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 | Blackpool City car rental - Travel Guide |  |
Shamelessly brash BLACKPOOL is the archetypal British seaside resort, its "Golden Mile" of piers, fortune-tellers, amusement arcades, tram and donkey rides, fish-and-chip shops, candyfloss stalls, fun pubs and bingo halls making no concessions to anything but low-brow fun-seeking of the finest kind. There are seven miles of wide sandy beach backed by an unbroken chain of hotels and guest houses, and though the sea-water quality is still highly debatable, even after heavy investment in a new sewage system, there's nothing wrong with the beach itself - except for the crowds packing the central stretches on hot summer days. Sixteen million people come here each year, and love every minute.
The coming of the railway in 1846 made Blackpool what it is today: within thirty years, there were piers, promenades and theatres for the thousands who descended. The Winter Gardens , with its barrel-vaulted ballroom, the Baroque Grand Theatre on Church Street, Blackpool's own "Eiffel Tower" on the seafront and other refined diversions were built to cater to the tastes of the first influx, but it was the Central Pier's "open air dancing for the working classes" that heralded the crucial change of accent. Suddenly Blackpool was favoured destination for the "Wakes Weeks", when whole Lancashire mill towns descended for their annual seven days' holiday.
Where other British holiday resorts have suffered from the rivalry of cheap foreign packages, Blackpool has simply gone from strength to strength by shrewdly providing exactly what its visitors want. Underneath the populist veneer there's a sophisticated marketing approach which balances ever more elaborate rides and attractions with well-grounded traditional entertainment. When other resorts begin to close up for the winter, Blackpool's main season is just beginning, as over half a million light bulbs are used to create the Illuminations which decorate the promenade from the beginning of September to early November.
The town and its attractions
With seven miles of beach - the tide ebb is a full half a mile, leaving plenty of sand at low tide - and accompanying promenade, you'll want to jump on and off the electric trams if you plan to get up and down much between the piers. South Pier to North Pier - between which lies most of what there is to see and do - costs £1.
The major event in town is Blackpool's Pleasure Beach on the South Promenade (March-Easter Sat & Sun 10am-8pm; Easter-June Mon-Fri 2-8pm, Sat & Sun 10am-10pm; July to Nov 5 daily 10am-11pm; hours can vary, call 0870/444 5566, ), just south of South Pier - visted by over seven million people each year. Entrance to the amusement park is free, but you'll have to fork out for the superb array of "white knuckle" rides including "The Big One", the world's fastest roller coaster (85mph) which involves a terrifying near-vertical drop from 235ft. If you're not leaving until you've been on everything - a sensible course of action - buy an unlimited ride wristband (one-day £25, two-day £40).
Across the road, the Sandcastle (June-Oct daily 10am-5.30pm; Nov-May Sat & Sun only; £4.95) is the only place you are likely to want to swim. With every aquatic diversion kept at a constant 29°C it can be a welcome respite from the biting sea air. Jump a tram for the ride up to Central Pier with its 108-feet high revolving Big Wheel. The Sea-Life Centre (daily 10am-6pm; July & Aug Fri & Sat to 10pm; £7; ) here is one of the country's best, with eight-foot sharks looming at you as you march through a glass tunnel. For a taste of what Blackpool attractions used to be like, you could then hit Louis Tussauds Waxworks , 87-89 Central Promenade (daily 10am-10pm; £4.50) - these days, more Posh and Becks than Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.
Between Central and North piers stands the 518-feet Blackpool Tower - the skyline's only real touch of grace - erected in 1894 when it was thought that the Northwest really ought not to be outdone by Paris. It's now marketed as "Tower World" (Easter to early Nov daily 10am-11pm; rest of year Sat 10am-11pm, Sun 10am-6pm; £10) which offers a ride up to the top (where there's a postbox), an unnerving walk on the see-through glass floor, plus a visit to the Edwardian ballroom and various other attractions. From the very early days, there's been a Moorish-inspired circus (shows included in the entry ticket) between the tower's legs, which still functions, though in the spirit of the times it's now animal-free. |
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