MACMILLAN Windmill Appeal said a big "thank you!" to its Blackpool supporters with a special theatre extravaganza.

Backers of the Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde appeal -- including representatives from The Citizen -- were invited to Blackpool's Grand Theatre on Sunday evening to relive the good old days with a night of Victorian music and fun.

Entertainment included music hall performed by Southport's Birkdale United Reformed Church Victorian choir, dance from the Tiptoes Theatre School pupils and clowning around with uni-cycling clown Arthur Pedlar.

Audience participation on many of the songs and a raffle during the interval added to the fun.

And Blackpool Mayor Councillor Sue Wright helped former Wave radio presenter and appeal supporter Gary Burgess to run an auction of collectable coins, which raised £380.

Appeal director Elaine Fossett paid tribute to the Grand Theatre directors and management for donating the theatre for the night and she praised the performers for giving up their time to be in the show.

She told the audience: "Do please keep supporting us. We have to raise £2.9 million and so far we have raised, thanks to you, £1,385,000!"

Elaine told The Citizen: "It isn't about selling seats -- it's about giving seats away. Everybody is in a situation where they can often do something in a fund-raising capacity and we do find that a lot of the fund-raising throughout the year can be traced to the audience of our thank-you concerts."

She said the appeal has raised around £400,000 this year alone. "It just goes to show what a generous community we have," she said.