Blackpool: The Five Minute Spare Guide

Blackpool The Lancashire Seaside Hotspot!

Welcome to the Five Minutes Spares guide to Blackpool, the entertainment capital of Lancashire, and England’s answer to the Spanish riviera – only without the near 365 – 1/4 days of sunshine. I will be your tour guide for the next few minutes so without further ado, let’s see what this coastal gem has to offer.

The Super Quick Overview

Blackpool is home to around 140,000 people colloquially known as Blackpudlians or Seasiders – (the latter if they are Blackpool F.C. fans) and is home to one of the most recognisable landmarks in the North of England, if not the UK – Blackpool Tower. It is also known for its Zoo and light display which illuminates the promenade from early September to early November each year.

If you like football they can offer Blackpool FC who were FA Cup Winners in 1953 and there are plenty of bars cafes and restaurants for that all-important pre-match indulgence. For families, there are arcades and plenty of fairground rides, and of course, accommodation is plentiful and reasonably priced. So as you can see there is no reason not to visit.

Anyway, let’s get on with the tour…

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A Little Blackpool History

Where better to start our tour than with a little bit of history? After all, we all love a bit of history (don’t we) and it’s sometimes nice to learn how the place we sort of know and love became the place it is today. Anyway, I digress, so here is the potted version…

The Very Early Days

The first “Blackpudlians” are thought to have set up camp in the area as far back as the Paleolithic or the Old Stone Age for those not totally au fait with their Prehistoric terminology. Evidence for this comes from a 13,500-year-old Elk skeleton of all things, which met its end via a primitive bone spear. It was discovered under Blackpool Old Road in 1970.

Subsequently, a tribe known as the Setantii ruled the area and then, of course, the Romans arrived and although they didn’t build a fort here there was one around 20 miles to the east at Kirkham. Fast forward a few hundred years and the Doomsday Book recorded a number of villages and settlements in the area which would eventually become Blackpool as we currently know it.

Slow Growth

For centuries Blackpool was a small hamlet by the sea and remained small even when during the 18th century, it became fashionable for the well to do to travel to the seaside during the Summer; (In those days people believed that bathing in seawater could cure diseases). Visitors numbers started to take off from the middle of the 18th century but it was still more a village until 1781 when  Thomas Clifton and Sir Henry Houghton built a private road to Blackpool. This allowed stagecoaches to start running between Blackpool and Manchester and a year later a regular route to Halifax began.

The Foundations of a Town

Despite this growth remained slow until the railway reached Blackpool, something which finally opened it up to the rest of the industrial towns of the north. The first railway in the area opened in 1840 which ran to Poulton in the Fylde however by 1863 there were connections much further afield including to Preston & Lytham.

These rail links made accessing the town cheaper and quicker and soon Blackpool was firmly on the map. During 1856-1870, the original Promenade was built along the seafront (which was extended in the early 1900s). During this time Blackpool also got the North Pier in 1863, and Central Pier in 1868. The promenade layout we see today was now beginning to take shape.

Then in 1871, a company was formed to buy Raikes Hall and the popular Gardens of the same name opened in 1872, and by 1878 Blackpool had joined the music hall brigade thanks to the opening of the Winter Gardens.

We Have Lights!

Then in 1879, a seismic event for the town occurred – electric lights were switched on in Blackpool. At that time electric lighting was a very new and exciting invention and the event attracted many thousands of visitors. Described as Artificial Sunshine they consisted of eight carbon which illuminated the Promenade. Not much by modern-day standards but to put this into perspective, it was another year before Thomas Edison patented the light bulb. No wonder so many turned up to see them The forerunner of today’s illuminations were born!

Blackpool gets a Tram

An electric tramway opened in Blackpool in 1885 thanks to the expansion of electrification to all areas and in 1889 the Opera House was built. But the real tourist magnets for the town arrived in the late 1890s when first, South Pier opened in 1893 and the world-famed Blackpool Tower Which took 3 years to build was opened in 1894. The completion of the North Promenade in 1899 pretty much set the town up as the de-rigour northern tourist destination in 1899 and in that late 19th century period Blackpool grew at a phenomenal rate.

