The Dames in stage history who toured Blackpool including Helen Porter-Mitchell, Alicia Markova and Jessie Matthews

But today's collection of 'M' names begins with a dip into stage history with two stars who were legends in Grandma's day. Each became Dames of the British Empire.

Melba was the stage name of the Australian opera singer Helen Porter Mitchell (1861-1931, DBE 1918) who could command £500 per concert at the Blackpool Winter Gardens. She appeared there eight times, from 1901 to 1920.

The name Melba was derived from her home city, Melbourne. Those five letters, on a theatre poster, could be seen from a distance.

And today we can see a further derivation on a restaurant menu. A scrumptuous dessert was named after her: Peach Melba.

Blackpool also saw the London-born ballet dancer, teacher and administrator Alicia Markova (Lilian Alicia Marks, 1910-2004, DBE 1965) who was the co-founder of the Festival Ballet in 1950.

She first danced in Blackpool in July, 1935, with the Vic-Wells Ballet, at the old Opera House.

Two months later Alicia and one of her dance partners, Anton Dolin, left the company to form the Markova-Dolin Ballet, which came to the Opera House in June, 1936.

There will be readers who remember our third lady of the stage for a role that came over the air waves.

Jessie Matthews (1907-1981) was the star of the 1960s radio serial Mrs Dale's Diary.

But Jessie had been a star of the musical stage since touring to the old Blackpool Opera House in March, 1926, in Andre Charlot's Revue.

She became the golden girl of British stage and screen musicals in the 1930s and turned down Hollywood offers.

In 1939 she came to the Grand Theatre for two July weeks in a revue titled I Can Take It.

When her career stalled Jessie turned to the variety stage and starred at the old Blackpool Palace in January, 1945, billed as The One and Only.

We stay in the "popular" seats for a bit of chart nostalgia.

Gentle Belfast-born singer Ruby Murray (1935-1996) had two Blackpool summer seasons after her 1955 feat of having five records in the Top 20 at the same time.

Softly, Softly was her only Number One (in January) which followed her third-placed Heartbeat and then came Happy Days and Lonely Nights (6), Let Me Go Lover (5), and If Anyone Finds This, I Love You (4).

Ruby starred in the North Pier's Show Time season in 1957, when the Gazette noted: "This Colleen's lovely, sincere voice is delightful "

After several Sunday shows at the North Pier in 1959, Ruby was billed joint second in Harry Secombe's 1960 summer season at the Palace.

Stardom slipped until Ruby overcame personal troubles to make a come-back in the 1980s.

She returned to Blackpool for a week of old time music hall at the Grand in February, 1982, and starred in the early season show at the Central Pier the following year.

Next week: A collection of comedians.