Bridgeton girl Elizabeth (Betty) Flynn put her skates on to land a husband.
A professional ice skater/dancer, Betty/Liz was touring with Europe with the Holiday on Ice show when, in 1954, the show came to Blackpool.
Here, I'll let Glasgow Jazz chanteuse Marie Murphy - Betty's niece take up the tale.
"My Auntie Liz (who was Betty first), was performing in Blackpool, where singer Dickie Valentine was also appearing. He was obviously smitten by Betty, as on their first meeting, backstage after a show, he said: 'I'm going to marry you' - it was love at first sight.
"Betty, being the beauty that she was, wasn't short of
male admirers, and a good few pursued her, but it was Dickie who won her heart.
"I had many happy childhood trips to stay with them in their various
glamorous homes - quite a change for a tenement girl like me!
"They had a boy and a girl - Kym and Richard - and spent most summers in
Cannes or Biarritz.
"I remember, as a wee girl, being taken by them to
Harrods for lunch.
"Uncle Dickie was a wonderful, sweet man, and I loved my Auntie
dearly."
In those, distant, pre Rock 'n' Roll days, we forget what a
big star Dickie Valentine was. He certainly broke a few bobbysoxers' hearts
when he wed Betty, at London's Caxton Hall, in 1954.
You can watch footage of the scenes at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd7ZQCXq2n4
Sadly, the couple divorced in 1967, with Dickie being killed in a car
crash, in Wales, in 1971, aged only 41.
Thankfully, singer Marie inherited her aunt's performing genes, and has sung
all around the world, including doing a duet with the late, great Robert
'Addicted To Love' Palmer.
