87-632: Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in Blackpool , Lancashire , England, which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. When it opened, Blackpool Tower was the tallest man made structure in the British Empire. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, it is 518 feet (158 metres) tall and is the 125th-tallest freestanding tower in the world. Blackpool Tower is also the common name for
174-551: A Harry Ramsden's fish and chip restaurant. The Blackpool Tower Dungeon is part of an international chain of Dungeon experiences operated by Merlin Entertainments. Opened in 2011, it incorporates elements of history with fear, and shows based on gallows humour . It also features "Drop Dead", a 26 ft (7.9 m) drop tower that simulates being executed by hanging . As an addition to the Dungeon brand Merlin introduced
261-453: A "Walk of Faith" glass floor panel was opened at the top of the tower. Made up of two sheets of laminated glass, it weighs half a tonne and is two inches thick. In October 2007, a laser beam installed on the Tower for the duration of the annual Illuminations was criticised by astronomer Sir Patrick Moore , presenter of television programme The Sky at Night , who said: "Light pollution is
348-720: A British tribe, the Setantii (the "dwellers in the water") a sub-tribe of the Brigantes . Some of the earliest villages on the Fylde, which were later to become part of Blackpool town, were named in the Domesday Book in 1086. In medieval times Blackpool emerged as a few farmsteads on the coast within Layton-with-Warbreck, the name coming from "le pull", a stream that drained Marton Mere and Marton Moss into
435-539: A huge problem. I am not saying we should turn all the lights out, that is not practical, but there are some things which are very unnecessary. The Blackpool Tower light is certainly something I do not think we should be doing. I very much oppose it." The beam could be seen 30 miles (48 km) away; Moore called for it to be stopped. The centre for Astrophysics at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston said
522-583: A local authority area, Blackpool's gross domestic product (GDP) was approximately £3.2 billion in 2020 – 0.2 per cent of the English economy. GDP fell by 2.2 per cent between 2019 and 2020. Seventy-five per cent of people of working age in Blackpool were economically active in 2021, with 51,600 in full-time employment and 7,900 self-employed. The average for the North West is 72.9 per cent and for England
609-460: A replica Eiffel Tower on the site. John Bickerstaffe, a former mayor of Blackpool, was asked to become chairman of the new company, and its shares went on sale in July 1891. The Standard Corporation kept 30,000 £ 1 shares and offered £150,000 worth of shares to the public; initially only two-thirds were taken up, forcing the company to ask for more cash contributions from its existing shareholders, but
696-504: A series of adventures in search of hidden treasure. A new attraction "The Fifth Floor" which is a brand new multi-functional free family entertainment and events area opened in September 2019 as well as a VR roller coaster ride and a circus themed arcade. The Tower Lounge Bar was a large pub with a capacity of 1,700, but staff usually limited occupancy to 1,400 for a more relaxed atmosphere. It closed down in 2014, and has since reopened as
783-402: A tenth of people aged 16 and over worked 15 hours or less a week. Blackpool's population is forecast to rise slightly to 141,500 by 2044, with the 45-64-year-old group showing the greatest decrease. The number of residents over 65 years old is projected to rise to almost 36,000, making up 26 per cent of the total population. There is just one tier of local government covering Blackpool, being
870-546: A variety of different songs, usually Latin for the acts. In winter, the circus stages a pantomime instead of the regular show. Dr. Cocker's Aquarium, Aviary and Menagerie had existed on the site since 1873. It was kept open to earn revenue while the Tower building went up around it, and then became one of the Tower's major attractions. The aquarium was modelled on the limestone caverns in Derbyshire. It housed 57 different species of fresh water and salt water fish, and
957-522: A writer for the BBC noted: "In heavy winds the building will gently sway, what a magnificent Victorian engineering masterpiece." When the Tower opened, 3,000 customers took the first rides to the top. Tourists paid sixpence for admission, sixpence more for a ride in the lifts to the top, and a further sixpence for the circus. The first members of the public to ascend the tower had been local journalists in September 1893, using constructors' ladders. The top of
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#17327757443591044-709: A £73 million coastal protection scheme that brought new promenades and seawalls for the town, funded by Government, the North West Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund. ReBlackpool also prepared the Talbot Gateway scheme, appointing Muse Developments to develop 160,000 sq m of office and business space, as well as retail and hotel units, on a 10ha plot near Blackpool North Station . Blackpool Council agreed to relocate its offices to
