Local Information

 

Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. Lying along the coast of the Irish Sea, it has a population of 142,900, making it the largest settlement in Lancashire and the fourth largest in North West England.

 

GEOGRAPHY AND ADMINISTRATION

The town boundaries of Blackpool are drawn very tightly, and exclude the nearby settlements of Fleetwood, Cleveleys, Thornton, Poulton-le-Fylde and Lytham St Anne's. Blackpool Borough, unlike its neighbours, is almost completely urbanised.

Between 1894 and 1974, Blackpool was its own independent county borough unit within the administrative county of Lancashire. With the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, Blackpool's independent status was abolished and it was made part of the shire county of Lancashire. On April 1, 1998, however, Blackpool was made an independent unitary authority and reformed as an autonomous local government unit. It remains part of Lancashire for ceremonial purposes however.

 

HISTORY

Etymology
Blackpool is believed to get its name from a long gone drainage channel which ran over a peat bog. The water which ran into the sea at Blackpool was black from the peat and formed a "black pool" in waters of the Irish Sea. Locally people originating from Blackpool are called "Sand Grown" or "Sandgrown'uns".

Early history
A skeleton found with barbed arrowheads near Blackpool Sixth Form College in 1970 provided the first evidence of humans living on The Fylde, some 11,000 years ago. The Fylde was also home to a British tribe, the Brigantes, who from about 80AD were controlled by Romans from their fort at Dowbridge, Kirkham.

Some of the earliest villages on The Fylde, which were later to become part of Blackpool, were named in the Domesday Book in 1086. Many of them were Anglo-Saxon settlements. Some though were 9th and 10th century Viking place names. The Vikings and Anglo Saxons seem to have co-existed peacefully with some Anglo Saxon and Viking place names later being joined together - such as Layton-with-Warbreck and Bispham-with-Norbreck. Layton was controlled by the Butlers, Barons of Warrington from the 12th century.

In medieval times Black Poole emerged as a few farmsteads on the coast within Layton-with-Warbreck. The name coming from "le pull" which was a stream that drained Marton Mere and Marton Moss into the sea close to what is now Manchester Square. The stream ran through peat lands which discoloured the water, and so the name for the area became Black Poole. In the 15th century the area was just called Pul. And a 1532 map calls the area "the pole howsys alias the north howsys”.

In 1602, entries in Bispham Parish Church baptismal register include both Poole and for the first time blackpoole. The first house of any substance, Foxhall, was built toward the end of the 17th century by Edward Tyldesley, the Squire of Myerscough, and son of the Royalist, Sir Thomas Tyldesley. An Act of Parliament in 1767 enclosed a common, mostly Sand Hills on the coast, that stretched from Spen Dyke southward. And plots of the land were allocated to landowners in Bispham, Layton, Great Marton and Little Marton. The same Act also provided for the layout of a number of long straight roads that would be built such as Lytham Road, St.Annes Road and Highfield Road.

Taking the Cure
By the middle of the 18th Century, the practice of sea bathing to cure diseases was beginning to become fashionable among the wealthier classes, and visitors began making the arduous trek to Blackpool for that purpose. in 1781 Thomas Clifton and Sir Henry Hoghton built a private road to Blackpool, and regular stagecoach service from Manchester and Halifax was established. A few amenities, including four hotels, an archery stall and bowling greens, were developed, and the town grew slowly. The 1801 census records the town's population at 473. The growth was accelerated by the actions of Henry Banks, often considered to be the “Father of Blackpool”. In 1819 he purchased the Lane Ends estate, including the Lane Ends Hotel and built the first holiday cottages. In 1837, his son-in-law Dr. John Cocker built Blackpool’s first assembly rooms, which still stand on the corner of Victoria Street and Bank Hey Street.

