THE TOWER GAME
A headful of memories and laughs at fun-packed Blackpool. JANE HAYNES says it’s still got that special place in her heart
THE night-time wind is blowing in from the sea and the sticky remnant of a bright red ‘dummy’ is still sugary on my lips. I’m stretched up on my tiptoes on the edge of the back seat so I can poke my head up through the car sunroof as the dazzle and shimmer of bright lights stream by overhead, white and red and green against the black sky.
My little brother and cousin are squeezed up next to me – we’re giddy with excitement and are laughing so hard I think I might explode.
That drive through Blackpool’s celebrated illuminations is one of my most fierce childhood memories, created during one of the yearly family holidays I used to enjoy here in the 1970s.
It’s a recollection that sits at the centre of a collage of happy things I associate with this iconic seaside town. There’s the adrenaline of riding the Grand National at the Pleasure Beach; jumping waves in the angry sea; winning pennies in the pier arcades; hopping on and off the famous trams.
So it was with some trepidation that I embarked on a weekend getaway with my own family, coinciding with the great lights switch-on event for 2019.
I had changed so much since those long ago, carefree days. I’d got kids of my own for starters. Had Blackpool changed too – and was it for the better or worse?
Some 18 million people visited Blackpool last year. It’s still one of the country’s most popular seaside towns, relying on visitors to support 24,000 local jobs.
What tourists and daytrippers see now is much like what I saw all those years ago – a two-mile sweep of beach, the piers jutting into the sea, the iconic Tower, the pleasure beach, the arcades and the stuffed toys, the trams and the chippies. But it has also added a plethora of world class attractions since my youth, from the star-studded Madam Tussauds to a brilliant new waterpark, from the Tower circus to more thrill rides than you can shake a stick of rock at.
And it’s got some sophisticated touches for food, art and culture lovers who want something different from their seaside visit.
What’s wonderful about Blackpool is that many of its main attractions are within a short tram or bus ride, or a decent walk, of each other. It means you can cram an awful lot into a weekend – and we certainly gave it a good go.
Best of all, Blackpool passed the memory test. Alongside those childhood memories I now have new ones.
We are all laughing, a lot, in all of them – treading on toes on the Tower dancefloor, gasping in fear on the Big Dipper, walking in a gale along the seafront, eating donuts in the rain, singing along to Busted at the lights switch on, and eating duck tongues at a Chinese restaurant. Who could ask for more from a weekend trip?
THE TOWER AND THE BALLROOM (theblackpooltower.com)
THIS iconic landmark, built to replicate Eiffel’s version in Paris, was our first stop.
The venue is gearing up to host the annual visit of Strictly Come Dancing next month, when all eyes will be on the Tower Ballroom.
We had our own Strictly experience: a one-hour dance lesson under the charming tutelage of rising UK dance pair and North West champions Olivia Oates, 22, and Christian Skibsrud, 23.
With their help we went from awkward novices treading on each other’s toes and laughing a lot to waltzing a full turn of the ballroom, including those awkward corners – still laughing a lot, but feeling positively buoyed by the experience.
Check out our teachers at facebook.com/christianandolivia1.
Later that day, we enjoyed one of the ballroom’s famous afternoon teas (£15 per person) while watching the afternoon dance enthusiasts swirl and turn – some with more vigour and speed than others, but all in perfect harmony with the Tower organists. The ballroom is open daily for visitors, barring special events.
Full up with delicate sandwiches, gentle scones and fat slices of cake, and after drinking at least six cups of perfectly brewed tea, our next stop was the Tower Circus.
If you want to see acrobats and clowns performing to an exceptionally high level, this place has been wowing the crowds since 1874.
Highlights came thick and fast; the daring men and women of the trapeze, who had us gasping as they crossed in mid air high above us and the knife thrower (watched through splayed fingers) among them. But star of the day for us was funnyman Mooky, who brought out the acting abilities of audience members in a hilarious film-set stunt.
Our final stop in our day at the Tower was a visit to the Tower Dungeon, a lively romp through some of history’s more gruesome times, with plenty of audience interaction and lots of laughs.
It’s suitable for aged eight and upwards, though anyone of a particularly sensitive disposition should probably give it a miss.
A few yards from the Tower entrance we discovered Michael Wan’s Wok Inn.
Described by food critic Jay Rayner as ‘hot, colourful and dizzyingly eclectic’, we had high hopes and it did not disappoint.
Four of us enjoyed an exciting journey through Asia for less than £100, sharing a wide selection of mainstream choices like katsu
chicken curry and Pad Thai, alongside exquisitely prepared delicacies like salt and chilli ducks’ tongues (not to be repeated), shredded duck bao burgers (wow!), salt and chilli squid (incredible), and fermented beancurd (so much better than it sounds). We gave the Chinese Century Egg a wide berth. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable, service is brilliant, and the setting is fascinating – Eastern European ruin bar meets Hong Kong street market.
One hint – check out the weird x-rated art installations in the loos!
MADAM TUSSAUDS (madametussauds.com/ blackpool)
THERE’S a North West flavour to the waxworks at Madam Tussauds, where you can share a pint in the Rovers with Ken, judge the Strictly dancers and become a Beatle.
There’s a brilliant Marvel superheroes section, where you can climb a building like Spider-Man and lift a car like the Hulk. Don’t forget to bring a camera to get all those selfies.
THE BIG BLUE HOTEL
WE STAYED at the Big Blue Hotel, one of a new breed of boutique hotels to grace the waterfront alongside the more traditional B&Bs.
Breakfast is superb, rooms are spotless, staff could not do enough to help, the bar is open late and the contemporary restaurant serves a fine selection of beautifully cooked food.
When we stayed there our fellow guests included Ashley and co from Diversity and we spotted a couple of TV celebs in the bar, so you’ll likely be in star-studded company!
THE ILLUMINATIONS
A HUGE draw from September to November, a drive through the illuminations is a must-do at least once in your life.
Not a personal highlight – once you’ve passed under your 20th set of dazzling lights they start to merge into one – but it pulls in the crowds. Our visit coincided with the big switch-on so we got to see feted boy band Busted in all their glory, alongside celebrated dance and pop act Sigma and the dancers of Diversity, before a Corrie star pulled the big switch to light up Blackpool.
THE ARCADES
A GIANT yellow banana and two cuddly dogs were our haul from a trip to Coral Island, one of the biggest of the dozen or so indoor arcades and amusement parks that line the waterfront and the piers.
Grab a pot of 10ps and hit the penny drops, the camel derby and the bingo – it’s loud and bright and a fun way to spend an hour or two.
At Coral Island there’s even a full-size ghost train and more sedate piratethemed rides for the little ones, along with a café. For more serious gamblers there’s a casino nearby.