Home to England’s oldest iron pier, beautiful sandy beaches and its very own lawnmower museum, Southport is a fantastic coastal destination like no other. But, did you know it is also the birthplace of some of Britain’s most iconic household names?
Originally part of Lancashire, Southport was recently named as Merseyside’s ‘happiest’ place to live and there are many famous faces with links to the beautiful seaside town, from Premier League footballers to award-winning actors.
Here we take a look at 14 Sandgrounders who have gone on to achieve their dreams and make Southport proud. How many did you know?
9. Ginger McCain
Race horse trainer Ginger McCain led the champion steeplechaser Red Rum to three Grand National victories in the 1970s and won a fourth with Amberleigh House in 2004. He started out in a small stables behind the showroom of his used-car store in his hometown of Southport. | Getty Images Photo: Tony Evans/Getty Images
10. John Alfred Tinniswood
At 111-years-old, John Alfred Tinniswood is now the world’s oldest living man. Born on August 26, 1912, John is a great-grandfather and currently lives at a care home in Southport, where staff describe him as ‘a big chatterbox’. He was crowned the oldest man on the planet in April 2024, following the deaths of 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez, from Venezuela, and 112-year-old Gisaburo Sonobe from Japan. | Guinness World Records Photo: Guinness World Records
11. Ryan Prescott
Ryan Prescott is a British actor from Southport who currently plays Ryan Connor on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. He has also starred in Emmerdale and Doctors. | Jeff Spicer / Stringer
12. Gomez
Gomez are an indie rock band from Southport, comprising Ian Ball (vocals, guitar), Paul "Blackie" Blackburn (bass), Tom Gray (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Ben Ottewell (vocals, guitars) and Olly Peacock (drums, synths, computers). They have released seven studios albums since their first, Bring It On, in 1998. | Kubacheck/CC BY 2.0/commons.wikimedia Photo: Kubacheck/CC BY 2.0/commons.wikimedia