POPULAR CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT
Me
dancing at Blackpool
Although experimental Television had debuted in late 1938 (we had seen a short TV presentation during our trip to London in that year) it was abandoned by the BBC when war broke out. Our home entertainment -- and primary source of immediate war news -- was via BBC radio. The favorite variety entertainment show by far was Tommy Handley's ITMA ("It's That Man Again"). We followed the humorous antics of Mrs Mop ("can I do you now sir?" and TTFN "Ta Ta For Now") , the inept German spy "Funf" and Colonel Chinstrap ("I don't mind if I do") with rapt attention -- it was a great show and a fine tonic relief from the stresses of wartime. The favorite singer on the radio was Vera Lynn -- the eventual sweetheart of Montgomery's 8th Army.
An online resource not to be missed (includes excerpts from actual programs) can be found at: ITMA -- "It's That Man Again" Web Page
There were numerous war theme movies in the theaters soon after the outbreak. One particular favorite was "It's in the air" starring the great favorite Lancashire ukelele playing comedian, George Formby. Here is his famous rendition of: Our Sergeant Major
Blackpool Tower
I have many wonderful memories of Blackpool, a seaside resort town on the west coast of Lancashire, and it holds a special place in my heart as my favorite holiday destination -- not to mention the Saturday night railway excursions (the "Passion Express") in the years immediately following the war. Blackpool was a top notch holiday destination featuring a renowned Tower, elegant Ballrooms, three magnificent piers, miles of golden sand beaches, an extensive broad promenade, a first rate amusement park ("South Shore Pleasure Beach") and a vast array of arcades, snack bars, restaurants, hotels ..... and so on -- everything for a great family vacation. During the Depression years of the 1930s just about every Lancashire family that could afford it went to Blackpool for holiday during wake's week or August bank holiday. The travel by those marvelous steam trains to get there was itself memorable -- I can still recall the excitement of seeing the engine approaching Burnley Bank Top station and the thrill of arriving at Blackpool Central! Blackpool continued to be the favored holiday vacation destination for Lancashire families throughout the war years. Travel was difficult and we were encouraged to stay at home for the Holidays -- or to go to close-by destinations -- Blackpool was certainly that being only about 35 miles from Burnley.
Blackpool underwent many changes after the war started as I found out during my first wartime visit in the summer of 1940. Many of the large hotels on the seafront were being used as billets for RAF (and later American Army Air Corps) flight crews who were being trained nearby. Segments of the promenade were roped off daily to provide marching drill areas for soldiers and there was barbed wire along the sea wall. At night the formely gaily illuminated buildings and sea front attractions were now dark due to the blackout -- Blackpool Tower now displayed a solitary red aircraft warning light. There were bare shelves in the confectionary shops -- no more famous Blackpool Rock -- and the ice cream shops were closed for sugar was severly rationed. A very noticeable difference in wartime Blackpool -- and many other towns in Britain -- was the presence of so many servicemen (and women) wearing the uniforms of other allied countries -- Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, Free France, Poland, et al. -- but, above all, the "Yanks". It seemed that American GIs were everywhere, captivating the British girls in particular with their brashness and exuberence -- not to mention their access to exotic items like nylons, candy and gum!
There were some exciting changes in music in the early war years -- the arcades now featured jukeboxes! I spent many a sixpence playing the big band records of Glenn Miller, Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey, Woody Hermann, Artie Shaw, Harry James, Benny Goodman and that great British orchestra, Ted Heath. And, there was that ever present vibrant excitement that seemed to permeate the air during WW2 in Britain.
Don Bradman - the outstanding sports figure of
the 1930s
Lancashire people have always been enthusiastic followers and supporters of football (soccer) and cricket and I was no exception. I particularly loved Lancashire League Cricket -- the individual teams have always retained the greatest international stars as professionals. When the war broke out professional sports soon fragmented -- the old Football League alignment and County & League cricket structure were abandoned and replaced by regional leagues in order to conserve fuel and reduce travel. Football clubs in particular were beneficiaries of unexpected talent -- their teams were often hastily thrown together from available talent -- sometimes team makeup was not known right up to kick-off time. Many of the pre-war professional players were serving in the Armed Forces and were made available to play for teams in the vicinity of their camps. This was a real bonus for fans of some of the smaller pre-war clubs who often got to see International star players in action with both teams. Charity, or war effort, matches were frequently staged between armed forces teams made up entirely of star players. The official FA Cup competition was suspended for the duration -- the last pre-war winner was Portsmouth (in 1939 with their new transfer, Stanley Matthews, from Stoke City). The same situation generally prevailed with Cricket. I got to see some great matches involving International super stars during the war -- there were frequent stellar exhibition matches such as "British Services XI vs. Australian All-Stars" on summer weekends.
Sports offered excellent diversion for members of the armed forces and the civilians who worked so hard supporting the war effort.