BLACKPOOL ROCKS! (Blackpool in General)

Member Name: jojopillo

Product:	Blackpool in General
Date:	24/05/09 (186 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: FUN, SUN, SEA & SAND!

Disadvantages: VERY QUIET AND STORMY OUT OF SEASON

An awful lot of us will have been to Blackpool at some time or other. Whether it be for a weekend break, a day out, stag and hen parties, to see the illuminations or even your annual summer holiday.

Situated on the Fylde coast in the North-West of England, this small town has an excellent road and rail infrastructure, with the M55 motorway being the main road link into the town; three mainline railway stations serving North and South Blackpool, including one for Blackpool Pleasure Beach. As well as this you also have Blackpool International Airport just a few miles from the Town Centre. I suppose you could even row your boat here too if you wanted to!

I came here quite often as a child with locally organised coach parties, and sometimes just the family in a car to see the illuminations; and I can remember being wide-eyed and enthralled by the sheer vastness of it all. I don't think it's lost any of its appeal to children in that way! Even at twelve years old my daughter still enjoys the illuminations each year.

I have actually lived here in Blackpool for the past five years, and like anywhere you live, you can sometimes forget how new and exciting it can be to tourists, and can take it for granted sometimes. For instance; I live in the north of the town, about two miles north of the Tower, and when I go to Morrisons I drive right down the promenade, past some magnificent hotels, past three piers, past Pleasure Beach with the giant Pepsi Max rollercoaster, Blackpool Tower, boat-shaped trams, Coral Island, Sandcastle Waterpark, funfairs, Ferris wheels, arcades with Vegas style illuminated signs, rock shops, kiss-me-quick hats, and last, but not least, some lovely beaches with stunning sea views.
When all the while the only thing on my mind is what I should buy for tea!

These are just everyday sights to me, but judging on the faces of the thousands of people I'm also passing, this town still gives a great amount of pleasure to its visitors and this is probably why Blackpool is still the UK's most visited seaside town, still attracting an average of around one million visitors a month - break it down, it's a lot for a small town! Much lower, however, than its mid 20th Century heyday when it attracted 17 million tourists a year.

And it's not just tourists that regularly visit Blackpool.
Over the years we have played host to numerous Prime Ministers, Chancellors and Opposition Leaders through various party conferences, some of Britain's most loved variety acts(Cannon & Ball, Ken Dodd and Chubby Brown to name but a few), with the Winter Gardens hosting everything from conferences to conventions and the annual World Darts Championship.
And not forgetting, of course, the legendary Jack & Vera Duckworth!

The most prominent feature of this town though has to be Blackpool Tower, an iron and steel structure, which was inspired by a visit of the Blackpool Mayor to Paris in 1889. At its highest point the tower is 158 metres (518ft) tall and includes 'The Walk of Faith', a 2 inch thick piece of glass at the top of the tower which you can step on, if you dare! The tower still remains one of Britain's most iconic structures after 115 years of dominating this west-coast skyline. I have only visited the Tower twice, and unfortunately the lift was out of service due to bad weather, so I've yet to get to the top!

Blackpool Pleasure Beach, home to, at the time it was built, the tallest rollercoaster in the world, the Pepsi Max, is still one of the main draws for visitors to Blackpool but just recently introduced a £5 admission charge to the park; with unlimited ride wristbands available from as little as £15 on special offer to the normal £28 high season charge. There are plenty of breathtaking rides including the most recent addition the Infusion, a twisty, hangy-upside-downy frightening looking ride that I've yet to try. I have been on the Pepsi Max, however, and the view from the top was amazing, until I was whisked with 3½ g-force down a 200ft drop at 70 mph; that shut me up!

One of the great things about living here though is the beaches. It's wonderful to pop down on a warm summer's evening after work or on your day off and have the choice of so many lovely sandy beaches to just relax, take in the warm sun and let the pressures of the day subside. I go to one of the less busy ones just outside of town for a bit more peace and quiet. And even in these days of computers and video game technology it's great to see children still enjoying the age old pastime of sandcastle building.

