Here's a round-up of the stories making the headlines in 1994

Alfie lands place in D’Oyly Carte Opera Company

A former hotel porter was singing his way into one of the most prestigious opera companies in the country.

That porter was Alfie Boe, who was just setting out on a career which would make him a household name.

Alfie as set to become a tenor in the Birmingham based D’Oyly Carte company and was set to return later in the year to perform in Die Fiedermaus. The former St Wulstan’s and Cardinal Allen High School was following a family tradition when he became interested in music at a very early age.

He was just 20 at the time and said he had his parents Pat and Alf to thank for his big break.

He said: “My mum and dad have been backing me 100%.” Alfie, who lived in Shakespeare Road, was also a keen drummer and sang in Westminster Cathedral whilst at Sixth Form at St Mary’s in Blackpool. On leaving school, he spent two summer seasons working backstage at Blackpool theatres and the year before had starred in the Preston Musical Comedy Group’s production of West Side Story. He said: “I would like to take singing up as far as I can go with it.” And he has...

Aldi and Netto signs of buying to come

A new era was dawning for food shopping, but the continental approach was decidedly unwelcome in Blackpool’s South Shore.

The approach of European cousins - who spread shopping over two days or more instead of making one big shopping trip, was the shape of things to come, said Blackpool Council. European newcomers Aldi and Netto, medium sized outlets aimed at a new breed of shopper, were bidding to move into Blackpool, on land south of Waterloo bridge. A report which went to Blackpool Council policy committee from the scheme’s consultants, Erdman Lewis, suggested that without a good sized food store, shoppers would head for the Fylde’s other superstores and trade in South Shore would be lost.

Coun Derek Lockwood described the statement as ludicrous as every trader in the area was calling for the store to be ditched.

Ernie’s mega jackpot was for all

Millions of breakfast time TV viewers were holding their breath as Blackpool’s premium bond computer was about to reveal the first £1 million viewer.

The Ernie computer was to reveal the jackpot number on Channel 4’s Big Breakfast show, hosted by Chris Evans.

Staff at the Marton complex where the bonds were administered, were also enjoying their own jackpot, in jobs.

About 100 temporary positions had been created at the National Savings headquarters to cope with the increased workload brought on my the new prize.

The extra jobs were taken on to cope with the sheer weight of enquiries and applications by people wanting to buy premium bonds for a chance of the jackpot.