The Coming of the Railway
The most significant event in the early growth of the town occurred in 1846, with the completion of a branch line to Blackpool from the main Preston and Wyre Joint Railway line from Preston to Fleetwood. Fleetwood declined as a resort, as its founder and principal financial backer, Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood went bankrupt. In contrast, Blackpool boomed. A sudden influx of visitors provided the motivation for entrepreneurs to build accommodations and create new attractions, leading to more visitors and a rapid cycle of growth throughout the 1850s and 1860s. In 1851 a Board of Health was formed. Gas lighting was introduced in 1852, and piped water in 1864. By 1851, the town's population was over 2500.

The growth was intensified by the practice among the Lancashire cotton mill owners to close the factories for a week every year to service and repair machinery. These became known as Wakes Weeks. Each town's mills would close for a different week, allowing Blackpool to manage a steady and reliable stream of visitors over a prolonged period in the summer.

In 1863, the North Pier was completed, rapidly becoming a centre of attraction for elite visitors. Central Pier was completed in 1868, with a theatre and a large open-air dance floor. The town expanded southward beyond what is today known as the Golden Mile, towards South Shore, and South Pier was completed in 1893, making Blackpool the only town in the United Kingdom with three piers. In 1878, the Winter Gardens complex opened, incorporating ten years later the Opera House theatre, said to be the largest in Britain outside of London.

The town was granted a Charter of Incorporation as a Municipal borough in 1876. W.H. Cocker, son of Dr John Cocker, and therefore grandson of Henry Banks, was its first mayor. The town would become a County Borough in 1904.

Electricity
Much of Blackpool's growth and character from the 1870s on was predicated on the town's pioneering use of electrical power. In 1879, it became the first municipality in the world to have electric street lighting, as large parts of the promenade were wired. The lighting and its accompanying pageants cemented Blackpool's status as the North's most prominent holiday resort, and its specifically working class character. It was the forerunner of the present-day Blackpool Illuminations. In 1885 one of the world's first electric tramways was laid down as a conduit line running from Cocker Street to Dean Street on the Promenade. The line was operated by the Blackpool Electric Tramway Company until 1892 when their lease expired and Blackpool Corporation took over running the line. A further line was added in 1895 from Manchester Square along Lytham Road to South Shore, and the line was extended north, first to Gynn Square in 1899, and then to Fleetwood. The tramway has remained in continuous service to this day.

By the 1890s, the town has a population of 35,000, and could accommodate 250,000 holidaymakers. The number of annual visitors, many staying for a week, was estimated at three million. 1894 saw the opening of two of the town's most prominent buildings; the Grand Theatre on Church Street, and Blackpool Tower on the Promenade.

The first decade of the new century saw the development of the Promenade as we know it today, and further development southwards beyond South Shore towards Harrowside and Squires Gate. The Pleasure Beach was first established about this time. Seasonal static illuminations were first set up in 1912, although due to World War I and its aftermath, they only enjoyed two seasons until they were re-introduced in 1925. The illuminations extended the holiday season into September and October.

Towards the Present
The inter-war period saw Blackpool attain pre-eminence as a holiday destination. By 1930, Blackpool claimed around seven million visitors per year, three times as many as its nearest British rivals, still drawn largely from the mill towns of East Lancashire and West Yorkshire. Stanley Park was laid out in 1920 and opened in 1926. The area round the park has become renowned for some of the most desirable residences in the area.

Blackpool was spared serious damage during World War II, and in the decade afterwards, it continued to attract more visitors, reaching a zenith of 17 million per year. However, several factors combined to make this growth untenable. The decline of the textile industry led to a de-emphasis on the traditional week-long break. The rise of package holidays sent many of Blackpool's traditional visitors abroad, where the weather was more reliably warm and dry, and improved road communications, epitomized by the construction of the M55 motorway in 1975, made Blackpool more feasible as a day trip rather than an overnight stay. The economy, however, remains relatively undiversified, and firmly rooted in the tourism sector.