Growth Spurt

In 1881 the population of Blackpool was 14,000 quite impressive but nothing outstanding, however, fast forward 20 years to 1901 the population of Blackpool was 47,000; nearly 3.5 times as many! This exponential growth continued and the tourists swelled the numbers further and by 1951, 147,000 people called Blackpool home. Hereafter with so much happening it’s easier to give a quick chronology

Blackpool Pleasure Beach advanced the move towards the town we know and love today, opening in 1896 and soon after in 1900 to celebrate the new Millenium (a year early of course) the Town Hall was added. Then came the Grand Theatre in 1904 and the towns first cinema in 1905 and voila the foundations of a major tourist destination were sown.

Then in 1911, the Grundy Art Gallery was added giving a cultural angle, followed by the first proper Blackpool illuminations in 1912. They were short-lived at first so to speak having been switched off during WWI but they were back by 1925.

Blackpool Carnival

The first Blackpool Carnival was held in 1923 then Stanley Park opened in 1926 and Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks opened in 1929 (Madame Tussauds since 2011). Phew, we are tired just typing this!

So the roaring twenties ended with Blackpool pretty much as it is today.

The pace of growth slowed a bit thereafter, however, Blackpool Zoo was added in 1972 and the Hounds Hill Shopping Centre arrived in 1980. A seaside resort wouldn’t be complete without a waterpark, and this was duly added in 1986 with the opening of The Sandcastle which is not surprisingly an indoor waterpark kept at a balmy 84-degrees. What’s missing? A giant aquarium, of course, and that calling was answered when the Blackpool Sea Life Centre opened in 1990 complete with lots of Sharks!

So there we have it a potted history and a quick chronology of all the lovely things you can do here. anyway now on to one of Five Minutes Spare’s favourite parts, trivia, starting with.

Not A Lot Of People Know That…

The name Blackpool is thought to derive from a black pool that used to form in the sea nearby caused by the runoff from a peat bog.

Blackpool was the setting for the 1934 Comedy Musical film Sing as We Go, starring Dame Gracie Fields. Not a classic but the final song is catchy.

In 1937 George Formby wrote one of his most recognised songs “With My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock”. It was banned by BBC radio for having suggestive lyrics!

While we are on the subject, the world’s biggest stick of rock was made in the town in 1991. It was 19 feet long and weighed 413.6kg; now add that to the lyrics above and maybe the BBC we’re right. Go on sing it “With My Great Big Stick of Blackpool Rock”!

Wrestler Shirley Crabtree AKA “Big Daddy”, when not throwing his weight around in the ring worked as a lifeguard on Central Pier. In a 1979 edition of ITV’s This Is Your Life, he was reunited, on the show a with a woman whose life he had saved.

The Famed Blackpool Illuminations Stretch for around 6 miles. That’s why we always take an illuminated tram to see them all. 

The Tower is 518 feet and 9 inches tall, that’s around 157 Meters! Not great if you suffer from Acrophobia!

Twinning

On the subject of not a lot of people know that  – Blackpool has joined in the trend for finding its long lost siblings – ok not siblings but towns or city’s they feel they have an affinity with. Anyway, it’s a great way to foster international relations and the town has chosen these two:

• Botropp in Germany
• Sanya in China

Sporting Teams

We love our sport here at Five Minutes Spare, (well some of us do) and although this is not one of Blackpool’s main attractions, we can’t let the chance to mention some of the local team’s historic highlights pass us by, starting with surprise, surprise…

Football

Blackpool FC are the towns professional football club, and as stated above they are quite historied, having played at the highest level of English Football with some regularity over the years. However, in our opinion, their finest 90 minutes give or take (as the winner was scored in time added on) came in 1953 as FA Cup Winners, lifting the trophy in the famous “Matthews Final”; beating Bolton 4-3 at Wembley.

Here are the highlights – watch out for some dodgy goalkeeping!

 

The club was founded way back in 1887 and they have been in the top flight for 31 seasons overall, including a 21-year stretch from 1946-47 – 1966-67. They were not just makeweights in this run either, finishing second in 1955-56 and third in 1950-51. Although they have failed to match this success subsequently they have spent a season in the Premier League as recently as 2010-11.

Bloomfield Road

Bloomfield Road is their home stadium which is conveniently located near the promenade, and with a capacity of over 16,000 you can normally pay at the gate if you fancy taking in a game; although we would recommend booking tickets if for nothing else getting a memento of the occasion.

