The White Cliffs of Blackpool, March 1947. Snow drifts and frozen sea built a glistening white wall on the sands near Central Pier during this weeks blizzard.

Today's Football 

This match is on 

UNLESS there is another heavy snowfall, the Blackpool-Bolton Wanderers match at Bloomfield road will be played this afternoon, writes ‘Spectator.’ 

Six inches of snow after the midweek blizzard had thawed to less than three inches last night. 

A snowplough may clear the pitch this morning, but if the snow is only an inch or two deep it will be left on to protect the frozen turf.             

Blackpool expect to field the selected team, which has played in the last two, games. 

Teams: 

BLACKPOOL: Wallace; Shimwell; Sibley ; Farrow; Hayward; Johnston; Nelson, Munro; Mortensen, Dick and Blair. 

BOLTON WANDERERS: Hanson; Roberts; Atkinson; Gillies; Hamlett; Forrest; Woodward, Moir, Lofthouse, Westwood (or Howe) and Wrigglesworth. 

Kick-off, 3-0. 

Blackpool "A" (v Burnley “A” at Nelson):
Thorpe: Rigby; Wright; Hearne; Harper, Fenton; Lawrence; Doherty; Smith; Sowden and Eastwood

Blackpool Reserve are without a match. They should have played at Liverpool, where there is a Cup tie.

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Clearing snow in Talbot Square, Blackpool, the last week of February 1947.

HAVOC BY BLACKOUT HOOLIGANS

HOOLIGANISM in the blackout at Blackpool as resulted in damage running into many hundreds of pounds.

Blackpool Police are investigating. The Chief Constable (Mr. H.Barnes) told a "Gazette & Herald" reporter, "It is not all attributable to theblackout.” He added that he blamed it on people who were irresponsible members of the community.

Blackpool Transport department reports the following incidents:

• Window panes damaged in bus shelters.
• Electric bulbs stolen and damaged.
• Shelter seats broken.
• Electric time clock in a bus shelter smashed.
• Promenade seats placed across tram tracks.

The Transport Manager (Mr.W. Luff) said the damage was not confined to the centre of the town. It extended to most of the outskirts. "It has been a serious thing for the department," he observed.

"Apart from the difficulty of replacing windows that have been broken there is also the problem of having to employ men a time when labour is badly needed to carry out repairs," he said.

"The most serious incidents have been the placing of seats across tram tracks, If this kind of think had not been discovered we might have had serious accidents."

"This wave of hooliganism has developed during the blackout," he declared.

HOW BLACKPOOL FOUGHT THE BLIZZARDS
ESTIMATED FALL OF SNOW, 22 inches. 

Transport was kept going 

Blackpool's battle with the snow has been raging on and off since January. 

 An army of 500 men, with 50 lorries, five snow ploughs and several tank wagons, under the command of Mr. H.C. Lighten, Director of Cleansing, have attacked an estimated fall of 22 inches. 

Men of the department, assisted by men of the highways department, with several unemployed, have been standing at the ready every day to keep the main streets clear for essential transport. 

Bus and tram routes, entrances to coal depots and industrial centres, have had constant attention.  

No sooner had they cleaned up the town than snow fell again, and they had to start the battle all over again. "Thousands of tons of snow have been carted away and dumped into the sea," Mr.Lighten told a "Gazette & Herald" reporter. "It is impossible to compute what the battle will cost the town," he said, "but the job had to be done or things would have been chaotic. The work has, of course, been carried out as economically as possible." 

“NIGHT ATTACK" 

"Whilst, Blackpool has been sleeping," said Mr. Lighten, "the men have been working through the night to keep the roads clear for the trams and buses.” Tank wagons have poured hundreds of gallons of sea water along the centres of all the main routes and snow ploughs had to be brought out, "All the bus and tram routes were thoroughly ploughed. There were a number of drifts." 

Referring to the 4in, fall of snow on Wednesday evening, Mr.Lighten said that had it continued through the night instead of turning to rain there would have been at least a 16in. fall. Conditions on Thursday would have been worse than they were. And they were bad enough, "The rain, following the snow added to the problem, as we had to get rid of the water as well as the snow," said Mr. Lighten. 

SNOW AND RAIN 

"We had to get the channels and gullies clear to run off as much water as possible.”Our task would have been a little easier if shopkeepers and householders had co-operated. "Many were so inconsiderate as not to make any effort to clear their fronts of snow, which is an offence against the by-laws, and some of those who did simply piled it into the gutter, blocking up channels and flooding the roadways and pavements!" 

GOOD WORK 

Mr. Lighten paid a tribute it all the workmen for the way in which they tackled the job. "Many had to be called from their beds to go on night operations, which they did with a will. 

”The blackout did not help matters, but they worked splendidly." 

THREE WEEKS TO EASTER, AND BLACKPOOL

IS GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAY

CROWDS AGAIN.

Blackpool, mid-March, 1947. A painter gives a touch of colour to a shop in The Strand.

A boarding house in Warley Road, Blackpool, mid-March 1947. Mrs.A.Coleclough hangs her curtains again after a thorough clean, in readiness for Easter visitors.

And when they come they will find that Blackpool is still Blackpool, although it has not been possible to do all the decorations and improvements calling to be done. 

The town may be without a new Easter Bonnet, but everything has been done to brighten up last year's model. They have been busy this week, and will be busy right up to the eve of the holiday in getting ready.

 
Blackpool Promenade mid-March 1947. Coxwain W.R.Parr will be the mechanised boatman this year. He has already painted this bren gun carrier and is now adding steps and seats ready to carry Easter visitors to the boats. Some will be sorry that this will replace the horse-drawn boat carts which have been a familiar feature in Blackpool's beach scene for years, but time tractors on.

 Mr & Mrs Herbert Dixon and their two boys, Gordon and Brian, pictured at Central Station, Blackpool, February, 1947. They were leaving for their new home in South Africa. Mr Dixon was an ex-member of Blackpool Police Force. The winter of 1947 was one of the reasons given for the emigration of thousands of British people, particularly to Australia.