Honouring 1,000 comics

Ken Dodd has officially opened the Comedy Carpet in Blackpool – a huge piece of public art honouring around 1,000 comedians.

The £4million project on the Promenade features catchphrases and jokes from more than 100 years of comedy, from ‘Titter ye not’ to ‘Yeah but no but...’

Describing the artwork as ‘a wonderful, beautiful job’, Dodd said: “It’s a wonderful tourist attraction for beautiful Blackpool, the greatest show town in the world.’

Five years in the marking, artist Gordon Young individually cut more than 160,000 letters from 3cm solid granite or cobalt blue concrete, arranged into over 300 slabs and then cast into high quality, gleaming white concrete panels.

The letters range in size from a few centimetres to over a metre so viewers can enjoy it both close up and from the glass viewing platform in the Blackpool Tower.

Young said: ‘Blackpool occupies a unique and important place in the social history of Britain. Comedy in all its guises is a big part of who we are; it has its own history and a very important place in that history is Blackpool.

 ‘I’d been looking at photographs of stars and the Blackpool Tower was a recurring backdrop to the photos: Eric and Ernie in deck chairs, Ken Dodd, Les Dawson, Peter Kay and more. It soon became obvious that Blackpool had been a magnetic chuckle point for the nation.

‘I also wanted to create something built with really the high craft standards seen in Blackpool’s historic architecture – the Winter Gardens, library and of course the fabulous Tower.  So I thought, a quality carpet that shows how Blackpool can still do posh.’

Celebrity comics attending the launch included Dave Spikey, The Krankies, The Chuckle Brothers and Hattie Hayridge. Spikey said: ‘We used to come to Blackpool on all our summer holidays and watch the shows and the big names. To be on thatcarpet with all the big names – it’s absolutely stunning. I’m thrilled to bits!’

Young told those attending the opening: ‘I would like to say respect and thanks to all those who made us smile in times present and past.’

Blackpool councillor Graham Cain added: ‘I’ve no doubt that the Comedy Carpet will entertain people of all ages and quickly become a popular location for photo opportunities. Already there has been a huge amount of interest in the carpet.’

The Comedy Carpet is divided into strips dedicated to comedians and writers from the stage, TV, radio, film and records. At the centre of the carpet are five strips, each consisting of 10 slabs, which include material from some of the most significant comedians of all time: Morecambe and Wise, Ken Dodd, Les Dawson, Frankie Howerd and Tommy Cooper.

The southern square celebrates contemporary comedians, famous double acts, television and radio programmes and includes one that showcases Barry Humphries, Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, and Peter Kay.

The northern square includes a strip dedicated to Monty Python and one to The Two Ronnies. Regional and international comedians are showcased in this section as well as celebrated catch phrases and a pre-war historical section.

On the western square, nearest the sea, are strips dedicated to Billy Connolly, Peter Cook and Victoria Wood along with more television references, further celebrated catchphrases and recent history.

Around the edge of the carpet are the names of hundreds of comedians, writers, double acts and groups that have graced the stage in Blackpool over the last 100 years or who are of national significance.

Published: 11 Oct 2011