Skip to content

Story of Britain's 'jukebox revolution' preserved

Britsh Pathe Black and white footage of young people at a danceBritsh Pathe
Jukeboxes once gave British teenagers their only chance to listen to music not regularly played on mainstream radio

The story of a long-gone Lancashire factory that led a musical revolution is being preserved in a history project.

In the 1950s, the town of Lytham played a central role in the development of the British jukebox, which gave some teenagers a chance to listen to rock and pop not played on mainstream radio.

Ditchburn Equipment Ltd, which closed about 50 years ago, was the only maker of British jukeboxes for a decade.

Lancaster University has now teamed up with heritage charity Mirador to create a detailed archive of the impact the machines had on that generation.

The project has also been boosted by a £37,000 grant from the Arts Council and £50,904 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

George Harris, from Mirador, said: "For about the first 10 years Ditchburn made the only jukeboxes in the UK and at a very critical period when young people were discovering themselves in a different way."

A 1950s style British jukebox
British jukeboxes and their impact on a generation of teenagers are the focus of a special archive at Lancaster University library

He said the project, entitled Jukebox: The Teenage Revolution, was not only about the machines themselves but explored the social change taking place at the time.

"We were keen to interview people who were teenagers in that period to get their story of what life was like", he said.

"That treasure trove will be resting up there at Lancaster University library."

One of the interviewees, Phil Baker, described why jukeboxes were such a big deal for teenagers.

"We didn't have the radio playing pop music all the time," he said.

"It was highly unlikely you were going to get sort of hardcore Little Richard or something on the BBC.

"That was your problem really, you relied on jukeboxes."

The archive will be housed at Lancaster University library, which is open to the public after joining as a member.

Alongside the archive, enthusiast Karl Dawson is also planning to open a museum on in May 2025 showcasing jukeboxes he has painstakingly restored.

Further details will be released in due course.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to [email protected]

Related internet links