Morecambe became a regular part of the Roadshow circuit in 1974 drawing visitors and locals into town for the Roadshow’s regular features plus occasional guest performers.
The DJs themselves chart the history of Radio One and even include some who went on to carve out a niche for themselves elsewhere.
Here then, pop-pickers, is a countdown of some of Morecambe’s chart-topping Roadshows.
1974 Dave Lee Travis
1975 Noel Edmonds, Happy Mount Park
1976 Rosko, Happy Mount Park
1977 Ed Stewart, Happy Mount Park
1978 Kid Jensen, Happy mount Park
1979 Peter Powell, Happy Mount Park
During Peter Powell’s visit the Roadshow team were collecting old records to be sold later in the year at the World’s Biggest Record Sale as Radio One’s contribution to the International Year of the Child.
People were encouraged to ‘pack that record … if you’re going on holiday and will be seeing one of the Roadshows’.
Peter Powell himself was described as enjoying his potted shrimps among the trampolines and crazy golf of the Park.
1981 Mike Reid
1982 Steve Wright, Leisure Park
1983 Tony Blackburn, Happy Mount Park
1984 Janice Long, Happy Mount Park
1985 Bruno Brookes
1986 Simon Bates
1987 Mark Goodier with the ‘best bands live on stage’
1988 Steve Wright, Happy Mount Park
1989 Bruno Brookes & Liz Kershaw
1990 Simon Mayo & Jakki Brambles, Happy Mount Park
1991 Gary Davies, Central Promenade Gardens
1992 Steve Wright
1996 Nicky Campbell, Morecambe Arena with live guests Ultimate Kaos
1997 Mark Goodier
1998 Kevin Greening & Zoe Ball with Sash performing live
1999 Dave Pearce with boy band A1
From 2000 onwards the Roadshows were replaced by one-day mini pop festivals held in cities across the UK.