1131-471: Is Phil Kelsall who has been playing the organ at the Tower since 1975, when he started in the circus. Kelsall became resident in the ballroom in 1977, and he was awarded an MBE like Dixon in 2010 for services to music. The ballroom was damaged by fire in December 1956; the dance floor was destroyed, along with the restaurant underneath the ballroom. Restoration took two years and cost £500,000, with many of
1218-499: Is 74.8 per cent. Twenty-five per cent of jobs were in human health and social work – compared with 13.6 per cent nationally. Reflecting Blackpool's strong tourism industry, 10.9 per cent were in accommodation and food services. With aerospace company BAE situated in the wider area and the Civil Service one of its major employers, the proportion of people working in public administration, defence and compulsory social security
1305-459: Is also higher than the national average – 12.5 per cent compared with 4.6 per cent. In a survey of the UK's 63 largest cities and towns – using primary urban areas, a measure of the built-up area rather than local authority boundaries – the think tank Centre for Cities said Blackpool's gross value added (GVA) was £5.2 billion in 2020, with GVA per hour of £32.7. That placed it at 53rd and 40th place in
1392-861: Is also the main centre of the wider Fylde Coast sub-regional economy, containing other coastal towns, including Lytham , market towns, an agricultural hinterland and some industry. Polymers company Victrex , in Thornton and formerly part of ICI , is one of the major private sector companies headquartered in the area. Sports car manufacturer TVR was based in Blackpool until 2006, and national jewellery chain Beaverbrooks , founded in 1919, relocated its head office to St Annes in 1946. Economic development officials highlight Blackpool's role in industry sectors including aerospace and advanced engineering, advanced materials technologies, regional energy, and food manufacturing. As well as BAE, leading aerospace companies in
1479-410: Is hidden by the building that houses Blackpool Tower Circus. The building occupies a total of 6,040 square yards (1.25 acres; 5,050 m). At the summit of the tower there is a flagpole where the height at the top measures 518 feet 9 inches (158.12 m) from the ground. A time capsule was buried under the foundation stone on 25 September 1891. The tower's design was ahead of its time. As
1566-476: Is in place to reduce urban sprawl , prevent the towns in the Blackpool urban area and other nearby conurbations in Lancashire 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
1653-437: Is one of four left in the world that can do this. The clown Charlie Cairoli appeared at the tower for 39 years. Britain's best-known ringmaster Norman Barrett worked the ring for 25 years, while Henry Lytton Jr. was Ringmaster here from 1954 to 1965. Animals appeared in the circus until 1990. It was planned to close the circus at the end of the 1990 season and replace it with an animatronic attraction. Public opinion and
1740-714: Is part of the Borough of Wyre . With its neighbouring settlement of Thornton , Cleveleys was part of the former urban district of Thornton-Cleveleys and is part of the Blackpool Urban Area . In 2011 the Cleveleys Built-up area sub division had a population of 10,754. At the start of the Second World War , several departments of the Ministry of Pensions , the Ministry of Education and
1827-524: Is the third most densely populated local authority in the North West, with 4,046 people per square kilometre, compared with 4,773 in Manchester and 4,347 in Liverpool. In 2021, 41.0 per cent of Blackpool residents reported having 'No religion', up from 24.5 per cent in 2011. Across England the percentage increased from 24.8 per cent to 36.7 per cent. However, because the census question about religion
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#17327757443591914-587: The Blackpool Electric Tramway Company . By 1899, the tramway expanded, and the conduit system was replaced by overhead wires. The system still remains in service. The inter-war period saw Blackpool develop and mature as a holiday destination, and by 1920 Blackpool had around eight million visitors per year, still drawn largely from the mill towns of East Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire . Blackpool's population boom
2001-802: The Board of Trade were moved to the Cleveleys area. Some were housed in the Rossall School briefly. An extensive site was developed for the Ministry of Pensions in the Norcross section of Carleton and all the government departments moved out in 1940. On 1 February 2008, the MS Riverdance ferry, while undertaking a regular sailing from Northern Ireland to Heysham under severe stormy conditions, ran aground on Anchorsholme beach, close to
2088-532: The Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately 27 miles (43 km) north of Liverpool and 14 miles (23 km) west of Preston . It is the main settlement in the borough of the same name . The population of Blackpool at the 2021 census was 141,000, a decrease of 1,100 in ten years . Blackpool was originally a small hamlet; it began to grow in the mid-eighteenth century, when sea bathing for health purposes became fashionable. Blackpool's beach
