Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:

Q1. Lytham

Q2. Ena Sharples

The initial clues appear to place us in Lytham St Anne's, in the county of Lancashire. This was formerly two towns (Lytham and St Anne's) which have merged together over the years, presumably as more development and building work was carried out in each settlement.

An airfield, which lies to the east of Lytham and which at one time had the largest store building in Europe, at two hundred and seventy thousand square feet, is probably Warton Aerodrome, which from some of the sources I checked, does seem to have been constructed c 1942.

North of Warton airfield, lies the dorp of Wrea Green and it was here, according to some of his biographies, that the hangman James Berry (born Heckmondwike, Yorkshire on 8th of February c 1852 ), was educated, at Wrea Green Academy. Berry was the executioner who unsuccessfully tried three times to hang John 'Babbacombe' Lee. He seems to have been unable to hang Mr Lee due to a faulty hinge on the gallows trapdoor and because of this, Lee was given a life sentence instead.

Lytham hall is an eighteenth century Georgian manor house, built in the Palladian style, which is surrounded by seventy eight acres of parkland, on the eastern outskirts of Lytham (built by architect John Carr (born c 1723)). The national piers society claim that Lytham pier was nine hundred and fourteen feet long and was demolished c 1960. Their web site also says that St Anne's pier was nine hundred and fourteen feet long originally but after a fire c 1982, it's length was reduced to six hundred feet.

A comedian born c 1931, who lived in St Anne's and had comedy characters 'Cissie and Ada', in his show, is probably Les Dawson. Royal Lytham & St Anne's golf course, appears to have around two hundred and six bunkers and it was here, c 1979 that the famous Spanish golfer Seve Ballesteros, won the Open.

A hairnet wearing harridan TV character, who's absence from Weatherfield's 'Rover's Return Inn' pub was explained by saying that she'd gone to stay with a friend called Henry Foster, in St Anne's, is most likely Ena Sharples, from 'Coronation Street' .

N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive comment pertaining to the puzzle and its soliton, he will endeavour to publish it.