 

ECONOMY

While Blackpool enjoys a large number of small businesses and self-employed people, there are some large employers. The government-owned National Savings and Investments is based at Marton, together with their random number generating computer ERNIE which picks the Premium Bond numbers, while other government agencies are based at Warbreck and Norcross further up the Fylde Coast. Burtons Foods produce biscuits and other bakery products, Arvin Meritor manufactures automotive components, and the Glasdon Group is a plastics manufacturer which makes litter bins, park benches and reflective road signs.

TVR formerly produced sports cars at its Bispham factory. Blackpool was also the original site of Swallow Sidecar Company forerunner of Jaguar Cars.

Many Blackpool residents work in the retail sector, either in the town centre or the retail parks on the edge of town.

 

TOURISM

Blackpool is heavily dependent on tourism. In what is often regarded as its heyday (1900-1950), 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. Reputedly, the town still has more hotel and B&B beds than the whole of Portugal. The town went into decline when cheap air travel arrived in the 1960s and the same workers decamped to the Mediterranean coast resorts due to competitive prices and the more reliable weather. Today Blackpool remains the most popular seaside resort in the UK, however the town has suffered a serious drop in numbers of visitors which has fallen from 17 million in 1992 to 10 million today. Similarly Blackpool Pleasure Beach remains the country's most popular free attraction with 6 million visitors a year but has lost over a million visitors since 1998. Today, many visitors stay for the weekend rather than for a week at a time.

Conferences
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 TGWU with thousands of delegates and visitors, to substantially smaller gatherings such as the CWU or NUS conferences.

Entertainment
Blackpool remains a summer entertainment venue, specialising in variety shows featuring entertainers such as Ken Dodd and Roy 'Chubby' Brown.

Events and festivals
Blackpool Dance Festival is a world famous annual ballroom dance competition of international significance.

Blackpool Illuminations consisting of a series of lighted displays and collages arranged along the entire length of the sea front, seven miles (11km) in total, attract many visitors from late August to early November; a time when most British seaside resorts' holiday seasons have already ended. This results in some spectacular traffic snarl-ups as most people now view the lights from cars and coaches which crawl nose-to-tail along the whole length of the sea front, particularly so at weekends and during school holidays. Each season a famous person "flicks the switch" to turn the lights on in an opening night Switch on ceremony. Scottish actor David Tennant flicked the switch for the 2007 display on 31 August.

Gay Blackpool
Blackpool has gained renown as a lesbian and gay destination, with clubs such as the Flamingo Club, Mardi Gras Bar, the Flying Handbag pub, and many gay-run hotels and guest-houses, with some catering exclusively for the gay community. These tend to be inland, nearer to the railway station "Blackpool North" than to the sea. There is also the world famous drag cabaret burlesque show bar, Funny Girls, (who have performed on television and for royalty), alongside the Flamingo in the building that was formerly the Odeon Cinema; the building retains many of its Art Deco features.

Nightlife
A controversial aspect of Blackpool's night-life is its hen and stag parties. Brides- or bridegrooms-to-be and their friends, often dressed alike in absurd or risqué attire, roam the town's many bars and clubs getting increasingly drunk. Their rowdy behaviour is claimed to discourage family visitors and has led to complaints from hotel and guest house owners keen to attract a more upmarket clientele.

Future
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 Las Vegas and Atlantic City, making it the centre point of gambling in the UK. However, Manchester was unexpectedly selected for the initial trial by the Government's Casinos Advisory Panel. Since this decision, Blackpool's council and MPs have lobbied Parliament extensively, claiming their bid was misunderstood. The local newspaper, The Gazette, sent a petition signed by over 11,500 local residents and visitors demanding the decision be reconsidered. On 29 March 2007, the Advisory Panel's recommendations were approved by the House of Commons, but rejected by the House of Lords, meaning the bill must now be reconsidered by parliament. This has led many in the town to feel that Blackpool has been given a "second chance" to prove its' case, and as of April 2007, the town's representatives are still heavily lobbying parliament to award the casino to Blackpool.

Other future projects include a £500m scheme to build Storm City a proposed multi-themed indoor entertainment complex on a 30 acre site between Rigby Road and Central Drive. Storm City would house

• A 12,000 seated Arena
• Four World Class hotels
• Shopping areas
• Five themed entertainment areas
• Rooftop gardens
• Blackpool's own version of the London Eye.

