Blackpool .. tell me about it.

[BasilRathbon]

You don't have to spend the whole week on the promenade or the pleasure beach! You can have a very nice walk to or from the rather more "genteel" town of Lytham St Annes or take the tram up to Fleetwood. As with most resorts, there's plenty of calmer, quieter parts if you know where to look.

[Ousetunes]

Wipe your feet on the way out.

[DIVA]

It depends what your looking for if your looking for a village that just happens to be on the coast where nothing has changed in the last 50 years then visit Whitby, A place which has tried all be it half a**ed to drag themselves into the 20th century (thats how half a**ed their attepmts to provide entertainment) then Scaborough or Cleethorpes.

 

Blackpool is what you make of it there are bad points and god points of Blackpool if your going with your family its highly unlikely your going to be out at 2-3am when the drunks are out there are alot of family activities from the traditional to more modern.

 

If your going with other adults you dont need a stab vest/fur coat/no knickers and i challenge the posters who said this to show proof that stabbings are of a higher proportion than the rest of the country, average temperatures are lower than the average or even apart from when the Scots decsend on Blackpool in traditional dress that underwear is not needed.

 

There are plenty of reasonable places to stay (usually family run) that are clean and comfortable some offer their own evening entertainment too

 

Pubs and clubs, Up the North Shore you will be hard pushed to know your in another town/city as they have the same pubs/bars as the rest of the country flares/walkabout etc, One place to go is Roxys. A great nights entertainment from the resident djs who are also the owners and stage shows

 

I've been going to Blackie for many years usually more than once a year, I've worked there too and in my time i've never felt threatened or gotten into fights because most people there are out for the same as you to have a good time!

 

You make some fair and reasoned points here. I can only talk from personal experience. No, I wasn't stabbed when I was there, thankfully, nor was anyone I know but I did hear reports on the radio. Yes, it's worse at 2-3 am but it also does spill out during the day sometimes, particularly Friday-Sunday but, judging from the threads on here, it's probably no worse than in Sheffield at the moment. I thought it was a nightmare finding anywhere decent for kids to go at night. You might have some suggestions. The same for somewhere decent to eat too. I don't think I've ever seen such an array of awful quality, scruffy cafes and takeaways. That said, I agree, Blackpool IS what you make it. I can recommend the rooms at The Big Blue Hotel, (had a fantastic room, overlooking the pleasure beach rides) but not much else about the hotel. It's nice to visit Cleveleys and Fleetwood and Lytham St Annes looked quite cosmospolitan when I drove through. If you're going to the pleasure beach with kids, I saw a great offer on a site recently, can't remember whether it was Walkers crisps site (you need to collect codes from crisp packets) or Tesco club card vouchers - but wristbands (far best way for kids who want to go on a lot of rides) were less than half price, I think. When in England, I prefer to go camping, but there seems to be a distinct lack of anywhere to camp in the Blackpool vicinity.

[Saffy]

Ha ha .. err, you make the place sound attractive.

 

I think it will be an over nighter only ... I want to do the pleasure beach .. walk on the prom down to the tower and that's about it.

 

I'm fully aware it's a bit of a hole, but I can't really go through life without saying I've been on the Big One and seen the tower.

 

In saying all this, we are certainly going up to Whitby aswell - must try the Magpie to see if their fish and chips are really as good as people say.

 

Thank you all for your comments .. I've winced loads when reading them. I'll let you all know what I think when I get back.

 

Going just for the day, but staying over so we dont have to drive there and back all in one day.

[Buttercup80]

A lot of my dad's family settled in Blackpool so when i was younger i spent quite a lot of time there (well, just outside in Thornton Cleveleys). We always spent our summer holidays there and i always had a good time, but it was the 80's then. My family inherited a house nearby and i've been over with friends/boyfriends now and again and been out in Blackpool. Although i've never seen the horror show that people talk about, it's hardly nice! My boyfriend went there not long ago for a football match and said it was so rank and dangerous they didn't even bother staying for a drink afterwards, and went straight to Manchester.

 

If you've got kids then i doubt you'll be out in bars at night, but the problem is that the stag/hen parties etc are all day sessions, so if you're on the main drag you will have to deal with them. The beach isn't much cop either. The pleasure beach is ok if you like that sort of thing, and there was a big swimming complex, think it was called the Sandcastle but it's 20 years since i went there so god knows what it's like now. If you head that way it might be better to stay in Lytham which is much nicer, then you can go to the Pleasure Beach or whatever, but you don't have to stay and endure it 24/7.

 

Personally, while i have very fond memories and a bit of a soft spot for Blackpool because of family connections, i doubt i'll ever set foot there again as it's a very different place to the one i remember.

 

Oh, and whatever you do, don't go in a pub on the main drag called 'The Manchester'!!

[Saffy]

Waaaa ... surely everyone has to do Blackpool once in their life? lol

 

My daughter is 16 so hardly a young kiddie -

 

Going to Blackpool ...

 

1. To say we've been

2. To go on the Pepsi Max and loads of other rides.

3. To look a the sea

4. To walk down to the tower

5. To have some fish and chips

 

err .. and that's about it.

 

Will that be worth it?

[DIVA]

Waaaa ... surely everyone has to do Blackpool once in their life? lol

 

My daughter is 16 so hardly a young kiddie -

 

Going to Blackpool ...

 

1. To say we've been

2. To go on the Pepsi Max and loads of other rides.

3. To look a the sea

4. To walk down to the tower

5. To have some fish and chips

 

err .. and that's about it.

 

Will that be worth it?

 

YES. Hope the weather keeps nice and you have a lovely time. Do watch out for offers on the web for wristbands. Can't recommend a decent chippy on main drag I'm afraid, maybe someone else knows one. I think Blackpool beach is very nice.

[Darbees]

Waaaa ... surely everyone has to do Blackpool once in their life? lol

 

My daughter is 16 so hardly a young kiddie -

 

Going to Blackpool ...

 

1. To say we've been

2. To go on the Pepsi Max and loads of other rides.

3. To look a the sea

4. To walk down to the tower

5. To have some fish and chips

 

err .. and that's about it.

 

Will that be worth it?

 

Yes that's a good enough reason, the place has to be seen to be believed and so long as you know what to expect things should be fine. View it as something that is so bad it's good and you can't go wrong. I normally go for about an hour or the length of time it gets along the prom and buy ridiculously expensive but nice fish and chips. Not sure I'd stay the night when I've got a comfy bed at home though.

[wwcrazy]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/tesco-clubcard-vouchers_W0QQitemZ130231973311QQihZ003QQcategoryZ109192QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Cheap vouchers for the wristbands on ebay

[alchresearch]

Have you considered somewhere else and visit visiting Blackpool for the day? Southport is a much nicer place and Ainsdale Beach just a little further down the coast is very clean and sandy, with lots of secluded sheltered dunes, unlike the concrete that is Blackpool beach.