by Malcolm Pheby | Dec 30, 2020 | Manchester, Theatre
It’s fair to say the glittering array of talent in Manchester pantomimes of the 1960s read like a Who’s Who of British light entertainment. Norman Wisdom, Bob Monkhouse, Bruce Forsyth, Ruby Murray, Des O’Connor, Alfred Marx and Freddie and the Dreamers all trod the...
by Malcolm Pheby | Dec 23, 2020 | Football, Manchester
The Red Devils were expecting an early Christmas present when Eric Cantona chose the local derby with Manchester City to make his league debut in December 1992. The mercurial Frenchman, signed from Leeds United, had already lit up training with the aura and presence...
by Malcolm Pheby | Dec 21, 2020 | Manchester, Music, Then & Now
Welcome to Then and Now, where each week we compare images of Manchester streets, landmarks, buildings and events from bygone days with today. This week we focus more on people rather than landmarks – although the band that visited Manchester in January 1964 are...
by Malcolm Pheby | Dec 19, 2020 | Liverpool, Manchester, Music, TV
Manchester band the Dakotas played some unusual gigs in their time – but never one like the Beatles’ Christmas party at the Astoria Cinema, Finsbury Park, in 1963. It ran for 16 nights, right through to January 11th 1964, and featured some of the biggest names on the...
by Malcolm Pheby | Dec 9, 2020 | Manchester, Wartime
In what later became known as the Christmas Blitz, Manchester was raided by hundreds of bombers on the nights of December 22nd and 23rd, 1940. Within minutes of the sirens sounding on the first night, Luftflotte 3 pathfinder unit KGr 100 was dropping nearly 10,000...
by Malcolm Pheby | Dec 6, 2020 | Manchester, Then & Now
Welcome to Then and Now, where each week we compare images of Manchester streets, landmarks and buildings from bygone days with how they look today. Our main image this week shows staff switching on the splendid Christmas tree at Manchester Victoria station in...
