Friday 11 December 2009

The Carlton Hotel on Shear Brow


This photo (please click the image to expand it) brings back lots of good memories for me. The pub is the Carlton Hotel, on the corner of Shear Brow and Wimberley Street (Stedd Terrace at this end). We moved, as a family, onto Shear Brow, when I was 9 years old in 1967 and lived just down from the Carlton at No 24 (the Carlton would be No 46, as my schoolmates Ste and Gaz F, lived in No 44, the top house on our row). The rough land, on the left, we called 'The hill'. It's where we hung out and met, much of the time and where we built our bonfire every year. Just behind the older street lamp, you can see the corner of the air raid shelter, which was still there right into the late 1970's and perhaps beyond. We had a great view of the town from that hill, though we probably didn't appreciate it, at the time.
For years, the Carlton Hotel was where many of the cabaret acts, that were appearing at the Cavendish Club in town, used to stay. Peter Gordeno and His Dancers stayed a few times, as did Clodagh Rogers (''Jack In The Box'' was her best known hit) among others. They would often park their expensive, luxury cars along Wimberley Street and a couple of the local kids used to earn a few bob, cleaning them, for the 'stars'.  I was present when one ragamuffin kid, politely asked a very surly looking Clodagh ''Can I clean your car Miss Rogers?'' She gave him a dirty look, as she rushed by and muttered something like ''Sod off you brat''  I hope she earned good money for her week performing at the 'Cav', as her lovely car went back to London with a huge scratch down the passenger side. Like I said at the top, good memories.
PHOTO COURTESY OF COTTONTOWN AND THE COMMUNITY STUDIES DEPT. BLACKBURN LIBRARY.

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