The height of nostalgia
Caroline Kay rekindles happy memorieswithher firstblackpool visit in 20 years
‘I WANT to immerse myself in a cultural Blackpool,” I announced at the beginning of the year.
“A cultural Blackpool – how does that work?” came the reply.
“I want to stay in a Victorian Hotel, marvel at the fabulous views from the top of the tower and listen to the mighty Wurlitzer being played in the famous ballroom.” And true to my word, this summer I did just that.
In its heyday visitors flocked to Blackpool to see the likes of Frank Sinatra and Shirley Bassey topping the bill at either the Winter Gardens, the Opera House or one of the town’s three piers.
As a child I adored our day trips to the resort. I didn’t care what the weather was like, as long as I got to paddle in the sea, eat candy floss and visit the Pleasure Beach.
Nothing has changed to be honest – although my days of paddling, candy floss and Pleasure Beaching are gone.
The Victorian hotel of my choice was The Imperial, the resort’s only AA four-star hotel which is perfectly positioned close to the Wilton Parade tram stop, north of the north pier.
The Imperial first opened its doors in 1867 and its history is rather regal. In 1912 the first royal to visit Blackpool was Princess Louise, the sister of King George V, and her niece Mary, the Princess Royal, became the first royal to stay at the Imperial. She stayed in Room 311 and the royal connection has continued with both Princess Margaret and Princess Anne also staying in what is now known as The Balmoral Suite – and our gorgeous room for the night.
The hotel has seen many famous names spend the night including The Beatles, Tommy Steele, Gracie Fields, Arthur Askey, Jayne Mansfield, Fred Astaire and Errol Flynn.
Most of the public rooms have been refurbished – without losing any of their historic feel. The bedrooms have also been going through a transformation and it was obvious that ours had recently been refurbished.
The Balmoral Suite had fabulous views over the beach and it was all I could do to tear myself away from the window.
Our suite was resplendent with a sitting room with chairs and a sofa, desk, sideboard, coffee table and huge wallmounted TV. The bathroom featured Grohe fittings and a slate flooring, while the bedroom boasted a huge, comfortable bed, along with plenty of wardrobe space and a second TV.
Among its many public rooms, The Imperial’s restaurant, the Palm Court, is a light and airy space, with tables covered in crisp linen.
The delicious menu changes each evening with an excellent selection of starters, main courses and desserts. The wine menu was extensive, yet not overpriced and a two-course meal for two with a bottle of wine still gave us change out of £65 including the tip.
The buffet breakfast was also served in the Palm Court and what a choice there was. Everything from croissants to toast, bacon to fried bread, grapefruit to cereals.
Now we had ticked off our stay at a Victorian hotel, it was time for some fun and games at the top of the tower. Merlin Entertainment owns the Blackpool Tower Eye, along with the Blackpool Tower Circus, Blackpool Tower Ballroom, Blackpool Tower Dungeon, Madame Tussauds, SeaLife and Jungle Jims – and there are great discounts for booking more than one of the attractions online. It’s worth every penny to take a trip to the top of the tower, which first opened in 1894 – the views are out of this world. On a clear day you may not be able to quite see forever, but I am reliably informed that you can see down to Liverpool and across to the Isle of Man from its 518ft peak – and yes, we dared to walk across the glass viewing platform, though my knees were knocking. Prior to our trip up the tower, we had spent a happy hour or so in the Tower Ballroom listening to the mighty Wurlitzer and watching couples trip the light fantastic around one of the world’s most famous dance floors. Designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1899, the present ballroom is the Mecca for amateur dancers, and fans of Strictly Come Dancing. Over the years, Blackpool has become associated with bawdy stag and hen celebrations, but there is so much more to the Victorian resort and I feel as if we have only scratched the surface of what it has to offer.