​The Brazil national team stayed at the Lymm Hotel during their 1966 World Cup campaign, a tournament in which they were eliminated at the group stage. As part of their time in the rural Cheshire village, the squad—also featuring Garrincha and Jairzinho—met local residents, signed autographs, and offered fans a rare glimpse of their world-class stars. Laurence Bennett, who was five at the time, recalls spending mornings before school serving toast to the players while his mother, Bessie, worked at the Lymm Hotel. “I got to wander around these magnificent footballers,” he told BBC Radio Manchester, adding that access to the players in the village would be unfathomable today. “You could just go into the hotel and they’d be standing there.” People from all over Lymm spoke with them, met them, shook their hands, and collected autographs.
Bennett still cherishes a piece of that visit: Pele gave his mother his training shirt, and Bennett has kept it for six decades. “My grandson’s worn it, too,” he said, marveling at how Pele remains a football icon. Bennett’s memories and more from the visit have been preserved in an exhibition at the Lymm Heritage Centre. “They stayed for only 10 days, yet those ten days are still the talk of the town,” remarked Alan Williams, who runs the centre. He noted that nearly every boy in Lymm had a kickabout with Pele and many locals collected autographs. Thanks to modern technology, the photos from that period have been restored and brought to life, helping tell a remarkable story that fills the community with pride.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds, and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also share story ideas via WhatsApp at 0808 100 2230. Related stories include rare photos of Brazil ’66 on display and a Pele shirt that recently sold for £2,100 at auction. For more information, visit the Lymm Heritage Centre’s pages.