Your Letters

Hi
Could anyone throw any light on what happened to Jack Fearnley. He was married to my mum's sister, Laura. When my Mum Died in the 60's when i was 10, i seem to lose touch with them. Prior to this i used to visit them quite often when they lived in a house in the grounds of Belle Vue. I have been looking for info for the last 20 years and found nothing and then i got a computer and found this site. I do hope someone can help me.

Thanks

June from Blackpool

Regarding the WaterChute/Vikingar

Hi David!
The latest on this classic ride is that I have heard it is REOPENING on 2/3/02..I'll keep you posted..
Regards,
Gary Radice (Liverpool, UK)

Hi,

Great site, dedicated to what looked like a great park. My dad always told me about the Speedway and the Bobs. Being a Blackpool Pleasure Beach mad fan, I took great interst myselft to hear the the park Water Chute was located at Belle Vue. It was re-named the Vikingar in 1997, and was closed all the 2001 season, as your site says. However, I have been informed by the Pleasure Beach today that the ride will re-open for the 2002 seaon.

Good to see this classic coaster back in action!

Regards

Ash

Dear David,
Congratulations on an excellent website, one of the best I have ever seen. It brought back wonderful memories of childhood visits to Belle Vue - the zoo, the boating lake, the circus , the fireworks, my first ever packet of crisps and the Halle under Barbirolli performing Messiah.

I wasn't born in the Longsight area and don't know it very well (I was born in Eccles) but my dad worked at Beyer Peacock and my 8th birthday present - a puppy -came from a pet shop in Gorton.

However I have contacted you primarily because I noticed an address in one of the 'Memories'. It was an entry for July 22 1999 from Miriam Domino, in which she mentions 15 Pimlott Street. I had a copy of my grandma's birth certificate today. She was born at - 15 Pimlott Street and I just wondered if you had an address for Miriam as I would love to ask her if she can tell me anything about the house.

Hopefully,
Janice Tostevin
jhtostevin@ntlworld.com

To David,

I was looking for information about Belle Vue and found your excellent site. As I was reading the e-mails I came acorss one that asked if the wax works were connected with the one in Blackpool. Yes, Louis Tussaud was a relative to the London Tussaud's and had opened wax works in Blackpool as well as Manchester.My mother, Billie Holmes who is now 87 was the first mannageress at the Wax works in 1956. In fact she had designed and made many of the costumes that the dummies wore. As a child I can remember spending many hours sewing sequins down the sides of Liberace's trousers! Should any one need any more information of around that era perhaps my mum might be able to remember.It is my mother's birthday soon and I will down load some of the articles for her as I'm sure she will be interested.
Elaine Easter

Dear David,
Congratulations on your great site which brought back many
happy memories of many visits to Belle Vue as a boy in the late forties and early fifties.I thought you might like to have what little information I know about Belle Vue Rangers Rugby League Football Club as I can see no mention of them on your site. Broughton Rangers were founder members of the Rugby Football League when 22 Rugby Union clubs broke away from the Rugby Union in 1895.After the war,for reasons I do not know, they moved in 1946 to Belle Vue, renaming themselves Belle Vue Rangers.They played on the ground inside the speedway track each season until 1955 when sadly they folded.As I remember it, they were run by a man called Tom Speding[?Speeding] and I think he just ran out of the cash needed to support them.Their results just after the war were good finishing mid table or above but things slipped in the 50s so that in the 54-55 season they finished next to bottom.They had some fine players but often had to transfer the stars to raise cash. I was born in Levenshulme and was taken aged 8 by my father in 1946 to see my first game.We used to get the 92 or 89 bus from Levenshulme and then walk down Kirkmanshulme Lane to the Longsight entrance to the ground.I saw most home games including the visit of the famous Kiwi touring team of 1951.I was also privileged to meet the legendary 1948 Australian touring team whose
autographs I still have.I don't think Belle Vue got a game against them, but a Rugby League Convention was held in a large hall [in the Amusement Park I think]to which many famous players of the time and of the past attended.These included most of the great Wigan team of the day. I should be interested in any further information that you or any of your correspondents have on this topic.
Continue the great work!

Best Wishes
Jack Whittaker 

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