Blackpool
If you visited Blackpool in 1840 all you would have found is a single row of houses facing the sea but, like many coastal resorts the railway transformed the town. Attracting 3 million visitors at the beginning of the 20th century the towns popularity peaked in the 1960's but has been in steady decline ever since.
A great deal of money has been invested to regenerate the town and there is no better example than the sea front itself, although even then, there is a Ying and Yang feel with many changes along the beach, including sea defences, whilst the facing properties are still very much have a “kiss me quick” vibe and have clearly seen better days.
There has been some redevelopment in the town itself, most notably around the Blackpool North Station area. However step a few streets away from the Promenade and the towns darker underbelly can be found.
Whilst not a problem unique to Blackpool, the town does attract more than its fair share of down and outs, homeless and benefits claimants.
The town and the resort is also a magnet for raucous stag and hen parties making the town very unpleasant in the evenings, especially at weekends.
One of the key attractions are the illuminations running from September to early January. This is a free attraction, although there are charity collections for voluntary donations.
So are there any other redeeming features?
Well sort of but whether they are enough to justify anything more than a day trip is debatable. In its heyday the Pleasure Beach was one of the top amusement parks in the world but the heyday is long gone yet the owners still try to hold on to the former glory and are failing spectacularly. Frankly it cannot compete with the likes of Alton Towers, Chessington and Thorpe Park yet their charges suggest they feel they are in the same league.
They have the audacity charge £18 - £20 just to enter the park, with no rides, to be honest they would have to pay me to enter the place which has a dingy, claustrophobic feel.
For unlimited rides it’s £30 - £35 if booked in advance and up to £60 if you turn up on the day. There are no child discounts, apart from under two’s who are graciously admitted for free.
At the other end of the resort is Blackpool's most famous attraction - the Tower. Think Eifel Tower and then half the size and you will about be there. Built in 1894 it was for a long time the tallest building in the country. The Tower is part of a large entertainment complex and there is a complex pricing structure.
A ticket to the top of the Tower will cost you between £12.50 and £15. Circus tickets are £15 adults and £12.50 for children and the Ballroom is £11.50. Combination tickets are available from £24. (These are all advance booking prices)
The complex also includes a Madame Tussauds and Dungeons, again these can be combined with other attractions at the complex, saving some money.
Elsewhere there are three piers containing various entertainments including funfairs and end of pier shows.
The trams used to be an iconic attraction in the resort and people used to love the different quirky designs.
Nowadays, as happened with Malta’s iconic buses, they have been replaced my modern soulless vehicles, which may be more efficient and reliable but are less fun. Some of the heritage trams do run during the illuminations season and selected weekends and Bank Holidays but think a handful of journeys a day, not a full service.
As befits most seaside shows the performers tend to be either "have beens" who are past their best or "never were beens" who seem to have found a niche in this sort of market.
In conclusion if you are the sort of person who likes tacky places, whose idea of a good night out is drinking until you vomit / get in a fight / get arrested then Blackpool is the place for you.
If you are a normal person than I would say visit once to see what the place is like and say you've been there - try and go during the illuminations as they are worth seeing - think of the chaviest Christmas lights you've seen and you'll have an idea what to expect.
Blackpool used to be a "kiss me quick" type of resort, nowadays it's probably more of a "shag me quick" resort.
(Prices quotes are correct as of May 2026)
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