2175-453: The M55 motorway in 1975 made Blackpool more feasible as a day trip rather than an overnight stay. The modern economy, however, remains relatively undiversified and firmly rooted in the tourism sector. Blackpool rests in the middle of the western edge of The Fylde , which is a coastal plain atop a peninsula . The seafront consists of a 7-mile sandy beach, with a flat coastline in the south of
2262-557: The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards investigated a fake lobbying role he was offered by undercover reporters from The Times . The constituencies were reorganised for the 2024 general election, following recommendations from the Boundary Commission for England that aim to make the number of voters in the country's seats more equal. Blackpool South was expanded to take in new wards near
2349-525: The Winter Gardens , continue to draw millions of visitors annually. The town is home to football club Blackpool F.C. The team has one major trophy, winning the 1953 FA Cup . In 1970, a 13,500-year-old elk skeleton was found with man-made barbed bone points. Now displayed in the Harris Museum this provided the first evidence of humans living on the Fylde . The Fylde was also home to
2436-536: The Winter Hill TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Lancashire , Heart North West , Smooth North West , Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire , Dune Radio , and Blackpool -based stations: Coastal Radio and Fylde Coast Radio. The town is served by the local newspaper, Blackpool Gazette . Cleveleys has a number of pubs, including The Victoria Hotel, The Shipwreck Brewhouse, and The Jolly Tars, all on Victoria Road . Between 1961 and 2004,
2523-442: The unitary authority of Blackpool Council , which is based at Blackpool Town Hall on Talbot Square. Parts of the Blackpool Urban Area extend beyond the borough boundaries of Blackpool into the neighbouring boroughs of Wyre (which includes Fleetwood , Cleveleys , Thornton and Poulton-le-Fylde ) and Fylde (which covers Lytham St Annes ). Blackpool was historically part of the township of Layton with Warbreck , which
2610-518: The 10,000 light bulbs which are used to illuminate the Tower. In April 2002, the Tower maintenance team was featured in the BBC One programme Britain's Toughest Jobs . Known as "the tall tower", the tower is a visual reporting point (VRP) for general aviation aircraft in the local Blackpool airspace. Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire , England. It is located on
2697-914: The Eric Delaney Band and the Mike James Band. Under the management of Leisure Parcs, and the direction of bandleader Greg Francis, the Blackpool Tower Big Band was reformed in 2001 after an absence of 25 years. The New Squadronaires , the Memphis Belle Swing Orchestra and the Glenn Miller Tribute Orchestra also performed. Themed nights were also introduced along with the sixteen-piece orchestra, with resident singers including Tony Benedict, Lynn Kennedy, Robert Young and Mark Porter. The Empress Orchestra became resident in
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2784-531: The Tower Buildings, an entertainment complex in a red-brick three-storey block that comprises the tower, Tower Circus, the Tower Ballroom, and roof gardens, which was designated a Grade I listed building in 1973. The Blackpool Tower Company was founded by London-based Standard Contract & Debenture Corporation in 1890; it bought an aquarium on Central Promenade with the intention of building
2871-414: The Tower caught fire in 1897, and the platform was seen on fire from up to 50 miles (80 km) away. The Tower was not painted properly during its first thirty years and became corroded, leading to discussions about demolishing it. However, it was decided to rebuild it instead, and all the steelwork in the structure was replaced and renewed between 1920 and 1924. On 22 December 1894, Norwegian ship Abana
2958-644: The Tower's stained glass windows was carried out by local specialist Aaron Whiteside, who was given a Blackpool Council conservation award for the work. Refurbishment of the Winter Gardens conference centre was completed in time to host the Conservative Party spring conference in 2022, with further work announced in 2023. Blackpool Council was one of four local authorities in the Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Economic Development Company –
3045-587: The World") has been held each year in the ballroom since 1964. Also, the World Modern Jive Championships are held annually. Dancing was not originally allowed on Sundays; instead, sacred music was played. The ballroom also originally had very strict rules, including: The ballroom has had a number of resident dance bands including Bertini and his band, and Charlie Barlow. Other smaller dance bands have also appeared as residents, including
3132-583: The area include Magellan Aerospace and Force Technology. In advanced materials, AGC and Victrex are significant companies. In energy, nuclear fuel manufacturer Westinghouse , the National Nuclear Laboratory and offshore energy companies Orsted , NVH and Helispeed all have operations in the area. Blackpool's travel to work area has 2.5 times the Great Britain-average concentration of food manufacturing workers. During
3219-439: The area was represented by just one constituency, named Blackpool . This was replaced by the new Blackpool North and Blackpool South constituencies. Blackpool North became Blackpool North and Cleveleys for the 2010 general election, when Conservative Paul Maynard became MP. Another Conservative, Scott Benton , won Blackpool South from longstanding Labour MP Gordon Marsden in 2019. Benton resigned on 25 March 2024, however, after
