Blackpool Through Time

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With the passage of the Local Government Act , Blackpool's county borough status was abolished and it was made part of the shire county of Lancashire. On 1 April , however, Blackpool was made a unitary authority and re-formed as an autonomous local government unit.

Blackpool Through Time A Second Selection

It remains part of Lancashire for ceremonial purposes, however. As of the election Blackpool Council is currently controlled by the Labour Party , who took control from the Conservatives in They are the largest party represented with 29 councillors followed by the Conservative Party with 13 councillors. Blackpool is covered by two Westminster constituencies: Blackpool North and Cleveleys , and Blackpool South.

The population of Blackpool has been declining constantly since and is expected to decline even further in the future. In , Blackpool had the fourth highest rate of antidepressant prescription in England with the most common health problems being depression, stress and anxiety. Blackpool also has high rates of obesity This is a chart of the trend of regional gross value added GVA of Blackpool at current basic prices by the Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling. While Blackpool hosts a large number of small businesses and self-employed people, there are some large employers.

Burton's Biscuit Company , Tangerine Confectionery produce biscuits and other confectionery products, Klarius UK manufactures automotive components, Victrex manufactures high-performance polymers and the Glasdon Group is a plastics manufacturer making litter bins , park benches and reflective road signs.

TVR formerly produced sports cars at its Bispham factory. The HSBC research on rental yields ranks Blackpool in the top three cities with the best rental returns. Retail is also becoming a major contributor to Blackpool's economy; [ citation needed ] many Blackpool residents work in the retail sector, either in the town centre or the retail parks on the edge of town.

There is currently one shopping centre within the town, Houndshill Shopping Centre.

This has recently been redeveloped with the opening of a new Debenhams department store along with other major high street names. Blackpool rests in the middle of the western edge of The Fylde , which is a coastal plain atop a peninsula. Due to the low-lying terrain, Blackpool experiences occasional flooding, [25] with a large-scale project completed in to rebuild the seawall and promenade to mitigate this. Thus the same cool summer, frequent overcast skies, and small annual temperature range is typical.

The absolute maximum temperature recorded at Blackpool was The highest temperature to occur in recent years is Blackpool is within a green belt region that extends into the wider surrounding counties, and is in place to reduce urban sprawl , prevent the towns in the Blackpool and nearby Merseyside conurbations from further convergence, protect the identity of outlying communities, encourage brownfield reuse, and preserve nearby countryside.

This is achieved by restricting inappropriate development within the designated areas, and imposing stricter conditions on the permitted building. As the town's urban area is highly built up, only 70 hectares 0. Blackpool is heavily dependent on tourism. In what is often regarded as its heyday — , Blackpool thrived as the factory workers of Northern England took their annual holidays there en masse.

Any photograph from that era shows crowds of tourists on the beach and promenade. Blackpool was also a preferred destination of visitors from Glasgow and remains so to this day. In July , an independent survey of 4, members of the general public by consumer magazine Which? Blackpool has now improved the seawall and promenade, and Blackpool Tower has been revamped. In February , a number of tourist attractions in Blackpool collaborated to produce the Blackpool Resort Pass which allows for discounted access in one ticket.

Blackpool has a pioneering publicly owned Municipal wireless network Wi-Fi, which covers the entire town centre, promenade and beach front. Visitors can take a virtual tour of Blackpool, and full internet access is available. Outside the main holiday season, Blackpool's Winter Gardens routinely hosts major political and trade union conferences, ranging from that of the Conservative Party and the Transport and General Workers Union with thousands of delegates and visitors, to substantially smaller gatherings such as the Communication Workers Union conference.

The Labour Party , though, now uses facilities in Manchester when, every alternate year, its annual conference is in the North of England. The Young Farmers convention has been held regularly in Blackpool since the late s. Blackpool remains a summer entertainment venue but many local establishments now trade all year round. Known for specialising in variety shows featuring entertainers catering to a broad range of tastes, from family-friendly Ken Dodd to the 'adults only' humour of Roy 'Chubby' Brown.

