11 things you'll remember doing if you grew up in the North West during the 70s and 80s
How many of these places do you remember?
- If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, there are some things you’ll almost certainly remember doing
- From theme parks and zoos to open air pools, these attractions drew huge crowds in their heyday
- They’ve all sadly been lost, though the memories live on
If you grew up in the North West during the 70s or 80s, there are some things you’ll almost certainly remember doing as a child.
From theme parks and zoos to open-air pools and much-missed department stores, these attractions pulled in up to two million people a year.
They have all sadly been lost over the years, but the treasured memories live on.
Some attracted big-name stars, including one of the world’s greatest-ever footballers and legendary acts like the Rolling Stones and Elton John.
How many of these attractions do you remember?
Visit Santa’s grotto at Blackler’s
Blackler’s, on the corner of Elliot Street and Great Charlotte Street, was a Liverpool institution.
The palatial department store had 1,000 staff at its peak and played its part in the Beatles success story, with George Harrison working there as an apprentice electrician, and the band’s original drummer Pete Best’s mother buying his drum kit there.
The store was perhaps most famous for its lavish Santa’s grotto, described as a magical winter wonderland, which attracted more than 10,000 visitors a week.
At its heart, towering over shoppers, was an 18-foot-tall Father Christmas statue, which, after the shop closed in 1988, went on display at the Museum of Liverpool.
Splash about at The Galleon
The Galleon lido in East Didsbury drew bathers in their droves on hot summer days.
The open-air pool is believed to have been founded in the 1930s and operated for some five decades before closing in the 80s.
The Manchester United star George Best was among the celebrities it attracted during its heyday.
One person recalled ‘great days’ spent there as a child, while another said they ‘loved it there’, though the first dip was ‘always a thermal shock’.
They weren’t the only person to comment on the pool’s temperature, with another saying: “The water was sooo cold but I loved it there.”
Ride the Log Flume at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
The Log Flume was one of the most popular rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, delivering thrills and spills to many thousands of youngsters over nearly four decades.
The ride, which took two years to build, opened in 1967. Only the bravest children would dare to sit at the front, taking the brunt of the big splash.
The relatively gentle attraction eventually closed in 2006 as bosses sought to satisfy the demand for faster, taller and scarier rides, but it lives on in the memories of those who enjoyed it as youngsters.
Marvel at the delights in the Zodiac toy shop
Before Toys ‘R’ Us came along, Zodiac was the UK’s largest toy retailer, with around 90 stores around the UK at its peak in the 80s, including branches in Manchester, Altrincham, Stockport and Burnley.
It was founded in the late 60s by the Wine Gums-maker Maynards, as a sideline from its confectionery business, and expanded rapidly during the 70s and 80s, before closing in 1990.
One person with treasured memories of visiting the Zodiac toy store at Manchester’s Arndale shopping centre said: “I seem to remember three hours of getting dragged round the dull grown-up shops, before we were eventually rewarded with a mooch round Zodiac.
“It was quite a small shop, but I always came away with a box of Airfix 'little' soldiers. And just outside this toy shop, in the earlier days of the Arndale Centre, were a large wooden rhino and camel.
“They were for kids to play on, and had hollowed out 'secret' stomachs to slither through. Hurrah! I miss them!”
Visit Belle Vue zoo and amusement park
Belle Vue zoo and amusement park in Manchester was once one of the UK’s most popular attractions, pulling in some two million visitors a year.
The gardens first opened in 1836 and expanded over the years to include rides, concerts, firework displays, a speedway stadium and a popular circus.
Many legendary artists played at Belle Vue’s cavernous Kings Hall arena, including memorable performances during the 70s by the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Elton John.
The zoo closed in September 1977, with the losses proving unsustainable, and the amusement park shut for good in 1980, with houses and businesses now occupying much of the site, though the old greyhound stadium remains.
Enjoy the rides at Camelot theme park
This popular theme park, inspired by the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, was a magical place to visit in the 80s.
With legendary rides including Dragon Heights, Kingdom in the Clouds and Falcon’s Flight, the venue in Charnock Richard, Lancashire, attracted 2.5 million visitors a year during its heyday.
But visitor numbers dwindled during the 90s and noughties, and the attraction, which had opened in 1983, eventually closed in 2012.
Check out the latest releases at Ames
Music lovers have fond memories of the Ames Record Bars, which could be found around the North West in the 70s and 80s, including Manchester, Wigan, Burnley and Nelson.
One Italian native described how he spent many hours there during the early 80s while in Blackburn learning English told how he bought so many records at Ames that he had to buy a second suitcase when he returned home.
Another regular told how Ames began his love affair with the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen and many other legendary bands.
And the designer Wayne Hemingway, of Red or Dead fame, told how when he watched his first concert, David Bowie at King George’s Hall, Blackburn, in 1973, he went out and bought a ‘tight-fitting canary yellow’ T-shirt from Clobber before getting the Aladdin Sane album from Ames at the Arndale Centre.
Dance the night away at Wigan Casino
The Wigan Casino was an iconic venue for northern soul fans, attracting music-lovers from across the UK.
The long queues didn’t put them off, with the chance to hear the best northern soul tracks and show off their dance moves being enough of a draw, and they could stay all night, with the second dance floor remaining open till 6am.
The nightclub ran from 1965 to 1981, with the Grand Arcade shopping centre now standing in its place.
Enjoy a day out at Frontierland
Frontierland was a popular theme park in Morecambe which ran for nearly a century, from 1906 to 1999.
It originally operated as West End Amusement Park, Fun City and Morecambe Pleasure Park before being transformed into the Wild West-themed Frontierland.
Popular rides there included The Wild Mouse, the Log Flume, The Rattler, and Noah's Ark.
Dine in the rooftop restaurant at Lewis’s
Lewis’s department stores were once among the grandest and most glamorous to grace these shores.
The first shop opened in Liverpool in 1856, and branches later sprang up around the country, including in Manchester, Blackpool, Preston.
The original Lewis’s was home to the world’s first Christmas grotto, which opened in 1879 and became a fixture in the festive calendar.
Lewis’s stores even had their own banking department, while the branch in Blackpool, pictured above boasted a hairdressing salon and a rooftop restaurant and garden.
Lewis’s was sold in 1991, and the last store still operating under the name, the original branch in Liverpool, shut for good in 2010.
Watch a film at stunning ABC Cinema
This Grade II-listed Art Deco masterpiece opened in 1931 as The Forum, before being renamed the ABC Cinema in 1971 and later becoming The Cannon.
Generations of children have treasured memories of watching films at the much-missed venue on Liverpool’s Lime Street before it closed in 1998.
The magnificent building has sadly been left to rot ever since, becoming a glorified advertising hoarding, despite various plans to breathe new life into the grand venue.
For more North West nostalgia, why not check out our retro photo gallery capturing the best photos from across the region during the 70s?