Blackpool

Blackpool is a seaside resort town in the North West of England and Britain's favourite beach resort.

Over 12 million people visit Blackpool each year, making it Britain's number one holiday resort. Many come for the two largest attractions, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Blackpool Tower, although the town features many other smaller attractions including three piers, numerous amusement arcades, 7 miles (11 km) of beaches and pedestrian promenade, and a vibrant nightlife.

Following a heyday in the first half of the 20th century as the working classes gained freedom and disposable income, Blackpool has struggled to find a new role with the advent of package holidays to the Mediterranean. It has long used the Blackpool Illuminations light show to extend its tourist season into the autumn months, and has been campaigning the government to allow the redevelopment of its central seafront Golden Mile with Las Vegas-style casino hotels in an attempt to become a gambling haven.

While many tourists go to Blackpool nowadays for party weekends (often hen or stag groups), an older clientele enjoys the nostalgia of the town. The Tower Ballroom remains a global mecca for ballroom dancing and many remember Reginald Dixon playing his Wurlitzer organ with songs such as "Oh I do like to be beside the seaside"; synonymous with the town.

• Blackpool Tower. Daily from 10:00. A Victorian tribute-act to the Eiffel Tower, 518 ft / 158 m high, part of a big leisure complex. The main attractions (some closed winter) are: the Ballroom, ornately decorated, where the Wurlitzer tootles as you dance or sip tea; the Circus; the Dungeon theme-ride; Jungle Jim's children's indoor adventure play area; Dino's indoor mini-golf; and finally the observation deck at the top of the tower, now called Blackpool Tower Eye reached by glass elevator. Various combi tickets online (cheaper than at the door): just the Eye is £12.50, a 3-attraction pass is £32. Blackpool is the only British resort with three piers. All are free to visit.
• North Pier. North pier is relaxed and has a sun trap lounge area at the end. North Pier is the oldest and largest of the three coastal piers in Blackpool.
• Central Pier. Central Pier has arcades, rides and theatres.
• South Pier. South Pier also hosts arcades, rides and family bars.
• Blackpool Pleasure Beach, 525 Ocean Boulevard, FY4 1EZ. One of Britain's largest amusement parks, with 11 roller-coasters including the original Roller Coaster which gave the rides their name. This has been eclipsed by more modern coasters, including Britain's tallest roller coaster ride the "Pepsi Max Big One" (more commonly known as "The Big One") which is over 200 feet high. Other roller coasters include the Irn Bru Revolution and Big Dipper. Rides require 2-9 £1 tickets, or a £30 all day wristband, which is a few pounds cheaper when bought online. A wristband is needed for entry into the park. In addition to the all day ticket there is a spectator pass which allows entry into the park and access to a small number of attractions. Tickets can then be used for other rides. As well as the adult rides, children's rides area, and sidestalls, the park also has some excellent architecture to see. The park began life as a funfair on the sands in the Victorian era, and by the 1930s some permanent buildings arrived in the style of the day - Art Deco. In particular don't miss the station of the Roller Coaster ride, and the White Tower at the south entrance to the park, both of which have "streamline moderne" influences just like some of the classic trams which operate on the seafront nearby.

• Blackpool Zoo, East Park Drive FY3 8PP, +44 1253 830830. Daily from 10:00. The zoo in Blackpool Tower closed in 1969; it was a cramped unhygienic affair. This larger zoo opened on Stanley Park in 1972. There are great ape enclosures, wolf, wallaby, penguins, meerkats . . . and dinosaurs, rare in the wild nowadays. Demand-led but ~ £15 adult.

Blackpool Tower. Daily from 10:00. A Victorian tribute-act to the Eiffel Tower, 518 ft / 158 m high, part of a big leisure complex. The main attractions (some closed winter) are: the Ballroom, ornately decorated, where the Wurlitzer tootles as you dance or sip tea; the Circus; the Dungeon theme-ride; Jungle Jim's children's indoor adventure play area; Dino's indoor mini-golf; and finally the observation deck at the top of the tower, now called Blackpool Tower Eye reached by glass elevator. Various combi tickets online (cheaper than at the door): just the Eye is £12.50, a 3-attraction pass is £32.

North Pier. North pier is relaxed and has a sun trap lounge area at the end. North Pier is the oldest and largest of the three coastal piers in Blackpool.

Central Pier. Central Pier has arcades, rides and theatres.