Ken Dodd could regularly be seen throughout late summer at the Grand Theatre. He died on 11 March Modern Blackpool still has plenty to offer in terms of entertainment. For families there are literally hundreds of things to do with the kids from the sandcastle waterpark, to the Blackpool Tower, Three Piers, amusement arcades or simply a day on the beach. There are family themed restaurants throughout the resort and many places to stay that are child friendly.

For a slightly older visitor there are still plenty of bars and clubs open for business all year round and plenty of very reasonably priced rooms out of season. The town trades all year round. In The Blackpool festival took place on the comedy carpet in front of the iconic Blackpool tower which over 3 days played host to world class DJs and entertainers.

Due to return in Blackpool's North Pier regularly hosts "Pier Jam" events where revellers can dance all day on the pier to the sounds of their favourite DJs. For the following 4 Fridays after the illuminations switch on - the town plays host to the world fireworks championship where 4 teams from around the world design their displays in time with music and are judged on their technique and display. On the fifth Friday following the illuminations switch on - the competition winner is announced and performs another display.

These displays often attract thousands of visitors to the promenade despite the weather - congregating around the North Pier but stretching out along the coast in either direction a considerable distance. For the slightly more mature visitor and couples there are still plenty of options, from Viva cabaret bar, the legends shows, funny girls, Joey Blower, Joe Longthorn or any of the scheduled acts at the Winter Gardens or Grand theatre will be enough to keep visitors occupied. The town has also seen a wave of fresh new food outlets opening including some higher end options as well as the traditional fish and chips.

The tower Ballroom still opens daily for dancing and hosts international dance competitions as well as playing host to many episodes of Strictly Come Dancing. The Town is still a rich place in terms of entertainment and with a recent increase in the number of local festivals and events - the town may be on the up again.

The project was conceived and financed by local theatre manager Thomas Sergenson who had been using the site of the Grand for several years to stage a circus. He had also transformed the fortunes of other local theatres. Matcham's brief was to build Sergenson the "prettiest theatre in the land". The Grand was Matcham's first theatre to use an innovative 'cantilever' design to support the tiers, thereby reducing the need for the usual pillars and so allowing clear views of the stage from all parts of the auditorium. Sergenson's successful directorship of the theatre ended in when he sold the operation to the Blackpool Tower Company for a considerable profit.

The success of the Grand continued through World War I and on until the s. The theatre now faced stiff competition from the newly introduced talking films and the building was operated as a cinema outside the summer tourist season. This practice continued until when the nearby Winter Gardens Opera House was constructed.

The theatre was able to stay open during World War II but the post-war rise in the popularity of television was probably the cause of the theatre's dwindling popularity toward the s. An agreement was reached with the Grand's owners, EMI , that a refurbishment of the then unused building would take place if it could be used as a bingo hall. After three years of bingo use, the group of friends, now called the Friends of the Grand, with the support of Blackpool Borough Council, negotiated to lease and eventually buy the theatre back from EMI over a period of a few years.

The purchase was completed by 1 October and a refurbishment, achieved partly through voluntary effort, was begun. The theatre's return was further confirmed in May of the same year when a Royal Variety Performance was staged in the presence of Prince Charles. The town also plays host to the longest-running seaside show in Britain, Legends, which features multiple tribute artists with a live band and dance troupe, first appearing at the North Pier in , then at the Central Pier from to and now at the Sands Venue, located in the Palatine buildings formerly the Palace nightclub on the promenade near Blackpool Tower.

Sands is currently under refurbishment to become a multi storey hotel and entertainment complex in the site of the old palatine building. Construction began in In February council chiefs attended a convention in Florida to identify a new "concert venue" concept for the town, doubling as a new purpose built centre for conferences and conventions.

The site earmarked for the propose project is the old central station site which now serves as a car park and police station with law courts on bonny street. The police have since moved to a brand new facility near to the M55 motorway entrance and the site in central Blackpool is earmarked for the new potential development.

