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Blackpool |
Other opinions
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Dance was the subject that took us to Blackpool, but I couldn't skip a couple of hours strolling along the seaside, and across the city.
Four days were enough to collect a few ideas, that I will post in a dozen tips. Let's work! |
Winter Gardens
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The centre of my interest in Blackpool, this is a wide classical building, housing several indoor activities.
Dancing was the subject that took us there, and it was perfectly organized, with the action in the main room, and specialized displays and services around it. |
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Dance festival
One of the best events of ballroom dancing in the world happens each year in Blackpool, by the end of May. A full week with... the best. Events do take place all day, but the masters only dance at night, in the finals. |
Tower of Blackpool
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English copying French? Impossible! Let's explain this in "English" version: By the end of the 19th century, the world desperately needed a big tower. Several architects were projecting it worldwide, and in England James Maxwell and Charles Tuke planned an iron tower, with several attractions in it. The French knew, and ordered Eiffel to built urgently something alike, so that the French could be the first. Eiffel did it, but in the rush, he built in 1889 a simple tower, very big, but empty at ground level.The British went slower, but five years later they did it properly - a tower with circus, ballroom, much richer than the big French copy built five years before (fortunately I don't have to write this in French!). Is it clear now? Well, the tower was undergoing hard
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maintenance and the visit to the top would be open only in September. I visited the lovely ballroom and skipped the circus. It's nice, in the luna park that is Blackpool
Website: http://www.theblackpooltower.co.uk/
Website: http://www.theblackpooltower.co.uk/
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Dance
Yes, as I said, dance was the reason that took me to Blackpool, and dance will be the reason to return, if it will happen. The city is nice, but it's seen, and it shows no other strong reason to attract me than... I should have danced in the fabulous ballroom in the tower, but Fernanda didn't follow me in (shopping... you know!). I must dance in the tower... Website: http://www.theblackpooltower.co.uk/ |
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Circus
Several people recommended the circus as one of Blackpool's highlights. I dragged the group to the entrance, but the prices frightened the students, the women used the need to make them company to replace the tower by shopping (what a sacrifice!) and... I was alone. I visited the ballroom, but had no guts to go alone to the circus. Maybe next time, but... It is not a priority. The ballroom... oh, the ballroom! Website: http://www.theblackpooltower.co.uk/ |
Architecture
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I enjoyed very much the look of the city, with the small houses all alike in most streets, and a few buildings reminding the old times when it was a privileged destination, but always with clever proportions.
I don't know how many small houses became a hotel, but, without counting, I saw much more than one hundred. My room was so small that it seemed a doll's room, and, by the external image, that must be the standard, in those door after door hotels. Funny! |
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Town Hall
Blackpool Town Hall is a massive victorian palace, built in 1900, in a small square facing North pier. I don't know if it is possible to visit, because it didn't lure me too much. |
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The city of the dolls
I loved the look of the general construction in Blackpool, dominated by the cozy houses with unthinkable economy of space where the extrusion of windows in search of the Sun adds volume and rhythm in a harmonious and welcoming way. An image that may seem trite to a northern European, but exceptional for a Mediterranean like me. |
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Salvation army
...And then, walking without destination across the city, I saw at a small distance a curious building. I approached it and found that it was the Salvation Army's quarters. A nice building, but, more than that, a nice quarter. Everything seems to match a global plan or a specific style. I tried to read about it, and found... nothing, so far. So, that's all that I have - around Salvation Army's building, houses, churches, trees, all combine in a very peaceful and harmonious quarter. |
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King Edward Cinema
Near my hotel there was a closed but interesting building. In the facade we could read "1913 Central Picture Theatre" but the only "living" signal was the advertising of "Central Cabaret Bar" in both windows. I tried to discover what it was, and, in the listed buildings of Blackpool Civic Trust, I read: "Recently in use as a bingo hall, the “Central Picture Theatre” was built in 1913, possibly one of the first purpose-built cinemas in Lancashire. |
The symmetrical facade in Accrington brick features stone-colored dressings, two bulls-eye windows, drum and ball finial and a red/white checkered gable bearing patterns in molded terracotta.
The small foyer leads to a balconied auditorium with decorative moldings to cornice, ceiling braces and seat ends. Exterior restored and interior much altered in conversion to “Village Pizzeria” in Spring 1986. Now stands vacant and with door and windows boarded over."
Well, one more sigh of Blackpool's old glorious days.
The small foyer leads to a balconied auditorium with decorative moldings to cornice, ceiling braces and seat ends. Exterior restored and interior much altered in conversion to “Village Pizzeria” in Spring 1986. Now stands vacant and with door and windows boarded over."
Well, one more sigh of Blackpool's old glorious days.
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Wave sculpture
Reading in internet about the sculpture by St John's church, I found: In http://www.rudi.net: "London-based, architectural practice leit-werk won a £3.5million competition to re-design a key public space in the heart of Blackpool. The redevelopment of the St John's Precinct area forms part of the greater regeneration plan being delivered by ReBlackpool - the town's urban regeneration company. St John's Precinct project is being managed and delivered by Blackpool Council through its Townscape Heritage Initiative with additional funding from the North West Regional Development Agency (NWRDA). ... |
A key element of leit-werk's design is the New Horizon sculpture: a 12 metre hollow-spiral of mirrored steel, with a two-directional stage at its base. Through intensive investigation the team, in collaboration with Ron Packman of Packman Lucas, has fine-tuned a sculptural solution, which provides changing reflections of the sky, the horizon and the sea. In this way the new work creates an urban vista linking the beach and the town."
