Train to Blackpool from Manchester was at 17.20, nice ride, met some folks from Dublin – I may head there next.
The town is situated right on the coast and has a history of “Beach” activities. The promenade is filled with shops, arcades, restaurants & hotels. There are three piers, North, Central & South. All three jut into the sea and have activities. Really everything is just repeated on each – arcades, games, fudge/snacks, rides, restaurants/bars & the view. South pier has a Ferris Wheel & both North/South have carousels.
The biggest attraction is Pleasure Beach, an amusement park from the 1800. Only a couple of the original rides remain, having been replaced with bigger, faster & more interesting. My favorite were the early ones – Flying Machines, Wild Mouse, Ghost Train (the originator) and the freaky “Laughing Clown”. Savings tip: on Heritage Days, entrance is free. You still pay for the rides but the park is nice to just wander in. Individual tickets are 1£ each and most take 4 tickets (although “The Big One” a modern roller coaster takes 8!). If you are going to ride on five or more rides, just buy the wristband and have access to them all. There is a Wallace & Grommet ride with a shop that runs the animated movies, I enjoyed that. There are several shows also – the Hot Ice show is the best and the water fountain on Bean Street does a dancing show that is quite good. There is also a Ripley’s Believe It or Not & the Pasaje del Terror Horror Experience.
Back on the promenade as you wander up and down, you will notice the tired and beat-up shape the town is in. Almost every building has rotten wood, broken something and pealing paint. Shops are closed and boarded up and scaffold repairs abound. Yes there are some bright hopes here and there but for the most part its rough and ragged, resting on the heyday of its past glory. Still folks flock here and I noticed numerous “No Vacancy” signs in the hotel windows. Although the majority of the guests are “older” and at 55 years of age, I felt young here – this is definitely a town for the seniors.
There is also a huge gay community. With hotels, bars, restaurants and shows catering specifically to the LGBT community. The biggest attraction is Funny Girls, with it’s nightly drag show extravaganza. Note: save the money and just buy a 3.50£ standing room ticket – you want to be down front anyway. Reserved seats will set you back 25£ for a minimum of two tickets.
Do be sure to go out at night, the town looks better and really “lights up”. Especially for September when Illuminations takes over the main drag. Think early Christmas lights – it is delightful, very well done and it runs for miles. You can buy the Light Up Trolley pass for 6£, but it does not stop and is more of a cliché. If you buy the 24 hour or even better the 3 day pass for the Standard Trolley – it runs the exact same rails, stops do you can hope on/off and also works for bus system. The 24 hour pass is only 5£ and the 3 day pass is 11£, obviously a huge savings. I took the tram the full distance from the Mirror Ball (Awesomeness) to Fleetwood (took over an hour – one way) all for the one price. Fleetwood is a nice area with a rocky beach, a couple of lighthouses, more shops, restaurants & arcades. Certainly worth the visit.
Some other highlights include: the Largest Mirror Ball in the World (4.5 tons w/4500 mirrors). The High Tide Organ, which plays a soulful sound with the movement of the waves. The Blackpool tower – at 518 feet, you can see it from almost everywhere – it’s a cheesy mash up of attractions now but still cool. The Comedy Carpet is worth a read – hundreds of comedian quotes. There are numerous Fish & Chips shops (of course), Clairvoyant/Palm readers, Arcades w/video games & gambling – my favorite is Coral Island. There is an aquarium, water park, several cabaret theater shows and Illuminasia, the World’s Largest Indoor Illuminations Experience, was also very interesting and worth the 5£. But one of my absolute favorite places was Brooks Collectables with its toy museum and vintage games. An easy way to spend a couple of hours. First check out the two floors of antique toys, with everything from Corgi cars & trucks to Star Wars and Dr. Who Collectibles. I thoroughly loved it. Also they have several old school vintage arcade games which you can still play. This includes ones from the 1920’s along with console games from the 80’s. Love Love Love. Say hello to Mark for me and buy some homemade fudge on the way out.
McHalls Bistro – 100% positive ratings
The Laughing Man YouTube: https://youtu.be/6rJL7l5XCyw
Mirrorball YouTube: https://youtu.be/q5z-NCDNH58
Be sure to check out my “Visions of Blackpool” photos for more specificity with captions and write ups on all there is to do in Blackpool … Plus my TripAdvisor reviews will give detailed insight…