An Imax cinema has been announced by the council as adding on to the existing Hounds Hill shopping centre on land that is now a ground level car park. The development is to be shared with the Wilko store which is to re-locate from its current location to make way for a new hotel and transport hub as part of the current urban regeneration and infrastructure improvements in the town. Expected final completion for these projects has still not been announced although work has begun on some of the foundation works.

Blackpool plays host to several major events each year. From music festivals and dance competitions to the greatest free light show on earth. Blackpool is often described as the "gay capital of the North" with Brighton often being described as "the gay capital of the South".

In the late 20th century and early 21st century, pollution in the seawater at Blackpool caused considerable concern. In particular it was found that bacteria counts frequently exceeded the standards of the Environment Agency.

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Blackpool is continually striving to improve its position within today's tourist industry. One controversial proposal, which had the involvement of the local council, was to transform Blackpool into a casino resort along the lines of the Las Vegas Strip and Atlantic City , making it the centre point of gambling in the UK. During all the seven-year campaign the Council did not allow a single public meeting, where the public could hear the case for, and the case against the proposals.

The local newspaper, the Blackpool Gazette , sent a petition signed by over 11, local residents and visitors demanding the decision be reconsidered. On 29 March , the Advisory Panel's recommendations were approved by the House of Commons , but rejected by the House of Lords , meaning the bill would be reconsidered by parliament. The development would be 'wrapped' around Blackpool North railway station so that rail passengers arrive at street level into the new plaza with views down onto the seafront, making their arrival into Blackpool a much more pleasant experience than at present.

The regeneration company behind much of the towns current and future development, ReBlackpool, are working with Blackpool Council and AMEC to prepare a planning application. Regeneration work was completed in July on Waterloo Road in South Shore that transformed the area into a modern shopping centre. In March it was confirmed that a deal had been made between Blackpool Council and Leisure Parcs to purchase some of Blackpool's most notable landmarks. Blackpool boasts some important landmarks, most of which appeared originally as part of the flourishing tourist industry.

Blackpool International Airport operated regular charter and scheduled flights throughout the UK and Europe. The airport is actually just over the borough boundary into Fylde Borough , although a proposal to reorganise Blackpool's borders would see the airport incorporated into Blackpool Borough. This airport, formerly known as Blackpool Squires Gate Airport, is one of the oldest in the UK having hosted public flying meetings in and After a gap, it was active from the s to mid and from December to date.

Airlines that served Blackpool, before its temporary closure in late , included Jet2. The Airport was reopened to small aircraft after failing to find a buyer in December Holiday found [ when? The airport, which flies to about 20 destinations, received an overall customer score of 80 per cent. It received five stars for the efficiency of check-in, the time it takes to clear security and distance from check-in to the gate, and the overall airport experience, including signage, design of the airport and attitude of staff. The airport's most recent scheduled services to Belfast and the Isle of Man ceased when Citywing suspended operations on March In fact, civil operations continued until the outbreak of war with scheduled services to the Isle of Man and elsewhere.

The airfield closed in The land on which the airport stood now covers Blackpool Zoo and a hotel and golf course. The hangars from the old airport are still in use as the elephant enclosure for Blackpool Zoo. Blackpool once had two railway termini with a total of over 30 platforms, mainly used by excursion traffic in the summer. Blackpool Central , close to Blackpool Tower , was closed in , while Blackpool North was largely demolished and rebuilt as a smaller facility. The route of the former excursion line into Blackpool Central is now used as a link road from the M55 motorway to the town centre.

The line into North station is now the more important. The M55 motorway links the town to the national motorway network. Blackpool tramway runs from Starr Gate in Blackpool to Fleetwood and is the only surviving first-generation tramway in the United Kingdom. It is run by Blackpool Transport, owned by Blackpool Council.

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The tramway was for a long time the only working tramway in the United Kingdom outside of museums. It was also the UK's first electric system. On 1 February it was announced that the Government had agreed to a joint Blackpool Transport and Blackpool Council bid for funding toward the total upgrade of the track. The Government's decision meant that the entire length of the tramway from Starr Gate to Fleetwood was upgraded and also sixteen state-of-the-art trams joined the fleet. In April , the tramway reopened after the major reconstruction.