In http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk:
"SOARING metal costs have forced council chiefs to scrap a dramatic steel sculpture which should have been the centrepiece of a major town centre regeneration scheme.A hollow spiral of mirrored steel with a stage at its base for performances was to have been the iconic centrepiece of the 3.5m St John's Precinct scheme outside the Winter Gardens."
In http://blackpoolcam.co.uk, finally:
"The focal point of the square will be a 10.5 metre high sculpture named The Wave. Designed by artist Lucy Glendinning, the piece was designed to reflect Blackpool’s coastal location and resort status. A giant curl of steel representing a breaking wave is studded with coloured resin inserts whose shapes were inspired by detail in the stained glass at St Johns Church. These inserts are lit internally by LED colour change lights that give the sculpture a feel of constantly changing when seen from different angles. The top of the wave is pierced by a twice life size figure diving through it and which are internally lit A series of funky pebbles around the base of the sculpture echo the seaside theme of the main work. Again, internally textured and lit with the same colour change lighting as the sculpture they emit a soft glow of colour through jewel like internal faceting. Illuminated dancing water flumes that can be programmed to act as simultaneous jets will spring to life at the East/West/South/ North end of the square. The jets are computer controlled and will be capable of a number of functions from dancing jest to Mexican waves of lit water."
I would like to see the Portuguese politicians showing the same respect for money!
In http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk:
"SOARING metal costs have forced council chiefs to scrap a dramatic steel sculpture which should have been the centrepiece of a major town centre regeneration scheme.A hollow spiral of mirrored steel with a stage at its base for performances was to have been the iconic centrepiece of the 3.5m St John's Precinct scheme outside the Winter Gardens."
In http://blackpoolcam.co.uk, finally:
"The focal point of the square will be a 10.5 metre high sculpture named The Wave. Designed by artist Lucy Glendinning, the piece was designed to reflect Blackpool’s coastal location and resort status. A giant curl of steel representing a breaking wave is studded with coloured resin inserts whose shapes were inspired by detail in the stained glass at St Johns Church. These inserts are lit internally by LED colour change lights that give the sculpture a feel of constantly changing when seen from different angles. The top of the wave is pierced by a twice life size figure diving through it and which are internally lit A series of funky pebbles around the base of the sculpture echo the seaside theme of the main work. Again, internally textured and lit with the same colour change lighting as the sculpture they emit a soft glow of colour through jewel like internal faceting. Illuminated dancing water flumes that can be programmed to act as simultaneous jets will spring to life at the East/West/South/ North end of the square. The jets are computer controlled and will be capable of a number of functions from dancing jest to Mexican waves of lit water."
I would like to see the Portuguese politicians showing the same respect for money!
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Cybercafe
Will it be possible to travel in time? Maybe! Look at this precious building - the past is present in all its details and beauty, but if you enter, you will meet the future. No... it is not a school, nor a church, nor even a palace, it is a ... cybercafe. How nice! Well, the church is next door... |
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Birley street
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Grand Theatre
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Beach
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The tide has great amplitude making a great difference from low to high tides. We saw some fun in the sand, during low tides, but no one approaching the water, dark and with bad look. Yes, I know that it was the beginning of June, but... I really don't know if it is is suitable to bath or not, and if so, during what period. It's good for our eyes, but... maybe not to the skin. |
Anusements
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Luna park
It's a odd idea, transforming a pier in a luna park, but that seems to be what happened in Blackpool. We strolled with pleasure around it, observed the impressive image of the big wheel, but our fun was... dancing, so, we skipped it.In our beaches, ninety per cent of the dwellers go to the water, but, though the beach was wide and attractive to walk (in low tide...), with a few additions to the attractions of the pier, the water was something "forbidden".Well, if you don't dance, forget Winter Garden, forget the tower, and head to the pier.If we return with children we surely imitate you! Website: http://www.centralpierblackpool.co.uk/ |
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North Pier
Built to be used as a promenade over the sea, the pier was later enriched with some amusement, with bars and theatres.In the good old days it was aimed to attract the upper market. Now, after fires and damages... it is there, and people keeps walking along it. Website: http://www.northpierblackpool.co.uk |
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Tussaud Museum
Are you trying to find a place without a Mcdonald's restaurant or a Madame Tussaud museum? Then forget Blackpool - it has both. No surprise - in a city betting in youth and entertainment both are absolutely natural.When you saw a Madame Tussaud museum you've seen them all - some of the dolls are repeated, some different, but wax is wax and only marketing approaches justify the differences. |
However, if, by miracle, you haven't seen a Tussaud museum, you may use this one. It is there.
The difference is that this one was not created by the famous Madame Tussaud, but by her great-grandson Louis, and after moving from owner to owner is now operated by Merlin Entertainment group (at least, it was when I read about it, but I may not guarantee that wax didn't melt, or change hands again).
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Huge aquarium
One of the attractions that we didn't enter was Sea Life. It is big and it seems to be well conceived, but, with a group of adult dancers, it didn't become a priority. Located facing the sea. it must be, for sure, a great idea for families Website: http://www.visitsealife.com/blackpool/ |
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Coral Island
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Churches
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St John church
This outstanding church in the centre of town is a modern building, in Early English style, transforming the old one, built in the 1878. It respects the traditional styles and references, with the most recent works ended in 2006. |
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Baptist tabernacle
Built in 1905, it´s a heavy and dark construction, where the red bricks dominate. Seeming in regular use, I didn't enter it. |
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Sacred heart |