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Tributes to photographer who spent 50 years with regional daily

Peter EmmettA photographer who spent 50 years capturing coastal life for a regional daily has died aged 84.

Tributes have been paid to Peter Emmett, formerly of The Gazette, Blackpool, who photographed FA Cup finals, the Lockerbie air disaster and The Beatles’ visit to the resort during his career.

Such was Peter’s popularity, he has been dubbed ‘Mr Blackpool’ by former Gazette colleagues.

Peter, who lived in Blackpool with his wife Diane, died in the town’s Victoria Hospital last Wednesday, following heart surgery.

Born in Wimbledon, London, in 1931, he moved to Blackpool aged 13 after his eldest brother Donald was stationed in the town as an instructor with the Royal Artillery.

After leaving school at 15, he started work in The Gazette’s printing department before becoming a messenger boy on the newspaper.

But before long he successfully applied to fill a vacancy in the photographic department and by 1948 was covering the FA Cup Final at Wembley when Blackpool played Manchester United.

Peter’s most talked about photograph featured The Beatles posing with the Blackpool’s iconic Tower in the background.

Determined to get the landmark in the picture, below, he persuaded the group to pose on a fire escape with the structure behind them.

Beatles Blackpool

Former Gazette photographer Peter Owen told the paper: “Everyone will say he was Mr Blackpool. He was very much admired by everyone, a real character.

“Peter was a lovely guy, he loved Blackpool and everywhere he went, he championed the town. He always convinced people, no matter what their opinion, that Blackpool was the Vegas of the North.”

The newspaper’s former tourism writer Craig Fleming added: “Was there anybody or anything in Blackpool that affable Peter Emmett didn’t know? That was a question I used to ask myself after arriving at The Gazette in 1972.

“Having no transport of my own I regularly travelled to jobs with photographers, and when a passenger in Peter’s car I usually knew everything about the people or places we were going to see long before we arrived. His local knowledge was second to none.”

Peter photographed Princess Diana during her visits to the town’s Trinity Hospice, and the Queen when she attended the Royal Variety Performance at Blackpool Opera House in 1955.

Celebrities including Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck were also snapped by him.

Outside of work he was involved in the Round Table, Rotary and the 41 Club, and was a member of his local Neighbourhood Watch.

He was a skiing fan until the age of 65, and was due to go on a cruise holiday in January.

Peter leaves three daughters from a previous marriage, Barbara, Susan and Karen, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He also had a son, Steven, who died in 1976.

8 comments

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  • November 25, 2015 at 10:00 am
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    Such a lovely affable guy. Always helpful to the junior reporter, of whom I was one back in the 60s. When I met him last, just a few years ago, he hadn’t changed a bit.

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  • November 25, 2015 at 10:18 am
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    Very sad to hear of Pete’s passing. I first met him when I was a junior reporter in 1990-ish and covered many jobs with him. He had an old school charm and a lovely twinkly-eyed sense of humour. Pete was also unfailingly helpful to the youngsters in the newsroom & super laid-back/unflappable. Was one of those rare people who took the job seriously but never took himself too seriously. My sincere condolences go to his family.

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  • November 25, 2015 at 12:13 pm
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    What a fine tribute to a photographer the like of which we will never see again in journalism, because of the current management vogue for making all staff photographers redundant. Sadly they don’t realise that they are often getting rid of employees who are very much the well known local face of their newspapers, keeping contact with the very readers (and yes that includes online) which keep the papers a central part of the locality or region they cover.
    How lucky Peter was to have worked so long and loyally through the good times for local papers. RIP

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  • November 25, 2015 at 12:58 pm
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    I really enjoyed working with Pete back when I was on the Gazette sports desk. I especially remember the trip we took to Wembley for the 1991 play-off final on a Friday evening – the club’s first appearance there since the 1953 FA Cup final. As soon as we parked up he was off eagerly taking pictures of tangerine-clad fans on Wembley Way. As ever, his dedication and enthusiasm were unbounded, even on the journey back in the wee small hours after the match ended in defeat. A wonderful character – my condolences to his family.

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  • November 26, 2015 at 9:42 am
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    Pete was a scream to work alongside and he was so well-connected it was ridiculous. He was a wonderful raconteur and will be very much missed. RIP.

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  • November 26, 2015 at 6:29 pm
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    It seems Peter was a great guy, one of the best. I didn’t know him but pass on my condolences to his family. It must have been fantastic working with him.
    It’s great to hear he did his best to encourage newcomers and trainees into our profession. Colleagues set me on the right lines more than half a century ago and I’ve since done my best to help and guide others. The problem these days is staffs are so small, sadly no-one has the time to do so.
    Oh what a different world! I’m sure it’s much less satisfying – and much more frustrating – in journalism now than in my day. I’m semi-retired, earning village correspondent’s rate for most of what I write. That’s how I began so I’ve gone full circle. As a teenager I earned 2d a line in pounds, shillings and pence days, now the rate is 10p.

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  • November 27, 2015 at 1:47 pm
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    I’ll add my decade..When I was a junior and clueless reporter in the 70s it was always a huge relief to see PE next to my initials in the diary. Peter had a clue (and a shiny new car!) when I had neither. Thanks Peter

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