South Pier. South Pier also hosts arcades, rides and family bars.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach, 525 Ocean Boulevard, FY4 1EZ. One of Britain's largest amusement parks, with 11 roller-coasters including the original Roller Coaster which gave the rides their name. This has been eclipsed by more modern coasters, including Britain's tallest roller coaster ride the "Pepsi Max Big One" (more commonly known as "The Big One") which is over 200 feet high. Other roller coasters include the Irn Bru Revolution and Big Dipper. Rides require 2-9 £1 tickets, or a £30 all day wristband, which is a few pounds cheaper when bought online. A wristband is needed for entry into the park. In addition to the all day ticket there is a spectator pass which allows entry into the park and access to a small number of attractions. Tickets can then be used for other rides. As well as the adult rides, children's rides area, and sidestalls, the park also has some excellent architecture to see. The park began life as a funfair on the sands in the Victorian era, and by the 1930s some permanent buildings arrived in the style of the day - Art Deco. In particular don't miss the station of the Roller Coaster ride, and the White Tower at the south entrance to the park, both of which have "streamline moderne" influences just like some of the classic trams which operate on the seafront nearby.

Blackpool Zoo, East Park Drive FY3 8PP, +44 1253 830830. Daily from 10:00. The zoo in Blackpool Tower closed in 1969; it was a cramped unhygienic affair. This larger zoo opened on Stanley Park in 1972. There are great ape enclosures, wolf, wallaby, penguins, meerkats . . . and dinosaurs, rare in the wild nowadays. Demand-led but ~ £15 adult.

• Check local listings for forthcoming events in Blackpool.
• Blackpool Sands extend for miles. The area between North and Central Piers can get busy and trash-strewn in summer. Take a donkey ride, ironically if that helps (not Fridays; 50 kilo rider weight limit). It's all safe (though cold) for bathing but there are gullies near the sea wall that silently flood behind you - if the shore watchman is waving and barking through a megaphone, it's time to return to the Prom. The beach becomes shingly and muddy north of Bispham as you come into Thornton-Cleveleys, but is good all the way south to the sand hills of St Annes.
• The Winter Gardens, 97 Church St, FY1 1HL, +44 1253 625252. It hosts many shows each year including the Blackpool Fringe.
• Funny Girls is a drag cabaret staged at 5 Dickson Rd FY1 2AX.
• The Grand Theatre, 33 Church St, FY1 1HT, +44 1253 290190. A 1100-seat theatre designed by Frank Matcham in 1894.
• Watch football (soccer) at Blackpool FC, Bloomsfield Road, Seasiders Way FY1 6JJ, +44 871 622 1953. They play in League One, the third tier of English football.
• Blackpool Illuminations. A lights and laser show stretching for six miles along the Prom, from Starr Gate in the south to Bispham in the north. "The Lights", founded in 1879, are usually on from the end of Aug to start of Nov, with a celebrity switch-on; the 2019 dates are 30 Aug to 3 Nov. You can walk, or drive this stretch (either way, but south to north is recommended; suggested donation £5 per car) or take a tram - which sounds cool but the view from within the trams is limited. Astronomer Sir Patrick Moore used to fulminate against the mischief that the Blackpool Lights did to local star-gazing.

Blackpool Sands extend for miles. The area between North and Central Piers can get busy and trash-strewn in summer. Take a donkey ride, ironically if that helps (not Fridays; 50 kilo rider weight limit). It's all safe (though cold) for bathing but there are gullies near the sea wall that silently flood behind you - if the shore watchman is waving and barking through a megaphone, it's time to return to the Prom. The beach becomes shingly and muddy north of Bispham as you come into Thornton-Cleveleys, but is good all the way south to the sand hills of St Annes.

The Winter Gardens, 97 Church St, FY1 1HL, +44 1253 625252. It hosts many shows each year including the Blackpool Fringe.

Funny Girls is a drag cabaret staged at 5 Dickson Rd FY1 2AX.

The Grand Theatre, 33 Church St, FY1 1HT, +44 1253 290190. A 1100-seat theatre designed by Frank Matcham in 1894.

Watch football (soccer) at Blackpool FC, Bloomsfield Road, Seasiders Way FY1 6JJ, +44 871 622 1953. They play in League One, the third tier of English football.

Blackpool Illuminations. A lights and laser show stretching for six miles along the Prom, from Starr Gate in the south to Bispham in the north. "The Lights", founded in 1879, are usually on from the end of Aug to start of Nov, with a celebrity switch-on; the 2019 dates are 30 Aug to 3 Nov. You can walk, or drive this stretch (either way, but south to north is recommended; suggested donation £5 per car) or take a tram - which sounds cool but the view from within the trams is limited. Astronomer Sir Patrick Moore used to fulminate against the mischief that the Blackpool Lights did to local star-gazing.

No trip to the seaside capital would be complete without purchasing a stick of Blackpool rock (hard candy) with your name written right the way through it and a mandatory "Kiss Me Quick" hat on Blackpool's Golden Mile.

Beyond these specialities, Blackpool plays host to most other shops that you'd expect to find on a British high street including a Marks & Spencer department store as well as the Houndshill Shopping Centre, home to a Debenhams department store, Boots the Chemist, Next (clothing) and other chain stores.