The three piers which I mentioned before were all built in the 19th Century; North Pier being the first in 1863, shortly followed by Central Pier in 1868, and much later South Pier in 1893. North Pier has hosted many of our greatest variety acts and you can once again see regulars Freddie Starr and Joe Longthorne this year. Central Pier has rides, arcades and our very own Blackpool Eye; oh, ok it's a Ferris wheel! South Pier is also fronted by an arcade and includes a small funfair too.

On the South Promenade you can find what is claimed to be the world's largest mirrorball, which is lit with an amazing laser light show as part of the illuminations and throughout the summer season. The award winning globe contains 46,500 small mirrors and is definitely something you should visit after sunset.

World renowned Blackpool illuminations are responsible for about an extra three and a half million visitors a year to the town. The six mile stretch along the seafront incorporates a million bulbs and runs for 66 nights, this year from 4th September to 8th November. Each year the lights are switched on by a well known celebrity accompanied by a show and presenter and aired on BBC radio. Some of the big names to have had this honour over the years include Matt Busby, Shirley Bassey, The Muppets, Red Rum, The Bee Gees, Frank Bruno and Joanna Lumley.

Hotels and guest houses abound in Blackpool and there are said to be 250,000 guest beds available here, wow! Starting at £10 a night for B&B to £100 plus in the likes of the luxurious Imperial, Savoy and Hilton hotels. So, all in all, something for everyone's budget!

As you can imagine there are a plethora of bars, restaurants and fast food outlets to keep you fed and watered, and as well as the larger attractions, you also have the likes of Coral Island, the Dr. Who exhibition, Ripley's Believe it or Not, and of course, the legendary Louis Tussaud's Waxworks.

There are plenty of opportunities for shopping while you're here too, with the Houndshill Shopping Centre incorporating a massive Debenhams, Primark, New Look, River Island and many other favourites. You'll also find nearby in the town M&S and Topshop as well as many other well known high street names.

Away from the centre of Blackpool we have the vast Stanley Park, a lovely place to feed the ducks, relax and take a leisurely stroll through tree-shaded pathways. There, you will also find Blackpool Cricket Club which often hosts Lancashire CCC matches. There is an 18 hole golf course, bowling greens, tennis courts, boating lake, a beautiful art deco café, and two excellent rose gardens. Also on the grounds is a model village and across the road you have Blackpool Zoo.

Many people come to Blackpool for the nightlife and at the weekend you can find the town full of partygoers; and due to the diversity of the visitors it attracts, it has something for everyone, whether it's family or adult entertainment, a quiet drink in the pub, a nice meal or a stonkingly sweaty nightclub all-nighter! If you're coming for the latter then you might like to visit The Syndicate, a club which holds over 4000 people on three floors, and is amongst the largest in the UK. Blackpool has also been dubbed 'The Gay Capital of the North' and in the North part of the town you'll find a whole host of gay and gay friendly pubs, clubs and hotels. The most famous of all these has to be Funny Girls, a massive venue featuring an amazing professional cabaret drag show.

Blackpool has always had a special place in my heart, and even more so now after being a resident for over five years. Out of season it becomes very quiet, and with waves crashing over the prom in bad conditions it can be quite tempestuous. The most amazing thing I have found though is that it really is a small town and once the tourists have gone a close community sprit evolves, and can help you through those dark and stormy winter's days.

The town, and promenade in particular, has been undergoing some regeneration over the last year or two, and is now gearing itself for another century as the UK's leading seaside destination.
'Go Blackpool!'

There's always plenty to do here in Blackpool. And whether you're 2 or 102, there's something for everyone.

For more information go to www.visitblackpool.com the official site for Blackpool tourism.

Blackpool tourism 01253 478222

Summary: A GREAT BRITISH HOLIDAY!