best person, horse or aircraft to have switched on the Blackpool Illuminations, 1973-2022

Red Rum all the way

yes it has to be

i went to the Doctor Who thing they built as part of Louis Tussaud's in the 70s but i don't think i've ever been to an official switching on of the lights

lots of very o_O choices post Red Rum

(The other 4 of Team GB's London 2012 medalists in 2012 were Karina Bryant, Luke Campbell, Max Whitlock and Sophie Hosking. Also removed for reasons of space: the wikipedia list points out that in 1975 Tom Baker was in costume as Doctor Who, and that 1984 Johannes Rau and David Waddington were Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia and Minister of State at the Home Office, respectively)

Mosson was born in Preston, Lancashire, she was crowned the 10th Railway Queen of Great Britain at the Railway Carnival and Pageant held at Belle Vue, Manchester in August 1935 when she was 15 years old. Later in 1935, she turned on the Blackpool Illuminations, an annual lights festival in Blackpool. 50 years later, she again turned on the Blackpool Illuminations alongside actress Joanna Lumley.

In 1936, she travelled to the Soviet Union on a peace visit and met Joseph Stalin.

She made her stage debut with the Blackpool Tower Children's Ballet.

Audrey and her two sisters all married on the same day at a triple wedding at St Peter's, Blackpool in 1940. It was also their parents wedding anniversary.

I can't very well vote against the muppets.

2015 Tim Burton is a strange choice

Derek Jameson and Judith Chalmers

crimes against tourism

You need to go back to 1969 for the aircraft :)

Jason Isaacs and Diversity is the funniest combo.
Rau and Waddington the weirdest.

I think we need to know how Red Rum turned on the lights. was there a cord in his mouth or did he stamp on a huge button?

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Through the years huge celebrities have been present to turn on the lights including George Formby in 1953, Jayne Mansfield in 1959, Matt Busby in 1968 and surprisingly Red Rum in 1977! Yes, the legend himself had a specially adapted pedal created for him so that when he stood on it the lights switched on in Blackpool.

Had to go with Elisabeth Sladen.

dr who imo

Cannon and Ball. Because during Christmas 1980 Levertons' of Morley put on a expenses paid coach for the kids of their workforce to see Cannon & Ball doing Jack & The Beanstalk. And we all got a free can of Top Deck shandy and loads of crisps. Sorry Red Rum, even three grand nationals can't top that.

Saw Cannon & Ball at Butlin's Pwllheli in I think 1989, do not remember anything about it though.

1999 Gary Barlow

this was an interesting moment for Barlow - 1999 was the low point of his career, outshone by Robbie Williams, reduced to a punchline in the media, his second album doing so badly that he moved to doing behind the scenes writing and producing for several years

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BSyNIkQCUAEzNnu.jpg

in 2013 he performed at the ceremony after the Script pulled out at the last minute, donating his fee to children in need, though it was Jonathan Ross who actually switched on the lights that year, if I was filming a Gary Barlow biopic I think I'd make this the triumphant conclusion

I hear Blackpool are looking for someone to switch the lights on this year ? If they'd write a cheque to Children in need I'd do it ?

— Gary Barlow (@GaryBarlow) August 28, 2013

start the film with him at his lowest, switching on the lights in Blackpool in 1999 as his career flatlines, then flashback to Take That being formed in the late 80s, chart their success, break-up, Gary's decline, reforming Take That and launching his comeback, final scene is him performing at Blackpool again in 2013 having achieved national treasure status. Daniel Mays to play Barlow.

I've just had an extremely strong feeling of deja vu reading this thread. I mean almost overwhelming.

Other than that my mind is still blown by the fact that not only did Red Rum win three Grand Nationals but in the two years he didn't win he finished second! I mean that's up there with Don Bradman in singular, never to be equalled, sporting achievements.

and then a year later he was in The Shining!

Ridden by Tommy Stack and carrying 162 pounds, Red Rum won by an astonishing 25 lengths

lol, just took the piss out of the rest of the field that year

I was never a fan of Cannon and Ball in their heyday but I saw them do panto in Hull when my kids were young and they were funny as fuck tbh

Gary Barlow on the other hand is mostly shit and his comeback richly demonstrated that

though there is some stiff competition on there, if I could nominate one to be executed by firing squad it would be Kieth Lemon

I would probably have him behind Jameson in the queue but for sheer longevity of annoyance I hear ya

him and Chalmers, jesus what a duo. When I worked in a N London branch of Sainsburies a co-worker warned me to avoid Chalmers like the plague because she's arrogant, rude and a total arsehole.

The best possible thing I could say about Derek Jameson is he's somehow less of a cunt than Kelvin Mackenzie

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My parents went to see Cannon and Ball, possibly early '90s, in New Brighton - first half was their usual schtick, second half was Praise Jesus.
What's even more surprising is this was Dyan Cannon and Alan Ball

yeah i remember when they found god, somehow i don't think it brought them a new audience

"Cast of Coronation Street, switched on by Doris Speed" - that gave me odd Timothy Leary vibes for a moment there, because Doris Speed doesn't sound like a real name. I imagine the cast being given tabs of LSD by Doris Speed and then arguing about whether it was too scary to switch the lights on or not.

Giving the timing it makes sense, but it's really, really odd seeing Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward in that list. I was also confused by Chris Evans in 2005 - I thought his career had tanked - but it seems it coincided with the start of his Radio 2 programme, so that makes sense.