The 'Kings' who starred on Blackpool stages and how Sam Kane stepped in for Darren Day in Carousel

But we can't move on without mention of another Kaye, who is still in the public eye through re-runs of TV's 'Allo, 'Allo.

Yorkshire actor Gorden Kaye (1941-2017) starred as cafe owner Rene Artois in the BBC-TV series, still a sitcom classic.

Gorden appeared in a stage version of 'Allo, 'Allo at Blackpool's North Pier for the 1990 summer season, joining the show after recovering from a head injury received in the great spring storm of that year.

Gorden toured to the Grand Theatre in 1998 in Giles Havergal's stage version of Graham Greene's Travels With My Aunt, which I saw, and in 2002 in a farce titled Big Business, which I missed due to my own travels.

Sam Kane has an unusual story from his Blackpool visits. He played both the male roles in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel at the Grand Theatre in March, 2000.

Sam opened the week as the villainous Jigger. But two days later Darren Day, playing the leading role of Billy Bigelow, caught the 'flu and Sam switched roles and did full justice to Billy's songs.

Grand Theatre audiences welcomed him back in November, 2001, playing Adam Pontipee in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

A few patrons remembered Sam in his earlier career as Blackpool cabaret singer Sam Kenney.

Now for a couple of Kings who called in on Blackpool on their showbiz travels.

Comedian and actor Dave King had TV success in the 1950s and starred in the 1956 summer show at the Winter Gardens Pavilion.

In 1964 he was engaged to see out the summer season at the Queen's Theatre after Charlie Drake withdrew because of a stage accident.

By the 1970s, Dave King had switched to acting roles and the regulars at the old Ashton Theatre, St Annes, may remember him for his visits in Boeing Boeing, Wait Until Dark and Never Too Late.

In that competitive corner of the business known as "the vent act" the most physical was Neville King. His twice nightly wrestling matches with the Old Boy, his argumentative flat-capped doll, were a riot.

Neville first appeared in Blackpool in producer Peter Webster's 1965 Central Pier summer show and was in two of that year's televised Sunday night ITV shows from the resort's ABC theatre.

Neville made a point in the Gazette that he was only in "the business" for five years but Blackpool had a certain influence and he was still appearing here in Peter Webster's shows in 1981.

In 1998 Neville and the Old Boy were still at it in Duggie Chapman's early season All Laughter Show at the North Pier.

Way back in time another King scored a remarkable span of 65 years of Blackpool stage appearances. Male impersonator Hetty King (1883-1972) appeared at the old Alhambra in 1899, and was still strutting, in top hat and tails, in the Mike and Bernie Winters North Pier season in 1964.