socks and then meticulously tagged each pair with the donor's name before wrapping them in sandwich bags.

They were found guilty of conspiring to commit acts of gross indecency, and at their trial on June 2, 1998, the extent of their fetish was revealed.
The court heard that when police raided one of the men's flat they found 4,000 pairs in binbags in a cupboard.
Officers described their astonishment when they found they had to wade through an 18 inch deep "carpet" of smelly socks.
"They were everywhere and anywhere," an officer said.
"They were all over the furniture, hanging from lampshades and even in the microwave, frying pan and cooker.
"It was like there had been an explosion in a sock factory and socks had blown all over the place. In my 25 years with the police I have never seen anything like it," he added.
After the sock scandal was exposed in the Southport Visiter, the story became a national news story.
On social networking website Facebook, Glen Bone recalls: "I remember when it hit the nationals - such a bizarre story.
"The best thing about this is that people who would never have believed you now had to!"
Another who lost their socks to the foot fetishists was Steve Usher.
He said: "I was also a victim of the Southport sock man.
"It was summer '96 and I was working at the fair, he came and asked me for them, and said it was something to do with a charity event. Don't know how collecting socks could possibly help anyone, anyway, stupidly I believed him and gave him them.
"If someone wants to get his kicks with smelly old socks, then hey, horses for courses!"
Unfortunately for the two men that sentiment wasn't shared by Judge David Maddison, who described their activities as "bizarre and serious" before they were convicted and sentenced.

AS IT'S Christmas party season LookBack thought it would put on its glad rags and take a look at this glamorous festive gathering at The Palace Hotel.

The picture was taken in the mid-1950s and shows the doctors, nurses, staff and management of Southport General Infirmary and Christiana Hartley Maternity Hospital at their Christmas dance.
LookBack reader Pat Pittam, who worked as a domestic at the infirmary, shared this party picture with us, in the hope that others might recognise friends and colleagues.
Speaking this week to LookBack, Pat said: "Mr Briscoe the secretary had a hand in organising the dances along with Matron Smith and some of the others.
"I reckon that there were about 200 there - I was about 23 years old at the time.
"I think that this year was the last at The Palace Hotel."

ALL SOULS Amateur Dramatic Club is set to celebrate half a century of pantomimes with an extra-special performance of 'Peter Pan'.
To celebrate 50 years of crowd-pleasing pantomime roars of: "He's behind you!" and more than £100,000 raised for charity, LookBack goes backstage and delves into the club's history...
Founded in 1958 as an off-shoot of the All Souls Youth Club, the dramatic club began holding Christmas pantomimes in the church hall.
Founder and president Lord Ronnie Fearn said: "We started in the church hall, but we had such trouble moving the chairs after each performance that we that we needed to move to the Arts Centre - and the shows were good enough to go to there."

Set designer, and serial dame, Mike Brown who has been involved in the club since the very start, explains: "Ron and myself never used to learn the lines - we'd ad-lib something awful. We built up the audiences to just over 5,000 for the shows' runs in the 1990s - we still get more than 4,000 for each panto.
"We have one night which is given over to the Brownies and Guides and they are always a great audience."
Over the years things haven't always gone according to plan - but in time-honoured tradition, the show always goes on.
"There have been some very memorable pantomimes," said Lord Fearn.
"We were on stage when the roof blew off one year. We've also had a fire backstage and a foul smell from the sewers when they were connected up wrong - there's always something to overcome!"
The pantos' continued success is a testimony to the dedication of those who have put in hours of work over the years.

Speaking about the characters who have helped to raise the curtain on panto after panto, Mike said: "Muriel Taylor took over and she sadly died this year.
"She wrote and produced the shows, she was a breath of fresh air for us and she made the audience laugh with us."
For one couple starring in the Christmas pantos inspired their son to land a starring role in a TV drama.
Ken and Pat Howell's son Anthony went on to star as Paul Milner in the ITV series Foyle's War after watching his parents tread the boards with All Souls in Southport.
Leading ladies and panto villains past are still fondly remembered, with Lucille Jackson noted for her many turns as leading lady, Councillor Maureen Fearn for her role as the Wicked Witch and Margaret Wright for her skills on stage and with a sewing machine.
Despite hanging up their dame's dresses years ago Lord Ronnie and Mike are taking special cameo roles to celebrate the half century production.
"It's just a few lines," said Lord Ronnie.
"Enough to make an impact!"
Did you grace the stage with All Souls? Or maybe you remember Christmas trips to see the shows? Tell us your favourite panto memories, by emailing: visiternews@southportvisiter.co.uk or write to: LookBack, Southport Visiter, 26-32 Tulketh Street, Southport, Merseyside PR8 1BT.

We asked readers of LookBack in November if they remembered hit US soap "Dallas" - and this was the enthusiastic response we got from restaurant owner Ling Lam.
She swapped Southport for Southfork to celebrate the show's 30th anniversary in style.
Ling and her husband Steven were recently in Texas visiting Ling's son Michael who now works in Houston.

She says: "I thought I would send you some photos of the cast of Dallas taken recently at Southfork Ranch, Dallas, Texas at the shows 30th Anniversary party."
Her son Michael says: "I knew my mum was a massive fan of the show, and then I heard about this event.

"Her favourite character is Bobby so it was nice that she could have a photograph taken with him.

"Some of the stars gave a presentation and then there was a chance to ask questions and we got to go inside the mansion and have a look around - it was a bit if dream come true for the die-hard fans."

WHEN the news was announced that cult TV show The Krypton Factor is to return to our screens fronted by GMTV's Ben Shepherd, LookBack asked if readers had any special memories of the show.

Former KGV student Peter Rimmer certainly does - he sent us these pictures of his appearances on the show in 1981.
Now 63, Mr Rimmer, who grew up in Southport, won the International Krpyton Factor after going head to head with British and American rivals for the title and has fond memories of the series.
He even bettered John McAllister, the 1981 UK champion who he had pipped him to the top spot in the British series.
But it could have been even more glamorous.
"We were initially going to film it in LA," Mr Rimmer explained.
"But then we got a call to say they'd dismantled the set in America, and so they were coming here and we were filming it in Manchester!"

The news of the show's return is long overdue according to Mr Rimmer.
"I was very pleased to hear it's coming back," he told LookBack.
"Gordon Burns was great to work with and it had really high viewing figures in the 80s - but I think it's good to have new ideas and I think Ben Shepherd will do a good job.
"It's 27 years since I did it, and in the early years after I appeared the Old Kryptonites did get together for reunions."
A keen footballer and quiz enthusiast Mr Rimmer was persuaded to enter for the competition by his wife at the time.
He said: "Why did I apply? I suppose it's like with mountains - it was there."