Their main rivals are Preston North End and games between the two are often referred to as the West Lancashire Derby. The two have not met since 2010 due to them being in different divisions however with the rise up the divisions of near neighbours Fleetwood Town there is currently a nice local derby fixture on the calendar which is worth watching out for.

Cricket

Blackpool Cricket Club play at Stanley Park and their First XI compete in the Northern Premier Cricket League, which they have won many times; most recently in 2018. They also lifted the ECB National Championship in 1990. So as you can see its a good standard and with 4 teams there is a good chance of catching one of them playing.

Although the Northern Premier League has only been on the go since the early 1950s the club has been around on one guise or another since the 1890s and for the Cricket Historian famed England Bowler Johnny Briggs played at the ground.

Rugby League & Union

There is currently no Rugby League team in the town as the Blackpool Panthers folded in 2010. However, it has hosted the Summer bash – the Rugby League Championships version of the Super Leagues Magic Weekend since its inception in 2015. This is played at Bloomfield Road, and the event is well supported with 15,070 attending in 2019.

It normally takes place over the weekend in mid to late May and was scheduled for 30th & 31st in 2020 however it will most likely be cancelled due to the current pandemic. Expect it to be back in 2021 though.

You will have more opportunities if you are a Union fan though as Blackpool RUFC who were formed in 1959 are still going strong. They play in the Halbro North-Western League North (Div 3 currently) and their home stadium is in the village of Bispham which is a mile or so outside of the town.

Golf 

If you fancy a quick round of a swift half in the 19th, Blackpool Park Golf Club is the place to go. It has an 18 Hole course together with the usual clubhouse facilities. It is a private members club, but there may be opportunities to book a quick round. You can check their latest updates here.

Ok, now that’s sport covered so now on to Blackpool’s famous Sons and Daughters.

Whose Famous?

Given its size, it’s no surprise that there is a significant list of people of some note who are either Blackpool born and bred or from the locale. There are a few below to whet your appetite.

TV and Radio presenter Zoe Ball is best known for presenting the BBC Radio Breakfast Show. She was also a contestant in Strictly Come Dancing in 2005 where she finished a highly credible 3rd.

Comedian & Game Show regular Lennie Bennett probably best remembered for his appearances on Blankety Blank & Celebrity Squares. He also made 12 appearances at the Royal Variety Performance.

Actress Jenna Coleman who was born and schooled in the town has been in numerous high profile roles including a log run in the ITV Soap opera Emmerdale, several stints in Dr Who and also played the part of Connie in the Hollywood Blockbuster  Captain America: The First Avenger.

The England Legend Frank Swift

England & Manchester City Goalkeeper Frank Swift remains one of the most famous footballers born in the town. Although he never pulled on a Blackpool FC shirt he did play for Nearby Fleetwood briefly.  He may have signed for them long-term too had Man City not beat them to the contract offer. His finest hour (and a half) came when captaining England to a stunning victory in 1948 away to the then two times reigning World Champions Italy.

 

Boxing

Finally, we will end this brief list with Boxer Brian London – ok he was not Blackpool born but with the nickname “The Blackpool Rock” how could we leave him out!  He moved here age 16 and went on to follow in his illustrious father’s footsteps (Jack London) in becoming one of the best known British Boxers of his time. He had two World Heavyweight Title bouts but had the misfortune to come up against boxing legends in both, first losing to Floyd Patterson and then to a young Muhamed Ali. Not a bad resume!

Anyway, there is a comprehensive list here if you are interested.

Getting to Blackpool

Blackpool can easily be reached from the M6 by taking the exit for the M55 thus it’s got good road access from both north and south.

Public Transport

The Town has three Railway Stations Stations:

• Blackpool North (originally Talbot Road)
• Blackpool Pleasure Beach
• Blackpool South (originally Waterloo Road)

Air Links

The airport’s most recent scheduled services to Belfast and the Isle of Man ceased when Citywing suspended operations on March 2017. Access to the town by air is now via Liverpool John Lennon Airport or Manchester Airport, both approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) away by road.

Things to do

You should never be short of something to do when visiting and it would take a few days to really do justice to everything that is on offer. We could wire a whole article on this alone (and probably will in the future) but here are a few musts for your itinerary:

Visit Blackpool Tower

Blackpool Tower is pretty much the epitome of iconic British constructions and to this day it continues to bring as much joy to visitors as it did when first constructed back in 1894. When the illuminations are at their height it is a sight to behold and even during the hours of daylight it dominates the shorefront skyline.

