Big home town party for Sooty's platinum year

Magician and puppeteer Harry Corbett bought Sooty from a stall on North Pier as a present for his son Matthew in 1948 - and he made his television appearance four years later.

And the magical puppet will be back there, hosting a free birthday party on the pier on Saturday, July 21, along with his owner Richard Cadell, and his pals Sweep and Soo.

The party, which starts at 2pm, will include fun and games for all the family, followed by a special live performnce of The Sooty Show at North Pier Theatre - raising money for Donna’s Dreamhouse, NHS Teaching Hospital Blackpool and Sooty’s long standing charity partner, the Royal National Institute of Blind People.

Sooty will also be part of this year’s Illuminations’, with a 50 foot-high projection being cast onto Blackpool Tower - and he’s calling on fans to share their memories and throwback pictures by emailing [email protected].

Sooty’s official birthday is on Thursday, July 19, and he’ll be launching a new Sooty YouTube channel, and filming six exclusive episodes of The Sooty Show.

A spokesman said: “Having been on the hands of Harry’s son Matthew from the Seventies to the Nineties, Sooty has now been fronted for 20 years by Richard Cadell.

“Joined by his trusty sidekicks Sweep and Soo, Sooty’s appeal has continued to endure across generations of families.

“These six new episodes will feature cameos from some of Sooty’s celebrity friends, including Peter Andre, John Challis and Lisa Riley."