As I was taking a walk this morning, I couldn’t help but notice the daffodils that have started to bloom around Blackpool. This makes me very happy indeed because not only is it a lovely sight to finally see all this colour after such a dreary winter, but spring also means that Blackpool is about to come to life again ready for the tourists who will no doubt be heading here for Easter and who will continue to come to Blackpool over the coming months.
No doubt you’ve been feeling a little under the weather here in Blackpool over the winter. Everyone else seems to either have snow or not. Our weather forecast for Blackpool has been more like “Blackpool will have lots of snow. Or a little. Or none at all. Maybe just a bit of ice and hail. Who knows!”
So here’s to a sunny spring and a long hot summer. We can only hope, eh?!
Blackpool’s Tourism Trade
Blackpool has always had a heavy reliance on its tourism industry. Sure, there are plenty of things to keep the locals entertained during the winter months, but even with holidays abroad becoming more and more affordable, people still come to the resort to enjoy what our town has to offer.
Since the 19th century, people have come to Blackpool to enjoy the 7 mile stretch of beach. Back then, it was just becoming fashionable to bathe in the sea to cure a variety of ailments. In 1846, a railway was built to facilitate travel to the resort.
Due to the popularity of the town, central pier was opened in 1868 and by the 1870s even more people started coming to the town as workers were finally given annual holidays.
The Blackpool Tower opened in 1894, followed by the Pleasure Beach in 1905.
During the war, Blackpool continued to bring tourists in. It was during the break between the first and second world wars that workers were given holidays with pay, and this contributed further to Blackpool’s growing tourism industry. From the 1960s, Blackpool started to see a decline in the numbers of tourists travelling to the resort, mainly due to the falling prices of package holidays and international travel.
Blackpool Council has not given in despite the decline in tourists coming here and in 2000, a £300 million rejuvenation project was launched.
There are still signs of Blackpool fighting to keep the tourists with bigger and better events being organised during the warmer months and in just a few weeks time, the railway line will be reopened again to bring the tourists back to the town again. A project to extend the tramline is also underway to improve the Blackpool experience for tourists and locals alike.
Daytime entertainment
“Just what is it that tourists find so amazing about Blackpool these days?” you may ask. Well for a start, we have great beaches. In 2016, Blackpool won it’s first Blue Flag award for meeting the international standards for beach cleanliness. There were 68 beaches in total that claimed that award that year. Blackpool is famous for many souvenirs such as rock and silly hats.
Nowhere in the country is there another town that boasts 3 piers. Packed with arcades, rides and shows, our piers are anything but ordinary.
We’re also very fortunate to have many famous landmark attractions too. The Waxworks, Sealife Centre and Blackpool Tower all belong to the Merlin Group, and as a result, tourists are able to purchase an all-encompassing ticket to enjoy all of these attractions together. To the south of the town, there’s the Blackpool Pleasure Beach and to the North, the Zoo, Model Village and Stanley Park.
Other things that tourists think of immediately when they are planning their trip to Blackpool are the trams, donkeys, horses on the promenade and the many arcades and stalls that bring the seafront to life when the weather gets better.
Evening entertainment
We all know that Blackpool doesn’t stop when night starts to fall. Venues such as The Wintergardens, Grand Theatre, and Viva offer evening entertainment whilst a foray of restaurants keep the masses well fed.
Blackpool’s bars and nightclubs are mainly located on Queen Street and the surrounding streets and in the tourism season, staff who work in these venues find that they get more shifts and longer hours with the increased numbers of customers. Not only do tourists frequent the bars and clubs, but the warmer weather gives locals a reason to venture out again.
Events
There are some great events for tourists and locals to look forward to now that the weather is getting better. For fun weekends out with the family, Stanley Park really is the place to be. With live music on the bandstand, frequent family days and the reopening of the boat hut on the lake, this is a great place to spend those long summer afternoons.
Some great festivals are hosted in Blackpool including the Blackpool Pride Festival in June, the Rebellion Punk Festival, the Livewire Festival and The Blackpool Festival 2018. The Tower he
adland is a central and easily accessible area which is designed to accommodate open air festivals and events under the famous Blackpool Tower.
A few of the other events that are going on in Blackpool in the coming months include Blackpool Armed Forces week, the Blackpool air show, Classic Car show, Ride The Lights, The Illuminations switch on, followed by several weeks of the illuminations being lit up along the promenade and of course the stunning world fireworks championships as the darker nights draw in once more.
Support Local Businesses
Over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that Blackpool’s shopping centre has been declining. It seems to be more or less ticking over at the moment with larger stores such as Sainsbury’s, Debenhams, Wilkinsons and Primark making the place look busy. Unfortunately, many people now choose to shop online and even have their groceries delivered to their door for convenience. Sure, that may be convenient, but if you can, try to support local businesses by heading into town whenever you can. Supporting local businesses, including chain or franchise shops will ensure that local people can keep their jobs.
There are many smaller boutique style shops around the town, some hidden away, especially as work is carried out on the roads in the town and workmen have to put up barriers, obstructing business facades.
Have A Great Spring
We hope that all of our followers on the BPL Bible have a great Easter and a fun spring. Don’t forget to admire the flowers and the sun when we get it!