Day to day services are run by the 16 Flexity 2 trams. Several double deck 'Balloon' trams from the older fleet have been widened to work alongside the new trams to provide additional capacity in the summer months. Several non-modified older trams also operate a 'heritage' service from Pleasure Beach to Little Bispham on weekends and holidays.

The Japanese film Shall We Dance? All the hair styling for the film was completed by Blackpool-born-and-bred hairstylist Eileen Clough, who has been in the trade since the s. In the Hollywood remake of the film , directed by Peter Chelsom, Blackpool is mentioned but not shown.

Blackpool is the setting for Bhaji on the Beach directed by Gurinder Chadha. The opening scenes were filmed in the Flamingo. The Royal Windsor Hotel was featured, with the owner talking all about the hotel seasons and industry. Bernard Manning was also shown at the hotel doing his spot through the season hosted by a local DJ BMD and other local acts. Between 10 September and 19 November the resort was featured in Channel 4 's The resort was also featured in the three-part reality television series, Blackpool Lights on Channel 5 in December Blackpool was once again featured in a Channel 5 documentary series from 26 October , this time entitled Bargain Loving Brits in Blackpool.

The series ran for six episodes until 30 November Blackpool Symphony Orchestra was founded by Percy Dayman in It presents an annual series of concerts and organises educational and community outreach projects. The Beatles had a long and varied association with Blackpool, including a significant event in John Lennon 's early childhood [85] and multiple gigs in the town between and The band recorded four singles before splitting in The other Rockin' Vickers guitarist, Nick Gribbon, continues to perform in pubs in and around Blackpool as Nick Unlimited , with an open door policy that has given many talented younger Blackpool musicians their first opportunity to play live.

The Executives were a Blackpool band who recorded a handful of singles in the s including the original version of March of the Mods, which became a top 40 hit for Joe Loss and His Orchestra in the same year. The tune was written by Tony Carr, the father of Executives' frontman Roy Carr , [88] who later became a well-known music journalist with New Musical Express and the author of several books on popular music and executive editor of music magazines including New Musical Express , Melody Maker and Vox.

Tony Williams , The Executives' guitarist, joined Stealers Wheel soon after its formation in and also briefly joined Jethro Tull in as a touring bassist. Blackpool was notorious for having imposed an indefinite ban on the Rolling Stones from performing in the town in after a riot broke out among the audience who had found their performance "suggestive" during their concert at the Empress Ballroom.

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Home Contact Us Help Free delivery worldwide. Description Few towns conjure up such stirring impressions as Blackpool. Cheerfully unpretentious and brash with all the trimmings one would expect of a traditional seaside resort, Blackpool remains the iconic resort town, but there is more to its richly coloured history than you might think.

This absorbing collection of images reveals the changing face of the town during the past century. These images help highlight Blackpool's remarkable transformation from a fledgling resort. Aspects of everyday life are featured here, including social occasions, the pleasure steamers that once plied their trade from the piers, seaside entertainment and old cherished street scenes of bygone Blackpool.

This book is a valuable pictorial history, which will awaken nostalgic memories for some readers, while offering a unique glimpse of the past for others. The Best Books of Check out the top books of the year on our page Best Books of Blackpool Tower was built between and North Promenade was built in the years The older Promenade was widened in the years In the late 19th century Blackpool grew at a phenomenal rate. In it had a population of 14, By the population of Blackpool was 47, By it had grown to , Growth then leveled off.

Blackpool Town Hall was built in Grand Theatre was built in The first cinema in Blackpool opened in In the 's the Pleasure Beach began to develop and the first rides were built. Grundy Art Gallery was built in Blackpool illuminations were first switched on in They were put on hold during the First World War but were switched on again in The first Blackpool Carnival was held in Stanley Park opened in Louis Tussaud's Waxworks opened in Blackpool Technical College opened in Today Blackpool is, of course, a thriving resort with many attractions.

Blackpool Zoo opened in The Hounds Hill Centre opened in The Sandcastle opened in

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