Vacation in Blackpool
Introduction
Blackpool is a seaside town in England, on the coast of the
Irish Sea. It is traditionally part of Lancashire but on April
1, 1998 was made into an independent unitary authority. It 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
the relatively clean waters of the Irish Sea.
History
During Roman times, the Fylde, was an area of oak forests and
impassable bogs. The Romans built a road through Preston to a
settlement outside Kirkham fort and this continued westwards,
probably towards a Roman port. In 1602 entries in the Bispham
parish baptismal register mention "de Poole" and "de
blackpoole", at that time a collection of cobble and clay huts
spread along the coast near to the "Pool". In 18TH Century The
Fylde coast began to attract visitors from the landed gentry by
the 1720's and in 1735 a cottage owned by Ethart a' Whiteside
became the first 'guest house' used especially for visitors. The
19th Century saw the rapid development of Blackpool as a major
resort for the industrial working classes of Lancashire and
Yorkshire. The 1970's and 80's brought competition from
continental holidays and from the consequent higher expectations
of visitors. Blackpool adjusted as it has throughout its
history, by providing mini breaks, en-suite facilities, and
major indoor facilities such as the Sandcastle, Sea Life Centre
and most recently the World of Coronation Street.
Place of interest
Blackpool is heavily dependent on tourism. Major attractions
include:
Blackpool Tower, built in May 1894, is a 518-foot-tall copy of
the Eiffel Tower. It was painted gold for its centenary. The
Blackpool Pleasure Beach amusement park, near to the South Pier.
Blackpool Zoo - provides a home to over 1500 animals from all
over the world.
Blackpool Dance Festival - World famous annual ballroom dance
competition of international significance: home page
Blackpool Pleasure Beach - Theme park with lots of different
attractions including the tallest rollercoaster in Europe.
Tower World - A huge complex of leisure facilities,
entertainment venues and restaurants. Included is the famous
Blackpool Tower, Tower Ballroom and Tower Circus. Winter Gardens
- Large entertainment and conference venue in the town centre.
North Pier - The northernmost of Blackpool's three piers. It
includes a small shopping arcade, a small tramway and a theatre
at the end. It was damaged by a 1997 Christmas windstorm
Central Pier - The middle pier. It includes a large theme park
and shopping.
South Pier - The southernmost pier. Almost directly opposite the
Pleasure Beach, it houses a large theme park.
One controversial proposal, which has the involvement of the
local council, is 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.
Blackpool remains a major summer entertainment venue,
specialising in variety shows featuring entertainers such as Ken
Dodd. 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.
Museums & Art Galleries
The world famous Waxworks exhibition is situated on Central
Promenade and is open throughout the season from Easter to the
end of October. Famous personalities such as film stars,
television personalities, pop idols and politicians are all
portrayed in wax. Why not visit the Chamber of Horrors and the
Anatomy Exhibition for adults where new figures are introduced
every season. Toy and Teddy Bear Museum is another attraction
for visitors.
Shopping
Like other popular cities Blackpool has a number of shopping
center chain. Among them : Littlewoods Extra with a massive
range of 40000 products, ranging from toys and clothes to
electrical goods and sports equipment and Marks & Spencer for
womenswear, menswear, gifts, flowers and a wide range of
delcious food. Except this two, Bhs Plc, Clifton Arcade,
Hearnshaw Of Fleetwood, Stringer Jw, Woolworths Plc, Lancastrian
Shopping Mart etc., are some famous shoping centers in Blackpool.
Food & Drink
Blackpool hosts a number of restaurants offering all range of
food and all verities of food from different place of the world.
Blue Room, Cottage, Giggis Taverna, Grosvenor Casino, Galley
Caf