In March 2007 Blackpool Council signed up to a three month deal to work exclusively with the developers of Storm City.

A second scheme, which is primarily aimed at the local population, but will also benefit those holidaymakers travelling to the town by rail, named Talbot Gateway would be a £285m Civic Quarter, for which International project management specialist AMEC has been chosen to transform what is at present a rundown area around Blackpool North railway station into a what Blackpool Council hope will be a world class gateway with new office and retail space as well as a public square, dubbed the Talbot Plaza. 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 to the seafront, making their arrival at Blackpool a much more pleasant experience that at present. The regeneration company behind much of the towns current and future development, ReBlackpool are working with Blackpool Council and AMEC to sort out the planning application.

 

LANDMARKS AND PLACES OF INTEREST

Blackpool boasts some important landmarks, most of which appeared originally as part of the flourishing tourist industry.

Major Attractions

• Blackpool Tower, opened in 1894; it has been a dominant landmark of the Blackpool skyline since that time. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower of Paris, France, it is 158m (518ft 9in) tall. Beneath the tower is a complex of leisure facilities, entertainment venues and restaurants, including the world famous Tower Ballroom and Tower Circus.

• North Pier - The northernmost of Blackpool's three piers. It includes a small shopping arcade, a small tramway and the North Pier Theatre toward the end of the pier. The pier end also used to have a helicopter pad, but this was damaged at Christmas 1997 by a windstorm and collapsed into the Irish Sea.

• Central Pier - The middle pier, includes a large ferris wheel and shops.

• South Pier - The southernmost pier. Almost directly opposite the Pleasure Beach, it houses a theme park.

• Pleasure Beach Blackpool - a famous theme park. Rides include the Pepsi Max Big One, which was the worlds fastest and tallest complete circuit rollercoaster in the world between 1994 and 1996.

• The Winter Gardens is a large entertainment and conference venue in the town centre. Includes the Opera House (one of the largest theatres in Europe), Pavilion Theatre, Empress Ballroom, Spanish Hall, Arena and Olympia.

Other attractions

• Beach - Stretching along the whole seafront. The main natural attraction for tourists.

• Funny Girls - World Famous Drag Cabaret Burlesque Showbar, located on the North Shore.

• Blackpool Zoo - provides a home to over 1500 animals from all over the world.

• Grand Theatre - Victorian theatre designed by Frank Matcham. Also now known as the National Theatre of Variety.

• Great Promenade Show - Series of modern artwork installations along Blackpool's South Promenade. Includes the Blackpool High Tide Organ an unusual musical monument which uses the movements of the sea to make music.

• Louis Tussaud's Waxworks - Waxwork Museum, featuring models of celebrities, musicians, sports personalities and the famous Chamber of Horrors.

• Doctor Who Exhibition The Biggest Doctor Who Exhibition in the UK - contains props and costumes from the long-running BBC TV series, including some from recently aired programmes.

• Sandcastle Water Park - A indoor swimming pool with slides and waves. Next to the South Pier.

• Stanley Park - Grade II Historic Park & Gardens with Golf Course, Cricket Club, Sports Arena, Lake, Art Deco Restaurant, Model Village, Gardens, etc.

• Odeon Cinema - Situated on a multi-complex site, on Rigby Road, with 10 screens.

 

TRANSPORT

Air
Blackpool International Airport operates 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 which was formerly known as Blackpool Squires Gate Airport, is one of the oldest in the UK and has been in use as an airfield since 1909. Airlines serving Blackpool include Jet2 and Ryanair.

