PEOPLE who thought the church of St Stephen's on the Cliffs was an ugly duckling are about to discover they have got a swan on their hands.

For the Bispham church has been chosen as one of the nation's architectural gems which will open its doors for Heritage Open Days this weekend.

For years the building's grim concrete frontage disguised what those in the know recognised as a cherised design from the Lancaster architects Austin and Paley, one of the most acclaimed church architects of the inter-war years.

This year, for its 75th birthday, the church gained a new frontage which completed a design project which ground to a halt in the 1930s.

"They built as far as they could in the 1920s but in the 1930s, when the recession hit, they ran out of money," said parish priest Fr Peter Walsh who saw the gothic revival building completed after a £380,000 fund-raising project. "It is a hidden gem for Blackpool."

The church, with noted stained glass, was originally build for actors and actresses visiting the town and is believed to be the only one in the world with a special chapel for the show business profession.

A plaque listing the donors who helped its building includes Gracie Fields, Bud Flanagan, George Formby and the Tiller Girls.

The church will be open on Saturday (September 14) from 10am to 4pm and on Sunday from 1pm to 4pm.