Pals recreate Blackpool Pleasure Beach photograph at Gold Mine ride to mark 45 years of friendship

Elsie Peters and Doris Cook, both aged 62, met at school – and have been friends ever since.

The pair, from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, used to visit the seaside resort on holiday, and have special memories of one particular trip to the Pleasure Beach when they were teenagers.

Aged 17, they had their photograph taken outside the amusement park’s Gold Mine ride during a fun-filled visit.

Sporting flares, distinctive black hats and boots, the friends look the epitome of 1970s fashion in the happy retro image which marked a wonderful moment in their enduring friendship.

The nostalgic pals decided to relive that moment as close as possible while in the resort on Saturday, September 17.

Wearing similar clothing and modelling the same relaxed pose, Elsie and Doris recreated the original image taken on a wooden bench 45 years ago in the park.

Elsie said: “We met at school when we were seven and have been friends ever since.

“I used to come to Blackpool with my parents during October half-time and sometimes Doris would come along too.

"We decided to have a fun weekend in Blackpool when we were 17 in 1977 as shown in the original photo.

"We had a great time and have some lovely memories.

“We missed the 40th anniversary of that weekend so decided to come this year, to coincide with the 45th anniversary.

"We wanted to return to Blackpool to celebrate our friendship for the 45th anniversary of having a photo taken on the cowboy bench outside the Gold Mine ride in 1977.

"Although that bench has gone, we had a photo taken on the bench near the Alice in Wonderland ride as close as we can to the original date.”

The Gold Mine, which opened at the Pleasure Beach in 1971, took guests through a maze of underground tunnels.

It was a popular fixture of the amusement park for four decades before it closed in September 2011 to be replaced by the Wallace and Gromit Thrill-o-Matic ride.