From Hot Pot to Blackpool’s Hotties: Lancashire’s Past On Film

Last Monday BBC Radio Lancashire spoke to Alastair White from the British Pathe film archive about Lancashire’s rich and varied history, much of which was captured on film by British Pathe. Certainly some of Lancashire’s most momentous moments, including an FA Cup victory and key milestones in the war effort, make for a fascinating watch.

Here are links to some of the videos discussed on the show, and below is a general link to the entire Lancashire collection.

One of the first challenges that archivists had to tackle whilst putting together this footage was sorting through hundreds of newsreels and videos on Liverpool and Manchester, both cities being listed as ‘Lancashire’ in the canister notes and filed away as so in British Pathe’s Pinewood vault, as the footage pre-dates the county’s boundary alterations!

ENJOY:

Babies battle it out on the catwalk to be donned Lancashire's cutest

 Adorable!

Blackpool Pier goes up in flames, 1938

Brilliant aerial footage, one of the biggest breaking news stories in Britain that day.

Geoffrey Lloyd leads a forboding Gas Mask demonstration in Blackburn, 1937

 Lancashire was at the forefront of the war effort.

"Every bit as nice as Miami" - A great 1930 swimwear show in Blackpool!

Beauty Pageants and fashion shows aimed at holidaymakers are a well established tradition in Blackpool. The British Pathe website has many videos of these fun events. Brrrr.

The Cotton Queen, 1936. A Beauty pageant for mill workers' daughters.

The narration in this Cotton Queen video is quite amusing. What happened to the Cotton Queen anyway? We think Lancashire should bring the contest back, don’t you?

Blackpool wins the FA Cup against Bolton Wanderers 4-3 in 1953.

Watch 60 more great archive videos of Lancashire’s past here in the British Pathe film archive.