A Seaside Belle Once More

by anon

Once the ugly sister of the UK’s coastal spots, Blackpool has recently had a makeover. Well actually it’s more of a surgical facelift with a multi-million pound investment into its promenade, tram system, town centre and other tourist attractions.

Over the last seven years, Blackpool has been buffed, polished, nipped and tucked to reveal a seaside town almost unrecognisable from its dark and depressing recent past when it was cruelly nicknamed Cess-Pool by its more sophisticated seaside siblings.

But it’s Blackpool who’s having the last laugh as visitor numbers continue to grow whilst other UK holiday spots struggle and it’s not hard to see why.

Blackpool is a town that doesn’t take its self too seriously and therein lies its beauty, a juxtaposition of tacky and tradition, it’s a place that wants you to enjoy yourself and with so many things on offer, you’d be hard pushed not to.

Highlights include a trip to the top of the tower where the views on a good day allow you see as far as the Lake District. On a bad day you’d probably be lucky so see as far as the beach below but the recent addition of the Walk of Faith, whereby you’re dared to walk over a reinforced glass walkway, is pretty thrilling in itself.

A walk along the Golden Mile starts at south pier and ends at north pier and shows Blackpool at its finest with stunning views out to sea, three piers, the newly created Comedy Carpet, the tower and many amusement arcades. No walk along the promenade is complete without a Mr Whippy ice cream, it's a tradition (albeit one I may have created myself).

The new tram system runs the length of the promenade from Star Gate in the south to Fleetwood in the north and is certainly well worth hopping on especially if you can time it that you jump off again before the conductor has got to you to take your money.

The Pleasure Beach caters to the dare devil tourist with its various ghost trains and rollercoaster rides including the not so creatively named Big One which was the tallest and steepest rollercoaster in the world when it first opened in May 1994.

Town planners and tourist bosses alike have been working hard to make Blackpool relevant again and their hard work appears to be paying off. Has the tide finally turned for Blackpool?