1995: Bee Gees lights switch on, Lancashire's danger roads and the top earners who made the rich list

Bee Gees hail switch on day as stunning

Blackpool was the Bees knees as switch on fever gripped the resort.

While record crowds tuned in to the electrical entertainment, headed by the Bee Gees performing live, holiday bosses predicted the Illuminations would save the season once again.

Up to £200m, half the resort’s total tourism revenue, was expected to be generated over the coming weeks.

Mayor Coun David Owen hailed the Norweb sponsored Talbot Square launch of the £1.8m display as a Festival of Light.

The Gibb brothers, Barry, Robin and Maurice thanked the town for its hospitality.

“We are slightly overwhelmed,” admitted Barry. “We came to Blackpool hoping to enjoy the honour of turning the Lights on and we are proud to have done it. It has been a stunning day.”

And, having made their only UK appearance before flying back to the United States, Barry promised ‘We will be back’.

The illuminations were switched on at 7.45pm that evening and shone right through the season.

Thousands of people flocked to the resort making 1995 a big success.

No fear volunteers for spookathon

If you ever fancied spending the night in a haunted house at Halloween, this year was the chance.

Marie Curie Cancer Care was holding a spookathon to raise money on October 31.

Organiser Joanne South wanted people who knew of haunted buildings in the Fylde and those who would be sponsored to stay there. It was planned for spiritualists and mediums to be at some of the venues, who would try to communicate with the ‘other side.

The spookathon was taking place because of the success of a similar event in Lincoln in 1993, which raised £15,000 for the charity.

Radio Wave was to broadcast reports of spooky goings on at one of the venues. All the money raised from the sponsored sleep-overs would be donated to Marie Curie.

Lancashire's top earners make Britain's rich list

Multi millionairess and Fleetwood businesswoman Doreen Lofthouse once again made it onto the list of Britain’s top earners.

The director of lozenge empire Fisherman’s Friend was ranked 388th on a newly released survey on the country’s top 500 richest people.

It listed Mrs Lofthouse, who ran the family business with husband Tony and son Duncan, as having a personal fortune of £47million.

She helped corner the cough sweet market after turning a liquid medicinal remedy sold in the Lofthouse’s Fleetwood chemist into a sweet which is a favourite worldwide.

Mrs Lofthouse was joined on the list by multi millionaire Trevor Hemmings, a once small time Leyland builder.

The former owner of the Pontin’s empire moved up the rankings of Britain’s richest people.

In 1991, he was placed 73rd, but in the latest survey he had moved to 65th place, having amassed a fortune of £230 million. Other big earners in Lancashire included the owner of Blackburn Rovers Jack Walker.

The Lancashire born businessman who also owned Jersey Airlines, which flew out of Blackpool Airport, was placed 37th and had a wealth of about £375 million.

Police clampdown on Preston's most dangerous roads

The ten most dangerous roads in Preston had been pinpointed and were set for a major safety crackdown.

Shock figures compiled by traffic police showed an accident every six days on just one busy two mile stretch on the A6 between Blackpool Road and the Ribble Bridge in Preston.

The roads highlighted by police included the A6 Garstang Road through to London Road in Preston; the A6 New Hall Lane and Brockholes Brow; the A583 at Lea and the A5085 along Blackpool Road.

The statistics also covered B roads including Ribbleton Lane and Ribbleton Avenue, Whittingham Lane at Broughton, Woodplumpton Road and Tag Lane at Ingol.

A resort revealing the accident black spots was presented to Preston Council’s highways and transportation road safety sub committee.

PC Dave Taylor, of Preston police’s traffic management department said: “These are the ten roads with the worst accident records in the borough of Preston in the last five years.

“These roads will be targeted by us.”

He said police were disappointed at the number of accidents on some roads, although those with the most crashes were among the busiest.

The statistics compiled on the top ten roads also revealed high numbers of speeding tickets.

Pals clean littered neighbourhood

Five play mates were gripped by flower power after ridding their neighbourhood of unsightly weeds and rubbish.

The team spent the summer months sprucing up an empty patch of land in Lovat Road, Preston, to make a beautiful flower garden.

Their hard work paid off when the council presented them with garden roses.

Delighted neighbours praised the children for making the simple but impressive changes for the whole community.