England - Blackpool:
The Tower, Illuminations, Victorian Piers, and the mighty Wurlitzer
People have been coming to Blackpool for over two hundred years for the healthy sea air, sandy beaches, well-preserved Victoriana - and the Giant Ferris Wheel
With tourism overtaking manufacturing as Britain's major employer , Blackpool's fresh air and fun coaxes millions of pounds from around 10 million visitors a year So just what is it that brings the millions to Blackpool when they could be toddling off to the Riviera or scorching themselves on the Costa del Sol? The answer is simple - plain, uninhibited fun.
Blackpool - World-class attractions
Add to this the seven miles of sandy beaches,the world's tallest roller coaster, the 'illuminations' - almost six miles of electronic kitsch known as "the lights" which run throughout September and October; the three beautifully preserved Victorian piers and the 538-foot Tower with its fine Edwardian ballroom.
Blackpool - The Era of the Spa
Fun it may be, but this wasn't always the case. A couple of centuries ago a trip to the seaside was serious business, undertaken purely for the good of one's health and it was not for the likes of the working class. For two hundred years, from the early 1600's to the early 1800's, it was the gentry who made the long journeys by coach or rough voyages by sea in order to partake of the 'cure' It was the era of the Spa, when people were used to bathing in the inland spa baths which were thought to be a cure for practically every ailment under the sun. 'Taking the waters' was not only socially acceptable it was also highly profitable for those in charge of the mineral springs.
Blackpool Today
This was the start of of it all. People now come from all over Britain in their millions and Blackpool today is a huge success story. This is an old girl who knows how to move with the times. Where many other seaside resorts seemed locked into a time warp, with increasingly older visitors spending decreasing amounts of money, Blackpool seems to be getting younger. It has spent millions sprucing up the 113-year-old Tower and all the attractions therein and continues to build ever more terrifying rides to tempt the most jaded palates.
Blackpool - A Quieter Side...
There's another side to Blackpool. Yes, the illuminations can look a bit tacky with the harsh light of day on them but at night they are transformed into five miles of fairyland. Get up early on a sunny morning and stroll along the beach before the crowds arrive. There are fishermen shrimping in the early tide and the air is so fresh you feel you've never really breathed proper air before and the great Victorian piers with their intricate steel structures form complex patterns against the empty sands.
The giant Ferris Wheel sits on the Central Pier silent and gleaming in the morning sunshine, like some strange extra terrestrial machine that has momentarily stopped to allow its pilots a look around.
Blackpool - the future
The future looks good for Blackpool. While many other seaside towns are losing their character in a relentless move upmarket Blackpool remains determinedly down to earth and as bold and brassy as ever. The crowds still wear their Kiss Me Quick hats and waltz to the mighty Wurlitzer in the Tower Ballroom. It is one of the busiest holiday resorts in the world, with the glitter and glamour, and the the occasional bit of tarnished tinsel, that draws the crowds to Blackpool.
Read my blog about Freud and Blackpool
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