• Big Woody's Skateshop, 32 Talbot Road, FY1 1LF, +44 1253 296296. 10AM-5:30PM. Huge selection of skate and scooter merchandise alongside a wide range of clothing, safety gear and accessories. A skater-owned shop.

Big Woody's Skateshop, 32 Talbot Road, FY1 1LF, +44 1253 296296. 10AM-5:30PM. Huge selection of skate and scooter merchandise alongside a wide range of clothing, safety gear and accessories. A skater-owned shop.

Fish and chips. "Chippies" are everywhere in Blackpool, however, the quality varies enormously. The promenade hosts many take away outlets and restaurants serving an assortment of fast foods and snacks, with fish and chips alongside them.

• Harry Ramsden's, 60-63 The Promenade, FY1 4QU, +44 1253 294386. Su-Th 11:30AM-9PM, F Sa 11:30AM-10PM. Part of the "world famous" Harry Ramsden's chain on the promenade near many of Blackpool's attractions and the sea front. Offers eat-in and take-away services.
• Mandarin, 27 Clifton Street, FY1 1JD, +44 1253 622687. Cantonese restaurant established in the 1960s. A regular recommendation from hotel owners and taxi drivers.
• West Coast Rock Cafe, 5-7 Abingdon St, FY1 1DG (directly opposite the Winter Gardens, +44 1253 751283. Su-Th noon-10PM; F Sa noon-11PM. A popular restaurant. Winner of Restaurant of the Year 2009 & 2011.
• Red Pepper, 51 Central Drive, FY1 5DS, +44 1253 291152. A well-respected, family-run, Chinese restaurant and takeaway on Central Drive. Ten minutes' walk from the Tower, this restaurant is not in the poshest part of town, but the food is excellent and as a consequence, in common with many of the other longer-established businesses on Central Drive, the Red Pepper has a loyal local following.
• Boonnak, 60 Topping Street, FY1 3AQ, +44 1253 290647. Very popular local Thai restaurant. Recipient of the Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2014.

Harry Ramsden's, 60-63 The Promenade, FY1 4QU, +44 1253 294386. Su-Th 11:30AM-9PM, F Sa 11:30AM-10PM. Part of the "world famous" Harry Ramsden's chain on the promenade near many of Blackpool's attractions and the sea front. Offers eat-in and take-away services.

Mandarin, 27 Clifton Street, FY1 1JD, +44 1253 622687. Cantonese restaurant established in the 1960s. A regular recommendation from hotel owners and taxi drivers.

West Coast Rock Cafe, 5-7 Abingdon St, FY1 1DG (directly opposite the Winter Gardens, +44 1253 751283. Su-Th noon-10PM; F Sa noon-11PM. A popular restaurant. Winner of Restaurant of the Year 2009 & 2011.

Red Pepper, 51 Central Drive, FY1 5DS, +44 1253 291152. A well-respected, family-run, Chinese restaurant and takeaway on Central Drive. Ten minutes' walk from the Tower, this restaurant is not in the poshest part of town, but the food is excellent and as a consequence, in common with many of the other longer-established businesses on Central Drive, the Red Pepper has a loyal local following.

Boonnak, 60 Topping Street, FY1 3AQ, +44 1253 290647. Very popular local Thai restaurant. Recipient of the Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2014.

Blackpool's night life is varied and numerous. There are clubs and pubs to suit everybody who comes to Blackpool looking for an evening out, With so much going on in Blackpool it is difficult to decide where to go. A local, relatively rare delicacy is brussel sprouts on toast.

• The Last Orders Pub (or Corner House) is at 80 Sherbourne Rd FY1 2PQ, in North Shore. Drink with the locals.
• Barvaian Bierkeller, 168 Promenade FY1 1RE is a complex of clubs near North Pier.
• Tache. Blackpool's alternative/rock night club on Corporation Street.
• The Gavel, 235 Lytham Road South Shore FY1 6ET. Daily 09:00-23:00. JD Wetherspoons with usual range of drinks and food. Outdoor seating.
• The Dutton Arms, Corner of Wateroo Road and the Promenade. Has DJs at the weekend and late closing.
• The Albert and the Lion, Promenade FY1 4RU (corner with Adelaide St West, under tower. Su-Th 08:00-23:30, F Sa 08:00-01:00. JD Wetherspoons with competitively priced food and drinks. "Albert and the Lion" was a comic monologue by Stanley Holloway about a visit to the zoo, when it was still in the Tower complex; it did not end well for Albert.
• Rose & Crown, 22 Corporation Street, FY1 1EJ (2 minutes from the Grand Theatre, 3 minutes from the Winter Gardens, +44 1253 299821. Continental style eating and drinking in the centre of Blackpool. This locally owned pub has the largest outdoor seating area in the town centre.
• Pump and Truncheon, 13 Bonny Street, FY1 5AR (just behind the Golden Mile (behind Tussauds) next to the Law courts. One of the most famous old pubs in town. The only building on this part of the Golden Mile that survived the great fire of Blackpool. Great real ales and traditionally cooked food. Wooden and stone floors and a roaring fire complement the old style feel.
• The Sun Inn, 88 Bolton Street, FY1 6AA (less than 100 yards from the Promenade, next to South Shore Yates. An independent local family-owned pub that isn't tied to anyone. With real ales and big screen sport TV.

