The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Esplanade escapades
Lorraine Wilson makes an emotional return to Blackpool and finds the resort has changed a lot in the past three decades
It’s the same train journey as the last time I holidayed in Blackpool as a child: Dundee to Edinburgh, change there for Preston and then change for Blackpool.
We could have driven but if you are going to relive your childhood, do it properly.
OK, the journey with my parents was fuelled by meat paste rolls and a flask of tea and now, with my husband, it is first class travel and moving the goalposts about when wine o’ clock actually begins.
Arriving in Blackpool was a surprise. There was a strange familiarity to the layout, even after more than 35 years being away.
However, rather than a small B&B with a name evoking some Highland idyll, we stayed near the South Pier at one of Blackpool’s new generation of B&Bs.
Number One South Beach sounds glamorous and it is, with four-posters, bold decoration and a breakfast menu that rivals many country house hotels.
The balcony overlooks the giant Mirror Ball and an exhibition centre called Solaris, housed in a beautiful art deco building, saved from dereliction and just one example of how the town is blending the old and new.
It’s also close to one of the many tram stops that line the Promenade. The tramway is as old and famous as the resort itself and is a quick and easy way to negotiate the main sites. It doesn’t take much to walk the distance between the North and South Piers, though.
It’s called the Golden Mile, in tribute to the number of amusement arcades that the stretch contained, but in truth it’s about 1.6 miles.
When you factor in leisurely danders around all three piers, maybe with an ice cream and some candyfloss, a quick bit of Hook a Duck and time spent at the bigger attractions that are clustered around the seafront then the tram might take the strain from sore feet, especially if it’s a family holiday with little ones or older relatives.
The most well-known attraction is the Blackpool Tower. On our island just as famous as the Eiffel Tower and close up, just as impressive. The tower is packed with attractions including the grisly Blackpool Tower Dungeon, looking back into the town’s dark past; the colour and spectacle of the Tower Circus, and the Tower Ballroom, where tea dances and afternoon teas are de rigueur in spectacular surroundings.
Also, at the very top is the 4D Eye experience, looking at the tower’s history - it opened in 1894 after all. Also, try to brave the Skywalk where you can see the town below through a glass floor.
The grandeur of the building is matched by the town’s theatres, where as a family, we always saw whoever was in summer season, from Basil Brush to Mike Yarwood and Cilla Black.
The Grand and the Opera House within the Winter Gardens still host comedians and popular shows throughout the year. An addition is the music festivals, which this year have the likes of Mariah Carey and Britney Spears headlining.
Keen celebrity spotters can get up close and quite personal with famous faces including Russell Brand, Simon Cowell and Ant and Dec, as well as old-school favourites like Ken Dodd and Bruce Forsyth at Madame Tussauds.
Waxworks are weird, no one can deny
Blackpool after dark is lively but has a touch of the showbiz for those who still crave it
that, but the little ones will love cosying up to The Hulk and Spiderman in the Marvel comics area.
The town has had to move on to attract a new generation of holidaymakers who are used to heading abroad and it is clear the bars and restaurants opening along the Promenade are doing just that.
Next to the North Pier the Beach House and Bistro is a contemporary bar and restaurant with cocktails and a menu that is aimed at those with an adventurous enough palate without straying into the pretentious.
Laid back, good value and with friendly service, it has a view across the water and is a great place to sit back with a drink and watch the sun disappear.
Blackpool after dark is lively but has a
touch of the showbiz for those who still crave it, with show bars at the Pleasure Beach offering good old-fashioned cabaret and showgirls with sparkles (even if some of those showgirls have Adam’s apples).
The Pleasure Beach is much more than a park with a few roller coasters.
In recent years, investment has made it a challenger for parks with state-ofthe-art coasters but also has areas for the little ones like Nickelodeon Land and the Wallace and Gromit ride.
The newest scream-wrangler is Icon, which opened at the end of May. It is not as high as the Big One, which has a drop of 65m (213ft), but it’s smoother and faster, going from 0 to 50mph in two seconds and has twists and turns and inversions that give a sense of flying, even just for a few seconds.
There are quieter attractions out at Stanley Park, such as Blackpool Zoo and the Model Village, which means there’s plenty to satisfy a family for a week.
It has always been a great destination for families but the new focus on good bars and restaurants, and some good independent shopping off the back streets, means it can also be a great weekend break for couples or friends looking to get away together.
It was strangely emotional going back to Blackpool, remembering happy childhood times.
Seeing it as an adult, it is clear how much it can offer as a modern seaside holiday. It will not take as long before a return visit this time.