'For once, I'm feeling blue for the right reasons - the Nolans have a plaque'

18 October 2023 , 18:06

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The Nolans with brother Brian at the plaque unveiling (Image: Aaron Parfitt / SplashNews.com)

We’ve made it. It’s only taken 50 years. This week, us Nolans got a blue plaque. It’s official, we’re stars! For once, I’m feeling blue for all the right reasons.

It’s not outside our actual house, mind. Apparently there were concerns about footfall. I know there’s a fair few Nolans, but we wouldn’t be there all the time… Instead, our plaque has gone up outside Blackpool’s finest Cliffs Hotel, where the Singing Nolans, us lot and our mum and dad, used to perform.

It was there we landed our big break in London. Dad always said no to bookings on Christmas Day. That was a family holiday. Until that particular year. They must have made an offer too good to refuse, because that’s where we found ourselves one Christmas. It was during that gig we were spotted by the people that took us to play The London Room on Drury Lane.

The family's historic blue plaque (Collect)

Before you knew it Cliff Richard had asked us to appear as guests on his TV show. I was only 15. Coleen was nine! Without Cliffs (and Cliff) life might have turned out very differently. So we all piled up there for the unveiling. It was lovely to be together, although we missed Bernie, and we made sure to remember her.

The poignancy of having a lasting, solid something in my name wasn’t lost on me when a few hours later I went for my 7th cycle of chemo. I should probably have a blue plaque at the hospital, too. “Linda was here” next to every chair; call me Goldilocks with shorter hair. I might just suggest it.

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Linda Nolan