The Last Orders Pub (or Corner House) is at 80 Sherbourne Rd FY1 2PQ, in North Shore. Drink with the locals.

Barvaian Bierkeller, 168 Promenade FY1 1RE is a complex of clubs near North Pier.

Tache. Blackpool's alternative/rock night club on Corporation Street.

The Gavel, 235 Lytham Road South Shore FY1 6ET. Daily 09:00-23:00. JD Wetherspoons with usual range of drinks and food. Outdoor seating.

The Dutton Arms, Corner of Wateroo Road and the Promenade. Has DJs at the weekend and late closing.

The Albert and the Lion, Promenade FY1 4RU (corner with Adelaide St West, under tower. Su-Th 08:00-23:30, F Sa 08:00-01:00. JD Wetherspoons with competitively priced food and drinks. "Albert and the Lion" was a comic monologue by Stanley Holloway about a visit to the zoo, when it was still in the Tower complex; it did not end well for Albert.

Rose & Crown, 22 Corporation Street, FY1 1EJ (2 minutes from the Grand Theatre, 3 minutes from the Winter Gardens, +44 1253 299821. Continental style eating and drinking in the centre of Blackpool. This locally owned pub has the largest outdoor seating area in the town centre.

Pump and Truncheon, 13 Bonny Street, FY1 5AR (just behind the Golden Mile (behind Tussauds) next to the Law courts. One of the most famous old pubs in town. The only building on this part of the Golden Mile that survived the great fire of Blackpool. Great real ales and traditionally cooked food. Wooden and stone floors and a roaring fire complement the old style feel.

The Sun Inn, 88 Bolton Street, FY1 6AA (less than 100 yards from the Promenade, next to South Shore Yates. An independent local family-owned pub that isn't tied to anyone. With real ales and big screen sport TV.

Visits to Blackpool are generally incident-free. During Friday and Saturday nights, the busiest areas of the town centre such as Talbot Square and Queen Street can become very crowded and somewhat rowdy, but there is a large and generally good-natured police presence. The seafront and piers are usually crowded so are generally safe.

You should take care in the Central Drive area at night, and avoid back-alleys anywhere in the town centre after dark. In particular there are a few street prostitutes operating in these areas after 11PM, who approach single males who are under the influence of alcohol. Do not accept any offers of sex; you will be risking being mugged by the prostitute and/or a male accomplice.

Gay male visitors should avoid the Middle Walk cruising area; a gay man was murdered here and there have been several violent homophobic attacks. Lighting in this area has been improved and there are regular police patrols. The "gay quarter" around Talbot Road, Dickson Road and Queen Street is as safe as the rest of the town centre. It is now being heavily monitored with CCTV.

• Take a tram north to Fleetwood, formerly one of the UK's major fishing ports. Visit its famous market and go to the outlet mall called Freeport. For peacefulness catch a bus or train to Lytham, Ansdell, Fairhaven or St Annes-on-sea. Under the resort name of Lytham St Annes, these charming family seaside towns offer something different and traditional to Blackpool.
• Liverpool is easily accessible from Blackpool and is undergoing something of a renaissance. The port city is now home to a thriving shopping and cultural culture, building on its history and legacy in popular culture.
• Manchester can also be easily reached from Blackpool: direct trains run regularly from Blackpool North to the city centre. This 'Cottonopolis' has now hung up its clogs and welcomed in a world of culture, business, music, art, shopping and fine dining.

Take a tram north to [[Fleetwood]], formerly one of the UK's major fishing ports. Visit its famous market and go to the outlet mall called Freeport. For peacefulness catch a bus or train to Lytham, Ansdell, Fairhaven or St Annes-on-sea. Under the resort name of Lytham St Annes, these charming family seaside towns offer something different and traditional to Blackpool.

[[Liverpool]] is easily accessible from Blackpool and is undergoing something of a renaissance. The port city is now home to a thriving shopping and cultural culture, building on its history and legacy in popular culture.

[[Manchester]] can also be easily reached from Blackpool: direct trains run regularly from Blackpool North to the city centre. This 'Cottonopolis' has now hung up its clogs and welcomed in a world of culture, business, music, art, shopping and fine dining.