Blackpool Tower is not just a landmark, as it has a host of levels, and attractions within an attraction too, so to speak. Let’s take a brief look at what’s on offer at the tower:

The Blackpool Tower Eye

Providing you are not Acrophobic a trip to the top of the tower is a must. It stands some 518ft tall,(don’t worry there is a lift), and as you would expect it gives you some superb panoramic views of the Irish Sea and a bird’s-eye view of the town itself. What you probably didn’t expect is that on clear days you can see as far as North Wales to the south and the Lake District to the north! It  is even possible to see the Isle of Man. There is also a glass floor looking right down to the street below too which has triggered a few cases of vertigo!

Blackpool Tower Circus

This opened to the public on 14 May 1894 and remains one of Britain’s best known and loved circuses. It is located on the ground floor and there is easy access for wheelchairs.  There have been no animals involved in the show since 1990. However that doesn’t detract from the spectacle and if you have a couple of hours spare then you must indulge yourself in this beautifully choreographed mix of illusion, juggling, escapology, stilt walking and unicycling.

Possibly best of all though is the fact that the circus ring can be lowered into a 42,000 gallon pool allowing for some truly spectacular finales complete with Fountains.

Blackpool Tower Dungeon

Another hour of your day gone, but 60-minutes well spent as you are taken back in time for a look at the spookier aspects of Blackpool’s history. We will say no more on this as we don’t want to spoil the surprises.

Blackpool Tower Ballroom

Bring your dancing shoes and hit the floor for a bit of a waltz, tango or foxtrot, or take the easy option and simply soak up the atmosphere. The architecture and decor are stunning and the daily tea dances are accompanied by a live organist. If you are staying over in Blackpool watch out for theme nights which are great fun.

So as you can see you could easily spend a whole day here and still have missed something!

Take In A Show At The Winter Gardens

The Winter Gardens is best known for being one of Britain largest theatres first opened to the public on 11 July 1878. This was a lavish ceremony attended by the Lord Mayor of London and Mayors and Mayoresses from 68 towns throughout the country.

Spanning 4.9 acres, the historic venue welcomes in excess of 1.3 million visitors each year to its collection of theatres, ballrooms, exhibition halls and public spaces which host a diverse range of events.

Developed between 1878 – 1939 the venue boasts 11 unique spaces showcasing the finest in Victorian architecture through to contemporary art deco design and spaces which boast extravagance beyond imagination.

The Opera House

Amongst its many venues is one of the UK’s largest theatres, The Opera House, built-in 1939 the venue has a capacity near 3000 and one of the world’s biggest stages. The Opera House continues to attract the biggest touring shows and events from across the globe. The venue is also home to a famous mighty Wurlitzer which rises from the stage.

Adjoining the Opera House is the internationally revered Empress Ballroom opened in 1894 and designed by Magnall and Littlewood. The Empress Ballroom is home to the world’s most prestigious festival of dancing, first taking place in 1920 the Blackpool Dance Festival continues to attract a global audience vying to compete and win at the home of ballroom dancing.

This is accompanied by a diverse range of events including the PDC World Matchplay darts, an array of iconic gigs and many more illustrious events which take place in the ballroom.

These are accompanied by the stunning Spanish Suites, Arena and Olympia Exhibition hall, all connected via a central walkway that retains its Victorian grandeur, called the Floral Hall.

Home to the Stars

The venue boasts a long and illustrious history which has included speeches by every prime minister since Sir Winston Churchill, two Royal Variety Performances attended by HRH Queen Elizabeth most recently in 2009 and a huge array of stars from stage and screen such as Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Bob Hope who have all graced the Opera House stage, and more recently, the likes of Little Mix, Bob Dylan, Peter Kay and One Direction have performed to sell-out audiences.

Open 364 days a year the public are invited to spend a day in its range of cafes and bars open daily, explore its breath-taking architecture or witness one of it’s 400 events which it hosts annually.

