April 2009 Archives

Formed in 1959 on February 28, the first meeting took place at St John's Hall in Wright Street, Southport.
Since then some of the society's members have gone on to bigger and better things.
Jenna Boyd joined the society in 1994, taking the role of Lorraine Fleming in 42nd Street and other roles before leaving to star in Victoria Wood's "Acorn Antiques the Musical" at Haymarket Theatre alongside Julie Walters, Neil Morrissey and Josie Lawrence.
src="http://lookback.merseyblogs.co.uk/zzsvis230409Abos-5.jpg" width="350" height="175" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 20px 20px;" />
Alison Crowther starred as Reno Sweeney in the BOS production of "Anything Goes" before winning West End roles in shows such as Les Miserables and Martin Guerre.
Liz Clarke, who is directing the society's current production of South Pacific said: "There were some real characters in the early days, for example Doris Martlew, who must have been in her 70s, always sat in the same spot in the dressing room.
"She had all this costume jewellery that she would lend to the younger girls on the strict condition that she got it back."

Since the society first formed back in 1959 with its production of Oklahoma! the drama hasn't stopped with world premiers, on-stage injuries and acclaimed productions.
Doreen Bridson joined the group in 1974 and has starred in leading roles, and served BOS as musical director and chairman, but one night she went a step, or a spring, too far in the name of art.
Leap-frogging over another cast member in the "Sound of Music" Doreen injured herself.
"I landed awkwardly and I broke my foot, but I didn't know it at the time," she said.
Doreen continued to recite her speech, turning slowly white until the curtain was dropped, her foot was strapped up, and then she carried on with the show.
"I went to hospital and they gave me pain killers and I had it strapped up because I didn't want it plastered - I was on stage the next day for the last night!"
But the show has always gone on, often in front of rapt audiences, notably in 1968 when BOS performed the world premier of "My Fair Lady".
Darren Walker remembers auditioning in 1995 to be a Kit Kat Club dancer in Cabaret.
He said: "I had to wear some very 'different' if not revealing clothing - at my audition I was on stage did my audition routine then was asked to drop my pants because they had to see and make sure the shape of my legs were right for the part!"

A SOUTHPORT historian has written a new version of a book that sold out its first print run and is now selling for 10 times its original price.
Harry Foster's Links Along The Line was originally published in 1996, but the 1,000 copies quickly became a collectors' item and began swapping hands for upwards of £60.
The book, which features a host of historical photos, tells the story of the cluster of championship golf courses along the coast of south west Lancashire, placing golf here in its social, economic and spatial setting.

The area boasts the largest, and arguably the finest, tract of coastal sand dunes in the country and is the home of an extraordinary cluster of golf courses.
These clubs have attained an international reputation: both Southport and Ainsdale, and Royal Birkdale, have hosted Ryder Cup matches against the United States, and Royal Birkdale is a regular venue for the Open Championship; whilst West Lancashire, Formby, Hillside and Hesketh have for many years staged major championships and representative matches, both amateur and professional.
The book tells the story of the pioneers who founded the clubs, emphasising the critical roles played by the landowners and the railway company, and the relationship of the promotion of golf to their commercial interests.

It examines the visionary contribution of the local authority, and - a dimension understandably neglected in individual club histories - the crucial inter-relationships between the clubs in the early years.
Harry, 78, whose family has lived in Southport for at least five generations, still plays regularly at Hesketh Golf Club, where he is a past captain and a member for 40 years.
Since retiring in 1990, the former teacher has concentrated on writing local history and has published 11 books, including histories of the Hesketh and Southport and Ainsdale golf clubs.
He said: "The original book sold out quickly so the publisher asked if they could reprint a revised edition. I was in a position to revise and extend what I have done previously, and there are about 30 new photos in the new edition.
"The book has been brought up to date.''
Harry will be signing copies of the book at Broadhursts of Southport Ltd, on Market Street, on Saturday, May 9, from 10am-12noon.

By JAMES ILLINGWORTH
A Hesketh Bank history buff claims to have solved a nautical mystery dating back to the 1940s.
In our April 27 Lookback Peter Trafford remembered spotting the Mauritania grounded in the River Douglas.
Reports had suggested that the ship was on her way to be refitted in Liverpool in the 1950s which would explain her appearance off the Fylde coast.
Peter was keen to find out what happened to the ship and if anyone had any memories of the day.
But Southport's David Bryant said: "As a resident of Hesketh Bank at the time I suggest the 'large' ship Peter saw was not the Mauritania but was actually the Theseus, a 6,500-tonne cargoship. She was being towed up the River Ribble to Thomas Ward Ltd. for scrapping in late 1946, early 1947.

