Blackpool
At the beginning of the 19 th century Blackpool was a little known fishing village, lost among the sand dunes of the Fylde Peninsula on the north-west coast, with about 500 people living there. However, the arrival of the great Victorian railways in 1846, linked Blackpool with the industrial towns of Lancashire and Yorkshire, and transformed this quiet backwater resort into the booming tourist attraction that it remains to this day. In a little over a century the town's resident population has grown to about 150,000, and annually attracts some 8 million visitors during the summer season.
It was the late 19 th century that witnessed the building of many of Blackpool's now famous attractions. The Water Gardens Complex had a theatre built in 1878, and in 1889 the original Opera House was added. The theatre is horseshoe shaped and has two richly ornamented balconies, while the ballroom is noted for its 12 huge glass chandeliers. The best -known seaside landmark in Britain, the Blackpool Tower was constructed between 1891/4 in imitation of the Parisian Eiffel Tower. However, despite its dominating presence on the Blackpool seafront, at 518ft high it is little more than half the height of the French original; for many years though, it remained Britain's tallest structure. Tucked between the feet of the tower are the Tower Circus and the Ballroom, decorated in the exuberantly lavish style of the Paris Opera. Of Blackpool's three piers the North Pier is the most interesting; designed by Eugenius Birch, it was opened at the beginning of the 1863 season and is now a listed building. Apart from the Town Hall, constructed at the turn of the century, these Victorian buildings are almost all that remains from Blackpool's early years of development.
One other reminder of the town's Victorian hey-day is its tramway system; here it was in 1885 that the world's first electric street tram began operating along the seafront. The route was later extended in 1895 to run along the coast to Lytham St Anne's. The original trams have long since been taken out of commission, but modern comfortable ones have replaced them and now service the full 7 mile length of the Promenade. This very popular attraction is the last surviving commercial tramway in Britain.
At the heart of the Promenade is the ‘Golden Mile', a bustling boulevard of amusement arcades, hot-dog stalls and candy floss stands, while at the southern end is the vast ‘Pleasure Beach' with its own monorail. Here stands the tallest, fastest and possibly the most expensive roller coaster ride in Britain, along with many other thrill-a-minute, white-knuckle rides - not recommended for the fainthearted! Close to the Pleasure Beach is the ‘Sandcastle' providing all-weather aqua attractions, with waves, waterslides and flumes in a tropical indoor setting. Further down the Golden Mile ‘The Sea Life Centre' is popular with visitors of all ages, providing a close view of sea creatures rarely seen.
Behind its lively, noisy, garish façade Blackpool also provides quiet, secluded corners where visitors can escape the brashness of the seafront. Only minutes from the Golden Mile is the 300 acre Stanley Park, with its serene boating lake, golf course, delightful Italian gardens and sumptuous rose beds. On the other side of East Park Drive sprawls the famous Zoo Park, where more than 400 different animals and birds live in moated enclosures. In the nearby Woodland Gardens there are shady walks among the trees - an oasis of peace and tranquillity away from the jostling crowds. There are also pleasant inland walks to Anchorsholme, four miles to the north. The Grundy Art Gallery in Queen Street has a fine collection of 19 th and 20 th century paintings by British artists.
Blackpool has the longest season of all seaside resorts, extended by its conferences and exhibitions in the spring and autumn, but most especially by its annual autumn spectacular, the Illuminations. From early September to late October 5 miles of the Promenade are transformed into a glittering display of coloured lights and tableaux. An eagerly awaited free show, the lights, have over the years provided spectacular shows and incorporated many themes - at this time too the trams come into their own, taking on many exotic shapes. Blackpool takes its fun seriously, and tries hard to live up to its claim of being the Entertainment Capital of Europe.