|
Home
For That Special Occasion
UK Sales
Overseas Sales
Rock Promotions
  
| |
 The
History of
BLACKPOOL ROCK
|
THERE
IS NO DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF LETTERED ROCK, IT IS FOLKLORE PASSED ON FROM
FATHER TO SON. IT IS KNOWN, THAT IN THE EARLY 1800’s, SUGAR BOILERS
WERE PUTTING PATTERNS AND LETTERS THROUGH STICKS OF ROCK AND IN THE LATE
1800’S IT WAS SIMPLY A QUESTION OF ADAPTING THE INDUSTRY TO THE
DEMANDS OF THE MARKET AT THE SEASIDE.
In
the 1700's a sugar boiler would just have a coke fire, a copper pan, and
a marble slab for his equipment, and his ingredients would be sugar,
cream of tartar, flavouring and colouring. he would then sell them in
his own shop or take them to market
|
|
Blackpool Rock was first made in
Dewsbury in Yorkshire. Ben Bullock, who was a sugar boiler with his own
factory in Dewsbury, returned from a holiday in Blackpool in 1887 and
made the first batch of Blackpool Rock. When the idea occurred to him or
was suggested to him that he should put ‘Blackpool Rock’ through the
centre of the rock he no doubt thought it was worth a try!
At the turn of the century, rock
was so popular that it was inevitable that eventually manufacturers
would set up in business in the resort and in 1902 the first quantity is
said to have been made here.
In the latter years of the last century, anyone with
anything to sell, or entertainers, would gather on the beach opposite
the New Inn and the Tower. This was the most popular part of the beach,
amongst the donkeys and patent medicine sellers, the rock sellers would
set up their stalls.
|
|
Record sleeve for George
Formby's famous song
'With my little stick of Blackpool Rock' |
|
|
|
Record Sleeve designed by Dis
Disley |
Top of page
|
Rock
Novelties
The main novelties made in the
early rock factories were fruit shaped like apples or bananas, humbugs
were always a favorite. In the late fifties and early sixties other
novelties were dreamed up, ‘TV lollies’, very large, clear, round, red
lollipops with holes in them for your eyes, which were supposed to be good
to lick whilst watching television. Dummies (soother) were a popular
novelty, with a ring attached, and tied with a coloured ribbon.
|
|
Promotional Rock |
Rock is used extensively for
promotional purposes, as firms give pens, diaries, calendars or Christmas
cards, so they can commission a boiling of rock with their firm’s name
running through it and the company logo on the label to give to
their customers.
Free sticks of rock are given out by stall holders at exhibitions, chains
of shops, airlines, hotels, societies and charities. |
In the early 1970's, a children's wear
manufacturer sent a 10lb stick of Blackpool Rock to a set of quins born in
New Zealand.
A giant stick went to the White House in America so that President Ford
could present it to the winner of the Monopoly Championships held there.
Boy's from a New York soccer team were given rock to take home after a
friendly match with 'BROOKLYN F.C., BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND' through it. |
|
In 1987 an attempt was made for a
record in the Guinness Book of Records.
A whole day's work went into producing the monster, beginning at 7am and
still rolling in the afternoon.
It is in fact recorded in the famous book with the measurements
673.5 pounds in weight
16 inches in Diameter
12feet in length |
|
|
Rock
Spells It Out |
|
|
| British
Nursing Association |
'B.N.A.' |
Quality
Inns International Convention
Atlanta, Georgia, 1985 |
'QUALITY
ALL THRU' |
|
Second World War 1940 |
'BACK
BRITAIN' with Union Jack |
| |
|
|
Political |
Houses
of Parliament
|
'HOUSE
OF COMMONS' with portcullis running through it. |
| Harold
Wilson, late 60's |
'WILSON MUST
GO' |
| Margaret
Thatcher |
'MARGARET
FOR P.M.' |
| Ted Heath |
'HEATH AT
THE HELM' |
|
|
Kodak,
Virgin
Airlines, Haig
Whisky and Quality
Inns International are some of the large companies who have
used it. |
Extracts taken from ‘The Story of Blackpool Rock’ by
Margaret Race.
Top of page
|