There was a high tide with a strong gale blowing and she broke away from the tug boats.
She ended up drifting into the junction between the Ribble and the River Douglas."
After the tide went out, David was able to get a closer look: "Later I went with Keith Garlick from Hesketh Bank boatyard in his dinghy and we went right out to take some photographs. The ship was well and truly grounded."
The Theseus was later towed to Preston and scrapped.

AS LOOKBACK gets its bucket and spade ready for Summer, and the sun makes its first appearance of the year, we revisit the zany antics of Southport's most daring stuntman.

Thousands of holidaymakers to Southport at the turn of the century flocked to the pier to watch Prof Powsey peddle his Bamber cycle into the sea below.

It seems the Prof's academic disciplines included dousing himself in petrol and setting light to himself before plunging into the waves, tying his feet together and flinging himself from the pier, and of course his famed cycling stunt.

And he wasn't the only expert at playing to the pier crowd, Prof Osbourne was another dare devil who specialised in a terrifying 52 foot drop on his bicycle.

In 1913 an addition to the line up was announced - in the shape of one-legged showman and high diver F. C. Gadsby, billed the "Champion One-leg Swimmer and Diver of the World."

These postcards, kindly loaned to LookBack by Mr Tate of Ainsdale, capture the buzz of the Summer season at the height of the pier's popularity.

Mr Tate, who has a collection of more than 700 postcards said: " These are interesting items because people used to come from far and wide to see them.

"Especially in the trains at holiday time - it must have been quite a spectacle."

THE Interns were a popular four piece student band playing a regular slot at Formby ice rink when they became embroiled in a murder investigation.
The four students played the gig each Friday night during 1963 - 64.
Steve Kelly, of Ravenmeols Lane Formby, recalls: "In the early 60's, I and thousands of other teenagers were in groups in the Merseyside area - my band The Interns consisted of myself Steve Kelly lead guitar, John Duncan rhythm guitar and lead singer, Roger Carter bass player and singer and Mike Astardjian drummer.

"We were becoming relatively popular in the Southport and Formby area and played at other local venues such as the Ravel Club in Eastbank St, The Flying Dutchmen off London St, The Old Palace Hotel Birkdale - the infamous Klik Klik club and many others which no longer exist."
It wasn't long before the band were caught up in the investigation surrounding a brutal murder.

Steve says: "We were interviewed by the police in an effort to publicise the search for information surrounding the murder of a Southport shopkeeper Charles Griffiths in 1964.
"We were playing at the Ravel club that night which was close by.
"A mobile police station was set up during the weekend - the police knew of us and so we did the pictures to see if we could bring any light to it."
Aside from the murder, Steve remembers 1960s Southport in a positive way.
"Everybody was in a band, the floral hall was flourishing and there were loads of clubs and coffee bars to play in.
"There were lots of groups - The Sandgrounders were around at that time and Rhythm and Blues Incorporated were on Ready, Steady, Go on Friday nights on ITV," says Steve.
The Interns didn't make it to those heady heights, but they gave it their best shot.
Steve says: "I was 16-18 and it was ruining my A-levels.
"It was very short-lived, two or three years, but then we all got serious, but it was fun while it lasted. The best gig we played was The Cavern - I'm delighted to say we've got a brick in the wall."

LOOKBACK is hoping that a Hesketh Bank history buff might be able to shed some light an event in the 1950s.
Pauline Trafford's father remembers seeing the Mauritania run into trouble and is keen to find out more.
She says: "It was around 1950, my Dad recollects he was about 12, when one morning on looking out of his bedroom window of McCloeds butchers, at the railway bridge in Hesketh Bank, a giant was in the fields over near the river. He said it looked like a huge hotel jutting out in to the sky.
"With the great excitement of a young boy he raced over the fields to have a look, it was a ship, a huge ship, it was also a huge stuck ship, grounded in the small, narrow River Douglas." 
The Mauritania was built by Camell Lairds in Birkenhead and was launched in 1938 as a successor to the RMS Mauretania.
During the war she was called into service as a troop carrier, ferrying soldiers across the globe and dodging U-boats.

Reports generally agree that the ship was scrapped in 1965 - but was refitted in Liverpool in the 1950s, which could explain why she was sailing the Fylde coast when Mr Trafford McCloed saw her.
Pauline adds: "The Mauritania, the story went, was being towed to the breakers yard, when they took a wrong turn up the Douglas and the large liner got stuck.
"My dad Peter Trafford McCloed is interested to know if anyone else has memories of this happening, or if there are any photos. What happened to the ship?"