Blackpool nostalgia in 1986: Nolan Sisters on tour, pro-smoking wrangle and hero boxer in heart op

Back home after grey Russia tour

After their six-week Russian Tour, Blackpool’s celebrated singing sisters The Nolans, wanted just two things - a smile and a traditional English meal.

The quartet wouldn’t have missed their trip for anything.

But they were glad to be back on familiar territory.

Back at her South Shore home, Anne Nolan recalled how the four girls and two crew members were struck down by illness and stomach bugs during the 35-date tour, which played to 21,000 people.

“The actual shows were brilliant,” said Bernadette Nolan. “I wouldn’t have missed the tour but the overall impression was a very sad one.

“Everything looked grey and nobody smiled. When we got back to Heathrow and the baggage clerk smiled, we cheered!”

Pro-smoking group raps MP’s pub ban

An MP who wanted to ban smoking in pubs was rapped by an organisation which backed the use of tobacco.

Forest - freedom organisation for the right to enjoy smoking tobacco, told MP Joe Ashton that ventilation, not legislation was the answer.

They claimed in a letter to the MP that sophisticated air cleaning systems were being installed in some pubs to get rid of 99 per cent of the smoke.

In other pubs, landlord designated a particular bar as a non smoking area.

Forest said that smoking was a matter of personal lifestyle choice and that legislation was offensive.

“I think a better us e of your parliamentary time would be to introduce a Bill to liberalise Britain’s anachronistic pub opening hours,” said director Stephen Eyres.

Heart op boxer was back to full strength

Blackpool boxing hero Brian London has pulled off one of the gutsiest victories of his career.

Battling Brian was back in his tracksuit, just 96 hours after undergoing heard surgery.

The remarkable former British and Empire Champion, who was a fitness fanatic had a pacemaker fitted at Blackpool Victoria Hospital to correct a heart condition.

He had only been discharged from hospital that night but Brian, who was 52 and lived on North Park Drive, refused to take things easy.

He was looking to resume his daily runs, although not his usual six miles.

“I’ve been told I carry on living my life as normal,” he said.

“They’ve given me a pacemaker, presumably so it can stand up to more strain but I might take things a bit easier from now on.”

The man, who fought all the world’s top heavyweights during his 15-year professional career, was rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, when he passed out at home.

Tests revealed a heart weakness and the pacemaker was fitted by doctors from cardiology unit.

Port artwork under Southeby’s hammer

A set of hand coloured lithograph views of Fleetwood sold for £3,000 at the London auction rooms of Sotheby’s.

The eight prints - in a bound volume - were by Liverpool artist William Herdman, published in 1850.

A Southeby’s spokesperson said buyers had shown considerable interest in the sale the brook, in a velvet lined Morocco leather box, went to famous antiquarian book dealers, Bernard Quaritch, of London. “The price was £1,000 over our estimate so there was considerable bidding,” said the spokesman.

The views include Fleetwood from Burn Naze, the site of the proposed docks and the Mount. Included was an engraved message dedicated from Herdman to the town’s founder Sir Peter Hesketh Fleetwood.

“We cannot divulge who the seller was - that’s confidential - but we were amazed at the price.”