3306-413: The area, between the stops of Rossall School (Southern Fleetwood) and Little Bispham (Northern edge of Blackpool). The nearest railway station to Cleveleys is Poulton-le-Fylde , 3.5 miles (5.6 km) away. Local television news programmes are provided by BBC North West and ITV Granada . The local television station That's Lancashire also broadcasts to the area. Television signals are received from
3393-536: The attractions, with Merlin deciding to incorporate the tower into its range of "Eye" branded attractions. The original ballroom, the Tower Pavilion, opened in August 1894. It was smaller than the present ballroom, and occupied the front of the tower complex. The Tower Ballroom was built between 1897 and 1898 to the designs of Frank Matcham , who also designed Blackpool Grand Theatre , and it opened in 1899. It
3480-447: The ballroom can be lowered to the floor to be cleaned, which takes over a week. From 1930 until his retirement in 1970, the resident organist was Reginald Dixon , known affectionately worldwide as "Mr. Blackpool". The first Wurlitzer organ was installed in 1929, but it was replaced in 1935 by one designed by Dixon. Ernest Broadbent took over as resident organist in 1970, retiring due to ill-health in 1977. The current resident organist
3567-406: The ballroom in 2005, alongside the specially created and smaller Empress Dance Band. The Tower's orchestrion is now in the collection of Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum . The ballroom, together with the Tower, Circus and Roof Garden, were designated a Grade I listed building in 1973. The Tower Circus is positioned at the base of the tower, between its four legs. The circus first opened to
Blackpool Tower - Misplaced Pages Continue
3654-656: The bidding process. The Casino Advisory Panel ruled that the "regeneration benefits of the supercasino for Blackpool are unproven and more limited geographically than other proposals". The government later abandoned the supercasino licence altogether following a legislative defeat in the House of Lords . In response to Blackpool losing the supercasio bid and lobbying from the town's disappointed leaders, ministers increased its regeneration spending, coordinated by an Urban Regeneration Company ReBlackpool, set up in 2005. Before being wound up in 2010, ReBlackpool led on Central Seafront,
3741-483: The boundary with Cleveleys Cleveleys is served by Blackpool Transport , which operates to Blackpool town centre, Mereside, Lytham , Bispham and Fleetwood, by Stagecoach North West , Cumfybus and Classic Bus Northwest, via Cleveleys bus station . Cleveleys is on the Blackpool Tramway . The tramway runs from Starr Gate in Blackpool to Fleetwood via Bispham and Cleveleys. There are five tram stops in
3828-409: The centre "stuttered to a halt in the early 1970s". Large numbers of homes were deemed unfit for human habitation and by 1993, almost 30 per cent of households did not have central heating, compared with the national average of 8.5 per cent. A new masterplan in 2003 was a response to this decline and the growing threat from coastal erosion. It was described by English Heritage as a "bold attempt to ensure
3915-420: The company made a £30,000 profit in 1896. Two Lancashire architects, James Maxwell and Charles Tuke , designed the tower and oversaw the laying of its foundation stone on 29 September 1891. By the time the Tower finally opened on 14 May 1894, both men had died. Heenan & Froude , then of Manchester , were appointed structural engineers , supplying and constructing both the tower, the electric lighting and
4002-411: The construction of accommodations and attractions, fostering rapid growth in the 1850s and 1860s. A Board of Health was established in 1851, gas lighting in 1852, and piped water in 1864. The town's population exceeded 2,500 by 1851. Blackpool's growth since the 1870s was shaped by its pioneering use of electrical power. In 1879, it became the world's first municipality with electric street lighting along
4089-419: The corporation or town council. The borough was enlarged several times, notably in 1879, when it took in parts of the neighbouring parishes of Marton and Bispham with Norbreck , in 1918, when it absorbed the rest of Bispham with Norbreck, and in 1934, when it absorbed the rest of Marton. In 1904 Blackpool was made a county borough , taking over county-level functions from Lancashire County Council . This
4176-490: The development and there were plans for a new public transport interchange. In 2010, Blackpool Council bought landmarks Blackpool Tower , the Winter Gardens and the Golden Mile Centre from leisure entrepreneur Trevor Hemmings , aiming to refurbish them in a "last-ditch effort to arrest Blackpool's economic decline". Public ownership enabled significant further investment in the facilities. The restoration of
4263-601: The district, which rises once past the North Pier to become the North Cliffs, with the highest point nearby at the Bispham Rock Gardens at around 34 metres (112 ft). The majority of the town district is built up, with very little semi-rural space such as at Marton Mere. Due to the low-lying terrain, Blackpool experiences occasional flooding, with a large-scale project completed in 2017 to rebuild
