“Next day, good-riddance to Manchester. Mr Mehta had business to do in several towns on our way from Manchester. one of his cousins took us to lunch in Burnley, and then a cousin to visit in Blackburn – an Indian lad in the same business who’s been in England for 12 years. On the spur of the moment, Norshir asked him to join us on the trip, so in a few minutes he obtained a week’s leave and was packing. So five of us left Blackburn and drove to the coast and around to Blackpool. We found accommodation, then went for a walk along the famous promenade.
All this time the weather had been perfect – bright cloudless days. The long bright evenings are wonderful for sightseeing but very tiring as you just don’t realise it’s late. It was getting dark here about 10.30.
The next day was about the gayest I’ve ever spent in my life. We were delighted to find the funfair/giant Luna Park type of thing open, although a Friday, so we had great fun and high jinks careering around on Grand Nationale (like our big dipper), big dipper (like scenic railway), ghost training (didn’t see a thing after a skeleton sat up in a coffin!), throwing dart, eating toffee applies, and having silly photos taken and developed while you waited (piled into old open car against imaginative scenery). Then we had to ascend the famous tower. This is huge, and at the base of the tower and built about it, is abuilding which houses huge ball room, circus arena, aquarium, zoo, restaurant and gardens. After wandering through these, into a lift, and up, up, up and up! A few minutes were spent getting giddy then down. We felt we couldn’t leave Blackpool without seeing the famous Blackpool Tower Circus, so booked seats, hand lunch and sat enthralled for the afternoon in ringside seats at the most wonderful circus imaginable – thrill after thrill; acrobats, contortionists, balancers, lion tamer and performing animals – horses, ponies, monkeys and dogs. Monkeys and dogs were dressed like humans – mother and father monkey and two children had their meal, danced and played a band. Once escaped and flew up and down the stairs before it was caught. The little dogs performed wonderfully – danced in time to music in crinolines and what have you! But every act was wonderful – and to finish, the circus ring sank, water rose and fountains played in coloured lights while acrobats were performing from the ceiling.
As a perfect end to a day like that we came to Windermere in the Lakes District ….” (to be continued)
Excerpt from Jean’s letter to her sister Mary written in Stonehaven Scotland on 19 June 1951.
