Julia Bennett

There can’t be many households where Peppa Pig isn’t a familiar face on the TV screen.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since the launch of CBeebies Land.

And so it was pure serendipity that no sooner had I introduced our four-year-old daughter to the delights of Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book than the show was announced at The Grand Theatre, Blackpool. I could sense her excitement was building before the show and her eyes widened as the curtain raised to reveal the bright set, including Charlie’s instantly recognisable yellow, parrot printed chair. The essence of Donaldson’s Charlie Cook tale – where books can transport you to different worlds –…

Once voted the Fylde coast’s Italian restaurant of the year by our newspaper readers, San Marcos has been part of local people’s family celebrations for years.

An interior design influencer has unveiled her incredible home office transformation after deciding to make changes to her life while suffering chronic pain.

A group of mums who set up an activity group for children with autism are appealing for help to raise funds for new equipment.

Taken by members of Poulton Photographic Society, the pictures from the society’s Residents’ Competition will be part of an annual exhibition running in Poulton Masonic Hall until Saturday, June 10. The exhibition also gives visitors a chance to find out more about the group as it welcomes new members. Christine Storey, from Poulton Photographic Society, said: “Whether you are starting out with a new hobby, picking up the skills after a break, or are an experienced photographer you will find so…

Fylde coast photographers shared some of their best snaps for an annual awards evening.

More than 100 kind-hearted people slept out in front of St John’s Church in the town centre in aid of charity Streetlife which supports vulnerable and homeless young people. The Big SleepOut raises vital funds to keep the town’s only emergency night shelter – which costs £85,000 a year to run – open for people aged 16-25. Streetlife’s Big Sleepout was officially opened by Anna Blackburn, managing director of event sponsor Beaverbrooks, actress and singer Jodie Prenger, and the Mayor of Blackpool…

Elmer, the much-loved patchwork elephant, is being brought to Blackpool in the town’s first major sculpture art trail that could raise more than £100,000 for the Fylde coast’s only children’s hospice.

Streaming music might be the main way to hear the soundtrack of your life nowadays – but a new project aims to shine a light on jukeboxes and how the Fylde coast played a key role in these iconic music-playing machines.

Defendant ‘upset by van’s engine being revved’ A man has admitted denting the bonnet of a camper van.Blackpool magistrates heard that Brandon McDonagh became upset by the van’s engine being revved noisily as he stood next to it on The Promenade.McDonagh, 22, of Park Road, Blackpool, admitted causing £1,170 worth of damage to the VW van.The defendant also admitted assaulting the van owner who got out of his vehicle to see who caused the dent.Magistrates bailed McDonagh for three weeks so pre sen…

But that’s certainly the case for one of the resort’s most long-serving and highly respected midwives. Eileen Shaw, from South Shore, had never intended to follow a career in midwifery until a chance tour of the resort’s new maternity unit landed her a job soon after she arrived in Blackpool from Northern Ireland. The 71-year-old has retired twice – but the love of the job sees her return time after time, and she now works two shifts a week on the maternity triage department. Eileen estimates…

Blackpool’s thrilling roller coasters will be in the spotlight as Landscape Artist of the Year returns to our screens tonight.

We’ve compiled a list of the neighbourhoods in Fylde with the highest estimated average annual household income, based on the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics. The highest average income, according to the statistics, is £43,600 in Clifton and Newton-with-Scales, while the lowest is £34,500 in the neighbourhood described as St Annes Town. The ONS breaks Fylde down into nine neighbourhoods called Middle-layer Super Output Areas (MSOA). The average income statistics ar…

Popular presenting duo Joan Bakewell and Stephen Mangan are back as hosts of the new show following a successful run of Portrait Artist of the Year. The eight episode series sees artists battling it out in five heats, a semi-final, and a final for a prize commission. It spans the width and breadth of the country and will challenge the artists with some of the most breath-taking and complex views the nation has to offer - including in Blackpool. Landscape Artist of the Year is now being shown on…

A couple who set up Blackpool’s first cat cafe to combine their love of felines and years of hospitality experience are celebrating a milestone for their new business.

People are being invited to kick start the New Year by signing up to Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life as it marks its 30th year.

The seaside town’s 2023 Destination Guide fronted by resort ambassador Nigel C. Gull - the seagull puppet that featured in a £1m TV advertising campaign during 2022 – has been revealed. And it’s packed with a fabulous programme of events, shows and attractions for the year ahead. Coun Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, said: “It is particularly pleasing to be able to launch the new guide at a time when Blackpool is attracting large volumes of visitors on the back of the return of the Ch…

The Fylde coast’s Charlotte Dawson is adding to the festive joy at Blackpool Pleasure Beach as she joins the fabulous Cinderella panto cast.