Trombonist Ted Heath, Hinge and Bracket and Lancashire folkies Houghton Weavers starred as Blackpool bill-toppers

Ted Heath and His Music were judged to be our greatest swing band and made many visits to the Empress Ballroom of the Winter Gardens.

Trombonist-leader Ted (1902-1969) brought his band and vocalists for a three-week summer season in 1946 and then for similar seasons until 1959.

One of the highlights was drummer Ronnie Verrell's marathon solo, when the dancing stopped and everyone gathered round the stand.

An earlier generation of bandleaders included Jack Hylton (1898-1965) whose many 1920s and 30s visits to Blackpool led to him marrying a Blackpool girl and buying his parents a bungalow at Bispham.

But Hylton's main claim to fame was as an impesario, presenting big musicals in London and the regions.

Those venues usually included the Opera House, where his credits included producing the 1955 Royal Performance before the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Let's give the folkies a mention with news that next month the Houghton Weavers will achieve a 41-year span of Blackpool performances.

The Lancashire group were among the first to play the reopened Grand Theatre in 1981 and starred there in several Blackpool Festivals of early season one-nighters. In 1982 they appeared in the panto Cinderella.

From December 7-9 the Weavers (currently a trio) will be the entertainment at the resort's Imperial Hotel as part of a package holiday break.

Now to the drawing room to remember the waspish wit of those "dear ladies" Hinge and Bracket.

One of the musical duo's favourite venues was the Grand with several visits in the 1980s spring Festival of Fun and Music.

Dr Evadne Hinge (George Logan) and Dame Hilda Bracket (Patrick Fyffe) brought a new show in November, 1996, wearing designer labels, and a year later they came to the Grand in a revival tour of Peter Shaffer's comedy, Lettice and Lovage.

Long before piano showman Liberace charmed the ladies there was the West Indian pianist Hutch (Leslie A. Hutchinson, 1900-1969).

But before we list Hutch's local credits, the lady of the house reminds me that when she was in the music biz she met Libby at a London trade event and he allowed her to try on his white mink coat.

Piano entertainer Hutch came to Britain in the 1920s and became the cabaret idol of society ladies.

He was on a variety bill at Blackpool's old Palace Theatre in 1933 and became "sole top" on several later visits until 1949, billed as The Millionaire of Melody.

He had the stage trick of pausing to mop his brow with a large white handkerchief.

Hutch was in three seasons of Harry Korris's Happidrome summer show at the Grand, 1941-43, and had one of the most popular shows on the radio in the 1940s and early 50s.

Next week: The A to Z Century of Stars moves on to the letter I with the Blackpool shows of Frank Ifield and John Inman.