Blackpool the BBC and a Famous Kenny Rogers Song from 1978

Blackpool (TV serial) the plot

Ripley Holden (David Morrissey) is a small-time entrepreneur desperate to make it big with his new state-of-the-art amusement arcade. The opening extravaganza is overshadowed by the find of a dead body on the premises. DI Carlisle (David Tennant) is called in and quickly finds he has more on his mind than murder, when he falls in love with Ripley’s long-suffering wife, Natalie (Sarah Parish).

As the murder investigation deepens, Carlisle closes down the arcade for investigation and calls in Ripley’s son, Danny (Thomas Morrison) for questioning. Carlisle suspects that Danny is hiding something, possibly covering for his dad — as evidence is found at the arcade linking Ripley with the victim. Adding to Ripley’s worries is a huge tax bill, the denial of his planning permission and the discovery that his daughter Shyanne (Georgia Taylor) is having a relationship with a man his own age.

Danny goes on to confess to the murder but Carlisle doesn’t believe him. When Natalie finds out he is a detective she tells him to stay away from her family. This gives Carlisle a renewed impetus to nail Ripley, his love rival. However, events take a startling turn when Danny attempts suicide.

The series comes to a finale with the wedding of Shyanne and Steve. Ripley gives Natalie and Carlisle his blessing and in return all charges are dropped. Danny confesses that he is gay. Ripley hands over the arcade to Danny, who is now in the clear and publicly out of the closet. Finally, Ripley discovers from a prostitute that Danny had committed the murder to save her.

The Gambler (song)

“The Gambler” is the title track to Kenny Rogers’ 1978 album The Gambler. The song was written by Don Schlitz (who had recorded it previously, and had charted at #65 on the country charts with it) and was one of five consecutive songs by Rogers to hit #1 on the Billboard country music charts at the time. On the pop chart, the song made #16 in early 1979. It is also the theme song used for Rogers’ long running movie and TV serial of the same name, in which he stars as a fictional professional poker player called Brady Hawkes. It was used in Episode 2 of BBC series Blackpool.

Story

The song itself tells the story of a late-night meeting on a train “bound for nowhere” between Rogers (as narrator) and an unnamed old man who is the gambler. The gambler tells Rogers that he can tell Rogers is down on his luck (“out of aces”) by the look in his eyes and offers him advice in exchange for the last swallow of whisky Rogers has. After the gambler takes the drink (and a cigarette), he gives the following advice:

The gambler then mentions that the “secret to survivin’ is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep” and that “the best you can hope for is to die in your sleep”. At this point, the gambler puts out the cigarette and goes to sleep.

At the end of the song we are told that “somewhere in the darkness the gambler he broke even”, and that the narrator finds “an ace that I could keep” in his final words. Some have interpreted this as the Gambler actually dying, confirmed by Rogers’ rendition on the Muppet Show

All the title sequences of this video were filmed within a few hundred yards of Moorbank House

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EBAY Listing Here Travelodge Deals

Seems this ebay seller made a meal of buying up some of the Travelodge cheap rooms when they were on offer back in the colder Months.

5 Rooms all for Wednesday 22nd July 2009. Will be an expensive mistake if he cannot offload them!!

Travel Lodge Balmoral Road South Shore

And lets not forget with Travelodge and Premier Inns you do not get breakfast thrown in and they will sting you for parking onsite. Do your research much more carefully and you can get an equally good standard room which includes breakfast and parking and is often cheaper. The link to your right would be a good start or ring/email us for advice if your requirments are more complex

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