Critchlow, Cyril, 1923 - 2008
Dates
- Existence: 1923 - 2008
Biography
Cyril Critchlow was born in Staffordshire in 1923 and moved to Blackpool with his family as a teenager in the late 1930s.
Cyril developed an interest in magic from an early age and became known as a magician during the Second World War under the stage name of Reval.
Throughout his life in Blackpool, Critchlow became an avid collector of ephemera relating to Blackpool’s entertainment heritage from the 1860s to the present day and wrote several books on the subject. He was also a passionate heritage campaigner and in 1977 he fulfilled a lifelong dream when he opened The Museum of Entertainment on Coronation Street, where he displayed his personal collection of entertainment ephemera.
Critchlow presented magic shows and gave talks on Blackpool history of entertainment at the ‘Witches Café’ which he also ran. In 1980 he became the proprietor of a small theatre of variety and he even worked as a spotlight operator at the Winter Gardens Theatre for a while. In the mid-sixties he was elected town Councillor. Additionally, he was a founder member of the Blackpool Magicians’ club, becoming at one point President and Honorary Life Member. He was a member of Equity, The Magic Circle, Blackpool Heritage Forum and he was President of the North West Music Hall and Variety Friendship Society.
He was still entertaining with his magic act in his 80s performing as Wizardo, Harry Potter's grandfather and took part in Sheffield University’s Cabinet of Curiosities held at Blackpool in 2008.
Cyril Critchlow died after a short illness in 2008.
Found in 620 Collections and/or Records:
Blackpool Elephants Bathing Film, c1930 - 1999
Black and white film showing elephants bathing in the sea at Blackpool, silent. 9.5mm, DVD, 4 D-BETA formats.
Blackpool Hippodrome Poster, c1950 - 1959
Max Bygraves, Winifred Atwell, Joe Jackson American comic, Hylda Baker English comic, Bood & Bood French comics, Patrick O’Hagen Irish tenor, Joan Edwards soprano, 5 fellers amazing acrobats, Princess Zola tassel Dancer from Harlem/ Red and black type on white background. Printed by central Printing Co. (Chas. Sowden) Ltd., Burnley.
Blackpool Magicians Club Programme, c1900 - 1999
Presents All Our Yesterdays. 21st Annual One Day Convention, 4p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, c1953
George and Alfred Black present The Show of Shows, Eve Boswell, Harry Seacombe. Contains illustrations. Printed by Ayre & Senior Printers, Blackpool, 4p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, c1953
George and Alfred Black present The Show of Shows, Eve Boswell, Harry Seacombe. Contains illustrations. Printed by Ayre & Senior Printers, Blackpool, 4p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, c1954
George and Alfred Black’s The Talk of the Town, Jimmy Edwards, Tony Hancock. Contains illustrations. Printed by Ayre & Senior Printers, Blackpool, 4p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, c1954
George and Alfred Black’s The Talk of the Town, Jimmy Edwards, Tony Hancock. Contains illustrations. Printed by Ayre & Senior Printers, Blackpool, 4p.p
Blackpool Opera House Programme, 2 weeks commencing Monday 1 February 1954
The D’oyly Carte Opera Company in Gilbert and Sullivan operas, Cox and Box, HMS Pinafore, Patience, Iolanthe, Ruddigore, The Gondoliers, The Mikado. Contains illustrations. Printed by Ayre & Senior Printers, Blackpool. 8p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, Summer season 1955
George and Alfred Black present The Big Show of 1955, Jimmy Jewel, Ben Warriss. Contains illustrations. Printed by Ayre & Senior Ltd, Blackpool, 4p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, Summer season 1956
George and Alfred Black present The Big Show of 1956, George and Bert Bernard, Eve Boswell, Freddie Frinton, Lane Brothers, Ghezzi Brothers, Hall, Norman and Ladd. Contains illustrations. Printed by Ayre & Senior Ltd, Blackpool, 12p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, Summer season 1957
George and Alfred Black present The Big Show of 1957, Jimmy Jewel, Ben Warriss, Yana, Holger & Dolores, Nirska, Latona, Graham & Chadel. Contains illustrations. Printed by Ayre & Senior Ltd, Blackpool, 12p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, Summer season 1958
George and Alfred Black present The Big Show of 1958, David Whitfield, Arthur (Oscar) Haynes, The Gimma Boys, The Andrea Dancers, Lane and Truzzi, Grace O’Connor, Rudi Horn. Contains illustrations. Printed by Ayre & Senior Ltd, Blackpool, 8p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, Summer season 1959
George and Alfred Black present The Big Show of 1959, Jimmy Jewel, Ben Warriss, Jill Day, Larry Griswold, Jean-Louis Bert and Ilonka, The Najarros, Peiro Brothers. Contains illustrations. Printed by Ayre & Senior Ltd, Blackpool, 8p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, Summer season 1960
George and Alfred Black present The Big Show of 1960, Tommy Steel, Alma Cogan, Eddie Calvert and the Wise Guys, Sid Millward Wally Stewart and the Nitwits, Freddie Frinton. Contains photographs of the acts. Printed by Ayre & Senior Ltd, Blackpool, 8p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, Summer season 1961
George and Alfred Black present The Big Show of 1961, Shirley Bassey, Cliff Richards, The Shadows, Richard Hearne, Ivor Emmanual, Tommy Fields, Clark Brothers, The Lucky Latinos, Harry Smith-Hampshire and Doreen Casey. Contains photographs of the acts. Printed by Ayre & Senior Ltd, Blackpool, 8p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, Summer season 1961
George and Alfred Black present The Big Show of 1961, Shirley Bassey, Cliff Richards, The Shadows, Richard Hearne, Ivor Emmanual, Tommy Fields, Clark Brothers, The Lucky Latinos, Harry Smith-Hampshire and Doreen Casey. Contains photographs of the acts. Printed by Ayre & Senior Ltd, Blackpool, 8p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, Summer season 1962
George and Alfred Black present The Big Show of 1962, Ken Dodd, The Kaye Sisters, Eddie Calvert with the C Men, The Raindrops, Barbara Law, The Three Houcs, John. Contains photographs of the acts. Printed by Ayre & Senior Ltd, Blackpool, 8p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, Summer season 1963
George and Alfred Black present The Big Show of 1963, Billy Cotton and His Band, Jimmy Edwards, The King Brothers, Francis Brunn, Susan Lane, The Bal Caron Trio, Harry Bailey, Carlo Dini. Contains photographs of the acts. Printed by Ayre & Senior Ltd, Blackpool, 8p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, Summer season 1964
George and Alfred Black present The Big Show of 1964, Ken Dodd, Dennis Spicer, Joe (Mr Piano) Henderson, Rosemary Squires, The Barry Sisters, 3 Rebertes. Contains photographs of the acts. Printed by Ayre & Senior, Blackpool. 8p.p.
Blackpool Opera House Programme, Sunday 6 September 1964
Harold Fielding’s Sunday Night at the Blackpool Opera House, presenting, Gracie Fields, The Wedgewoods, Des Lane, Ronnie Hilton, Bob Miller and the Millermen. Contains photographs of the acts. Printed by Claridge, Lewis & Jordan Ltd., Tavistock Street, Bletchley., Bucks., England, 4p.p.
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