In 1927 the local council announced that an aerodrome would be built near Stanley Park, which would become Blackpool Stanley Park Airport offering flights to the Isle of Man for £1.80. The airport was officially opened by then British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald in 1931. However, with the opening of Squires Gate Airport a decision was made in 1936 by the Ministry of Transport to close the airport at Stanley Park. The airport closed a year later. During the Second World War the airport was used as a Royal Air Force training station, known as No. 3 School of Technical Training. The land that the airport stood on now covers Blackpool Zoo as well as a hotel and golf course. The hangars from the old airport are still in use as the elephant enclosure for the zoo.

Bus and coach
Busses and coaches are operated by:

• Blackpool Transport operates the main bus services in and around Blackpool, under the operational name of Metro Coastlines.
• Stagecoach operates the regional bus and coach services in and out of Blackpool, under the operational name of Stagecoach in Lancashire or Stagecoach Express.
• National Express operates the main long distance coach services in and out of Blackpool.

Facilities include -

Blackpool Talbot Road Bus Station which was the main town centre bus station, but is now used by Stagecoach and National Express services, and is officially called Blackpool National Express Coach Station. Blackpool Transport stopped using the bus station in the early 2000s after a disagreement with Blackpool Council regarding the state of the bus station building. Blackpool Transport now use Market Street and Corporation Street as their bus interchange which is located in the heart of the town centre.

Blackpool Lonsdale Road Coach Station the main coach station in Blackpool, is located in South Shore. This is mainly used by independent coach operators and also by some National Express services. The coach station has a cafe, shop and toilet facilities but is in a state of disrepair.

Blackpool Colosseum Bus & Coach Station was the main bus and coach station in South Shore. Located next to Blackpool Transport Headquarters, it was demolished to make way for a Somerfield supermarket.

Railway
Train operators serving Blackpool include:

• Northern
• TransPennine Express

Stations in the town are, or were:

• Blackpool North (originally Talbot Road)
• Blackpool Pleasure Beach
• Blackpool South (originally Waterloo Road)
• Layton (originally Bispham)
• Squires Gate (just outside the borough boundary but serving Blackpool International Airport)
• Blackpool Central (originally Hounds Hill, closed 1964)
• Burlington Road Halt (closed 1949)
• South Shore (renamed Lytham Road 1903, closed 1916)

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 1964, whilst 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 Blackpool via Lytham St Annes now has a station serving Blackpool Pleasure Beach but terminates at Blackpool South station. The line into North station is now the more important.

Road
The M55 motorway links the town to the national motorway network.

Tram
The town's tramway was for a long time Britain's only working tramway outside of museums. It was also the UK's first electric system. However other locations, such as, Manchester, Croydon and Sheffield, have been rebuilding their tramways since the late 20th and early 21st century.

 

SPORT

Cricket
• Blackpool Cricket Club, currently competing in the Northern Premier Cricket League. They last won the League Cup in 2005, and were National Champions in 1990. Also between 1973-1996, they won the Lancashire Cup on eight occasions and were League Champions fourteen times. Their home is in the grounds of Stanley Park.

Football
• Blackpool Football Club is the town's professional football club. Their most notable achievement was winning the 1953 FA Cup Final.

Also sometimes known affectionately as the Seasiders or the Tangerines, the club's stadium is Bloomfield Road, which is currently being redeveloped and modernised in stages.

Several professional footballers were either born in the town or have lived there. These include:

• Jimmy Armfield - former captain of Blackpool and England; still lives in the town.
• Dave Durie - born in the town; played over 300 league games for Blackpool in the 1950s and '60s.
• George Eastham - born in the town.
• Herbert Jones - born in the town; later won six caps for England.
• Matty Kay - born in the town; youngest player to make Blackpool F.C.'s first team.
• Gavin McCann - born in the town.
• Joe Smith - Blackpool F.C.'s longest-serving manager; lived and died in the town.

Other football clubs in the area:

• Blackpool Mechanics Football Club, currently competing in the North West Counties Football League Division Two. Also sometimes known affectionately as the "Mechs". Their home ground is Jepson Way.

• Blackpool Wren Rovers Football Club, currently competing in the West Lancashire Football League Premier Division. Their home ground is Bruce Park.

