UK Touring Dolphin Shows

 

Complimentary Ticket for shows operated by the Queen's Entertainment Centre, Cliftonville, Margate.

 

During the late 1960s until the early 1980s there were a number of dolphinarium operators within the UK who during the winter period would take some of their animals on tour and utilise public swimming pools to present performances over the winter period. Below is a catalogue of the shows and and the companies involved.

 

MARGATE TOURING

The Queen's Entertainment Centre: Margate Dolphinarium and satellites.

The Queen's Entertainment Centre which was owned by Keith Franklin and Lewis Holloway utilised this former Butlin's hotel swimming pool for a dolphinarium and were probably the first people to exploit the use of public swimming pools for winter dolphin shows. 

The first show was in 1971 at Wythenshawe a suburb of Manchester in the council owned Sharston Baths.

Later they toured in Wolverhampton, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol

Wythenshaw Baths - Manchester - 1970

Bradford Baths - Manchester - 1971

  

Heath Town Baths - Wolverhampton - 1972

Bilston Baths - Wolverhampton - 1972-3

 

 

 

Guinea Gap Baths – Wallasey – Merseyside - 1972

 

 

British Movietone. Dolphins At The Baths. AP News

 

 

 

 

William Robert's Baths – Norris Green - Liverpool - 1972-3

Liverpool Echo: Lost swimming baths loved by kids where you could also see real dolphins

Liverpool Echo: 1970s dolphin shows that took over Liverpool's swimming baths

 

 

 

Windsor Baths. Bradford. 1978.

Performing dolphins visited Bradford swimming baths in 1978

SCARBOROUGH TOURING 

Don Robinson: Scarborough Marineland & Zoo

 

Grove Baths, Belfast

 

Do you remember when dolphins took over the Grove Leisure Centre? 

Belfast Live. Retrospective article of when dolphins performed in Grove Baths, Belfast. 

BBC news coverage of the demolition of Grove Leisure Centre with a brief mention and some video of the winter dolphin show.

Grove Baths dolphin show show guide book.

 

Horwich Swimming Pool. 1977.


No swimming - unless you were a dolphin at Horwich. The Bolton News. Retrospect news item regarding the time dolphins performed in Horwich swimming pool in 1977.

The fascinating story behind the 'Great Dolphin Debate' and some unusual visitors at a community pool

 

 

 

 

  

 

MAINDEE POOL. NEWPORT, WALES 

From late December 1983 until January 1984 two dolphins were displayed in a show at the Maindeep Baths in Newport, Wales. 

 

The dolphin show was by animals owned by Terry Nutkins the television wildlife presenter. Nutkins had previously been the general manager for ETAM (the leisure division of Trust House Forte) who at one point operated three dolphinariums in the UK at the seaside town of Rhyl and Knowsley and Woburn Safari Parks.   

 

ETAM decided not to continue operating their dolphinariums in 1983 and their last remaining dolphins Clyde and  Sooty were eventually acquired by Terry Nutkins.   

 

Clyde was one of the original dolphins display by ETAM with his partner Bonnie. These animals had previously been displayed at the London Dolphinarium a venue where Nutkins at also been a member of the management team.   Sooty was one of two animals that Terry Nutkins imported from a Japanese drive fisheries via Ocean Park aquarium in Hong Kong.  This was featured in the television programme Animal Magic in which Terry Nutkins was a co-presenter.  

 

During their time with Terry Nutkins these animals were displayed in the dolphinarium in Blair Drummond Safari Park in 1982 and then moved to Knowsley Safari Park in October 1984. In September 1985 Knowsley were  granted permission by the Department of the Environment to buy the animals from Terry Nutkins.

 

  

 

 

 

CLACTON DOLPHINARIUM, GRAYS, ESSEX 

The dolphins and the sea lions from Clacton Pier's dolphinarium did spend a number of weeks off season performing at a swimming pool in Greys in Essex.