A stitch in time helped the show to go on for 10-year-old John Cunliffe when he fell and gashed his leg an hour before he was due to go to the panto. He was rushed to Burnley Victoria Hospital where eight stitches were put in his right leg. His father then rushed him back to Burnley bus station by car just in time. His comment from his theatre seat: "Glad I made it."

From an article by John Whelan:
Three double-decker bus loads of Burnley Cub Scouts more than 200 in all arrived at the Davenport Theatre in Stockport with not too much time to spare to see "Babes in the Wood". On the trip with us were Cub Scouts from St Stephen's, St Mark's, Newchurch, St Andrew's and 16th Burnley, all of Burnley, plus St John's Worsthorne, and St Luke's Brierfield. Leading the St Stephen's contingent in grand style was Mr Edward Mackay, ably assisted by Mrs Joyce Davies. Our other bus loads were directed by Mr Brian Paslewick and Mr Ralph Middleton, of St Luke's Brierfield. Pantos as pantos go were better years ago. Some of the jokes trotted out by Mike and Bernie Winters would have made Rip Van Winkle smile. The dame, played by Jimmy Malbron, stripped to her corsetry, all in good taste, provided the belly chuckles. Friar Tuck, Robin Hood et al were there. It can't be too easy for 200 Burnley Cub Scouts to go to the theatre without being recognised. So, the Davenport Theatre resounded to cries of "Burnley" in competition with other sections of the audience yelling "Manchester United."

Highlight of the trip for five Cub Scouts was meeting Mike and Bernie Back stage. It was a flying visit to say the least, but at the same time gave an insight into life behind the curtain. Afterwards verdicts on the show. From Ian Winchester (10) of Rawson Street: "Mike and Bernie are quite good." More emphatically from eight-year-old Mark Andrew Bond of Briercliffe Road, Burnley, "Absolutely fantastic." Said Mr Pearson: "It was a show for the kids and they thoroughly enjoyed it. Only thing is on a trip like this, it takes a bit of getting used to the noise."