• Blackpool Wren Rovers Ladies Football Club, currently competing in the Northern Combination Women's Football League.

• Squires Gate Football Club, currently competing in the North West Counties Football League Division One. Their home ground is School Road.

Rugby League
• Blackpool Panthers Rugby League Football Club, currently competing in the National League Two. Their home ground is Woodlands Memorial Ground in the neighbouring town of Lytham St Annes, which is also the home to Fylde Rugby Union Football Club.

Rugby Union
• Blackpool Rugby Union Football Club, currently competing in the North Lancashire & Cumbria League. Their home ground is known as Norbreck Rugby Ground.

 

AREAS, DISTRICTS, AND ESTATES

Anchorsholme
Bispham
Bloomfield
Brunswick
Churchtown
Claremont
Common Edge
Devonshire
Grange Park
Great Marton
Great Marton Moss
Great Marton Moss Side
Hawes Side
Highfurlong
Hoohill
Layton
Little Bispham
Little Carleton
Little Marton Moss Side
Little Norbreck
Marton
Marton Fold
Mereside
Moor Park
Norbreck
North Shore
Palatine
Queenstown
Revoe
South Shore
Squires Gate
Stanley Park
Walker's Hill
Warbreck
Waterloo
Whiteholme

 

NOTABLE PEOPLE

Blackpool has been the birthplace and home to many famous people, including:

Ian Anderson - musician Jethro Tull
Jo Appleby - soprano singer with Amici Forever
Pat Astley - actress and porn star
David Atherton - conductor
David Ball - musician (Soft Cell)
Zoë Ball - English TV and radio presenter
Ronnie Baxter - Darts player
Lennie Bennett - comedian
Charlie Cairoli - famous clown, born in Milan but became famous in Blackpool where lived from 1939 to his death in 1980
George Carman - barrister
Frank Carson - comedian
Violet Carson - Coronation Street actress who played the part of Ena Sharples.
Ronnie Clayton - British Featherweight Boxing Champion 1947-54, twice Lonsdale Belt winner
Jimmy Clitheroe - British comedy actor, lived most of his life in North Shore, Blackpool, where he died in 1973
Jenna-Louise Coleman - Emmerdale actress (Jasmine Thomas)
Alistair Cooke - journalist and commentator
Raine Davison - actress
Ian Stuart Donaldson - musician (Skrewdriver)
John Evan - musician Jethro Tull
Jeffrey Hammond - musician Jethro Tull
Roy Harper - musician
Barney Harwood - TV presenter
Edwin Hughes - ("Balaclava Ned") (1830-1927), the last survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava in the Crimea lived in Blackpool and is buried there.
John Inman - actor
Cynthia Lennon - wife of John Lennon
Jacqueline Leonard - actress
Ian Levine - songwriter
Syd Little - comedian, Little and Large
Brian London - boxer
Joe Longthorne - singer
Chris Lowe - musician - (Pet Shop Boys)
Nick McCarthy - musician (Franz Ferdinand)
Stacey McClean - singer S Club 8
Vic McGlynn - radio presenter
John Mahoney - actor (Frasier)
Pauline Moran - actress
Janet Munro - actress
Graham Nash - (The Hollies, Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young))
Janet Munro - actress
Bernadette Nolan - singer and actress
Coleen Nolan - singer and TV presenter
Chris Patten - politician and former Hong Kong governor
Maddy Prior - singer (Steeleye Span)
Peter Purves - TV presenter
William Regal - (WWE wrestler)
John Robb - musician (Goldblade), presenter, music critic
Nikki Sanderson - actress Coronation Street
Michael Smith - Nobel Prize-winning chemist
Robert Smith - musician (The Cure)
Andy Summers - musician (The Police)
Frank Swift - footballer (Manchester City and England)
David Thewlis - actor (Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter film series)
Ricky Tomlinson - actor (Jim Royle in The Royle Family)
Roger Uttley - rugby union player
Daniel Whiston - ice skater (Dancing on Ice)
Shelly Woods - elite wheelchair athlete