Ron's 90th birthday celebration is a Big One

Ron Dagger and his family had all sorts of events planned to mark his landmark date, but practically all have had to be put on hold because of the pandemic, and Ron thought his chance of scaling the giant South Shore structure might have gone when the original date was called off in the spring.

But Pleasure Beach officials got back in touch once the park reopened to say his walk could go ahead and he was still able to tackle it ahead of his big birthday, which falls on September 18.

“It was an incredible experience - something I’ve wanted to do for years and it was thrilling as I imagined it would be,” said Ron.

“I’m proud to be a sandgrown ‘un and over the years I have seen the Pleasure Beach grow and the Big One be built and I had long thought how good it would be to walk it.

“My wife and I arranged it but didn’t tell the family until I had done it and they were thrilled for me.

“So many celebration events have had to be postponed this year but it was great that this could happen and the people at the Pleasure Beach were wonderful.”

Ron has always prided himself on keeping fit – he played badminton into his 60s and was involved in the Blackpool Badminton Association for 50 years.

He also played indoor bowls and honed his fitness ahead of the walk by taking the stairs rather than the escalator on shopping trips with his wife Pam.

Ron, of Reads Avenue, has two step-children, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren and step-daughter Wendy said: “We are so proud of him.”