Tickled by arrival of a star visitor

Scouse funnyman Ken Dodd paid a whistlestop promotional visit to Preston 40 years ago this week.
Ken Dodd entertains the children on a visit to Preston in April 1976Ken Dodd entertains the children on a visit to Preston in April 1976
Ken Dodd entertains the children on a visit to Preston in April 1976

Today we roll the clock back exactly 40 years to the day funnyman Ken Dodd came to town with set of previoulsy unpublished pictures.The comic got a rapturous welcome when he arrived in Preston to be greeted by a crowd of fans outside a branch of Co-Op.The comedian, then 49, was in town to sponsor a national electrical firm’s trade demonstration.Doddy and his six Diddymen joked with the crowd and signed autographs before setting off to embark on a tour of Preston town centre.The Diddymen were perched on a decorated float.

However, on this occasion, wisely, Doddy sat in the comfort of a chauffeur-driven car which followed closely behind.Before setting off, he ruffled his mane of hair, gave a wild grin to unveil his famously protruding teeth, and shouted: “Give me my tickling stick” before dashing off to meet the crowds. It is the first time some of these photographs have appeared in the Evening Post after they were recently unearthed in a collection of negatives from the 1970s.At the time, the enduing star was shining bright on TV, with his Ken Dodd’s World of Laughter a fixture of Saturday night television viewing schedule on BBC One.

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