Aah Blackpool !
Fond memories of two footex's ex Squires Gate in the early 70's one using an African Safari Airways Britannia to Verona,
The following year another whispering giant this time to CIA, Rome courtesy of the fledgling Monarch Airlines.
Incidently the take-off from CIA was interesting,- stopped half way along the taxi-way to redistribute the passengers to the very few empty seats in the back and then managed V1 twice. The first time the nose came down with a thump (accompanied by a scream from a stewardess) then up and away, not sure if we took the barbed wire and wire mesh perimiter fence with us !
The flight though, threading our way through the Alps, is something that I will never ever forget. What a priveledge.