To find out more about the Winter Gardens Blackpool and its range of events visit: wintergardensblackpool.co.uk

Spend The Day At Blackpool Pleasure Beach

The Pleasure Beach has been a feature of the town since 1896 and today spans a massive 46 acres and incorporated not only its famed Rollercoasters but a host of other attractions. At the time of writing (2020), there are ten rollercoasters including the Grand Daddy of them all “The Big Dipper” which was installed back in 1923 and is currently designated as a Grade II listed building (as of 19th April 2017).

Other well-known ones include the “Grand National” based on the famous horse race, and in keeping with the equine theme, there is the “Steeple Chase” which was opened by three-time Grand National Winner Red Rum in 1977. As the name suggests you get to sit on a mechanical horse.

There are also a number of Thrill & Water Rides, as well as entertainment in the form of Ice dancing & magic shows. Also check out Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum of oddities, the Pasaje Del Terror which is a live-action horror maze with real actors There is even a 12 hole adventure golf course! 

There are two 4* hotels on-site and a wealth of places to eat so you could have a short break in the Pleasure Beach alone if you were so minded. However, you would really want to use it as a base to go exploring.

 

Blackpool Parks & Recreation

Blackpool Zoo opened in 1972 and at 30 acres it’s a place you can spend most of the day at.  Housing over 1,500 animals from around the world, including elephants, camels, tigers, lions and giraffes.

Golf Courses

Blackpool Park Golf Club has an 18 Hole course together with the usual clubhouse facilities. It is a private members club, but there may be opportunities to book a quick round. You can check their latest updates here.

Stanley Park is a public park in the town of Blackpool on the Fylde coast in Lancashire, England. It is the town’s primary park and covers an area of approximately 104 hectares (260 acres)

Things to See

If you are interested in architecture or unusual buildings then Blackpool does have some things to offer. Obviously, the main one is the Tower which is the only Grade I listed building in the town and the Winter Gardens & Grand Theatre are both Grade II. Outside of these, which we have already discussed, you might like to check out the following:

The Sacred Heart Church, which is Grade II listed and dates from 1857. This depicts a fine example of the English Gothic style and also has the distinction of being the first Roman Catholic Church to be built in Blackpool. It is located quite close to the town centre on Talbot Road so easy to find.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. This is much more modern dating from 1957, however, it too is Grade II listed and was built as a thanksgiving chapel and is one of only a handful post-war churches to receive this designation. The internal architecture and features are really quite stunning and if you are in the area and fancy supporting a good cause pay a visit. You can download a short informational PDF here.

Comedy Carpet

Comedy Carpet (2011) reportedly Britain’s largest piece of public art, an area of 2,200m² or 1,800m² (sources vary) on Festival Headland on the promenade, opposite Blackpool Tower. It shows jokes and punchlines from comedians who have performed in Blackpool over the decades. In total there are reputedly 160,000 letters (we haven’t counted them). Each letter is cut from granite and inseed into white concrete, in a variety of typeface

The imposing Imperial Hotel is not a listed building ut worth a quick visit if architecture is one of your interests. This fine red-brick Victorian hotel has housed such distinguished guest as Charles Dickens and Queen Elizabeth II in its time and remains a popular option.

Where to stay

Where to start would be a better question. Honestly, you are completely spoiled for choice (providing you book in advance) with everything from 5* rated hotels to cheap and cheerful B&Bs. Seafront accommodation tends to book up petty quickly in season, however, if you are prepared to go a bit inland there are some very good rates.

Whatever your price range you will find something accomodating and for those who prefer to do their own thing. There is plenty of self-catering apartments in the town and a Haven caravan park nearby at Marton Mere.

Thinking of Moving Here

If you fancy setting down roots in the town or have a short term job in Blackpool then the good news is that not only is there plenty of property for sale but also a thriving rental market.

At the time of writing (mid-2020), Rightmove quoted the average property price over the preceding 12 months at£129,995, well below the national average and only 2% or so above average prices in 2007 (then £127,946). The most popular property type was semi-detached houses, which were a bit above the average, however, there were plenty of terraced houses in the £90-£100K range.  Not bad for a seaside location.

The rental market at the time of writing is similarly in the affordable range with studio and one-bedroom flats available around £300 per month (PCM), while at the top end nice 3-bed semis were in the £700 -£900 PCM range.

So as you can see there is no excuse for not considering the town if you were to relocate to the Lancashire region. Before you go why not check out what else Lancashire has to offer via our ever-growing range of town and city guides or have a look around the site. We try to offer something for everyone.