Blackpool is a seaside resort on the coast of the Irish Sea. It is the second most visited town in the UK after London.
Blackpool’s emphasis is on having fun and along the promenade are many amusement arcades, bingo halls and fast food stands.
The town is probably best known for its tower. It was built in 1894 and is a great place for children. There is a dinosaur ride, Europe’s largest jungle gym and a Moorish Circus. The ballroom is splendid with sculptured plaster work, chandeliers and polished wood floor.
The Pleasure Beach costs adults £29 for unlimited rides and attracts 7 million visitors annually. It is home to the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Europe travelling at 85mph. Ice Blast has a 65mtr climb and drops at 80mph and Bling climbs 40mtrs in the air and spins a 360 degree circle at 60mph. There is no set closing time it just depends how busy they are.
The North Pier was built in 1862 and there are 2 further piers along the seven miles of sandy beaches and these have Punch and Judy shows and donkey rides.
Near to Central Pier is the Sea Life Centre housing sharks and a giant octopus.
Sandcastle Underworld is a great place to swim and has its own rides.
Also very well known and publicised are Blackpool’s Illuminations. These are switched on for two months of the year, September and October and are really worth seeing. Five miles of illuminations light up the night sky with children’s favourite characters coming to life, moving scenes and the illuminated tower.
Blackpool as a holiday resort started in 1840 when the trains bought workers from Lancashire for their annual holidays. It had its heyday in the 1900 – 1950’s and was and still is the preferred destination of Glaswegians. The town has more hotel and B+B beds than the whole of Portugal. It is still a popular resort but the numbers of visitors have dropped from 17 million in l992 to l0 million nowadays. Many visitors now only visit for the weekend rather weeks.
Eating out in Blackpool is all about doughnuts, burgers and fish and chips or try the Lagoonda an Afro Caribbean restaurant serving colourful and spicy dishes.
The nightlife in Blackpool has been taken over by stag and hen parties getting more and more drunk as they move round the town. This has discouraged families and complaints have been made by hotel and B+B owners as they are trying to attract a higher class of client.
Blackpool Zoo is only a couple of miles from town and houses 1500 animals from all over the world including elephants, lions, tigers, several species of primates, birds and reptiles.
Property to let is available with prices around £350 - £460pcm for a l bed flat and £520 - £540pcm for a 2 bed flat.
There are plenty of shops in Blackpool and these include Elegance, Cat Walk, Tara, Ann Harvey, Jean Depot, Dapper Men, Top Man, Ethel Austin, lst Class Kids and Adams together with several High Street departmental stores.
Some of the major employers in Blackpool include National Savings and Investments, Burton Foods, producers of biscuits and bakery items, and the sports car manufacturers TVR, although these have recently said they are moving to another European location.
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