4350-590: The fact the animatronics were not ready meant that the circus continued. Today, the circus is produced and directed by Hungarian Laci Endresz, who is married to Maureen, one of the Roberts family who have a long association with the Tower Circus. A live band (sometimes accompanied by Mooky the Clown ) provides all the music for the show, often dynamically syncing with the performers' movements. The circus band play
4437-639: The first ever Dungeon themed Escape Room in 2017. Merlin Entertainments launched Dino Mini Golf, an indoor crazy golf course with "9 holes of prehistoric fun", in March 2018. It has been described by Aaron Edgar, the Blackpool Tower Operations manager, as "65 million years in the making". Visible through the glass floor of the Tower Eye on the promenade some 380 ft (120 m) below, is Blackpool's famous Comedy Carpet . In front of
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#17327757443594524-485: The former designers and builders coming out of retirement to assist; the restaurant then became the Tower Lounge. The BBC series Come Dancing was televised from the Tower Ballroom for many years; it has also hosted editions of Strictly Come Dancing , including the grand finals of the second and ninth series, on 11 December 2004 and 17 December 2011 respectively. The Blackpool Junior Dance Festival ("Open to
4611-476: The future of the town". Blackpool had pinned its regeneration hopes on an Atlantic City– or Las Vegas–style resort casino that Leisure Parcs, then owner of Blackpool Tower and the Winter Gardens, unveiled £1 billion plans for in 2002. By 2007, Blackpool and Greenwich in London were considered frontrunners among the seven bidders for Britain's first and only supercasino licence; however, nearby Manchester won
4698-419: The largest tank held 32,000 litres (7,000 imp gal; 8,500 US gal) of salt water. The menagerie and aviary were regarded as one of the finest collections in the country, and included lions, tigers, and polar bears. The menagerie continued until 1973, when it was closed following the opening of Blackpool Zoo near Stanley Park. Due to the Tower being run by Merlin Entertainments, which also runs
4785-580: The laser has added to a spiralling problem affecting astronomy. The tower has transmitters for local FM station Radio Wave 96.5 and some non-broadcast services. The tower continued to be owned by the Bickerstaffe family until 1964, when the Blackpool Tower Company was sold to EMI . Since then it has been owned by Trust House Forte , First Leisure Corporation , and Leisure Parcs Ltd, owned by Trevor Hemmings . In March 2010, it
4872-403: The nearby Sea Life Centre , the aquarium closed in 2010, and was remodelled to make way for a new "Dungeons" attraction. Jungle Jim's Children's Indoor Play was a large indoor children's adventure playground situated within the Tower. It featured a £3 million interactive play scheme, based on a notional lost city, covering over 2,500 square metres (27,000 sq ft). Children could tackle
4959-436: The newly rebuilt Winter Gardens Conference and Exhibition Centre. Like most UK coastal resorts, Blackpool declined from the 1960s onwards with the rise of overseas holidays. This coincided with a lack of investment in the town and its facilities for both residents and tourists. Fulfilment of a 1965 masterplan to remodel the town centre was "limited and piecemeal", according to Historic England. Ambitious plans to redevelop
5046-565: The north of the constituency. The Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency incorporated Fleetwood and five wards from the Blackpool Council area, and was renamed Blackpool North and Fleetwood – as a similar seat was known between 1997 and 2010. In 2022 Maynard told the Blackpool Gazette : "I am sure that residents of Fleetwood will be glad to be reunited with the rest of the Fylde coast, as they are geographically." As
5133-599: The others being Lancashire County Council , Fylde Borough Council and Wyre Borough Council . It oversaw the development of the Blackpool Airport Development Zone, which came into existence in 2016. It offers tax breaks and simplified planning to employers. Cleveleys Cleveleys is a town on the Fylde Coast of Lancashire , England, about 4 miles (6 km) north of Blackpool and 2 miles (3 km) south of Fleetwood . It
5220-491: The poor financial situation of the company, exacerbated by the falling share price, rendered it unable to pay. Bickerstaffe, to avoid the potential collapse of the venture, bought any available shares until his original holding of £500 amounted to £20,000. He also released the Standard Corporation from its share commitments. When the Tower opened in 1894, its success justified the investment of nearly £300,000, and
5307-401: The population reached 473. Henry Banks, instrumental in Blackpool's growth, purchased Lane Ends estate in 1819, building the first holiday cottages in 1837. In 1846, a pivotal event marked the early growth of the town: the completion of a railway branch line to Blackpool from Poulton. This spurred development as visitors flocked in by rail, boosting the town's economy. Blackpool prospered with
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#17327757443595394-538: The promenade, setting the stage for the Blackpool Illuminations . By the 1890s, Blackpool had a population of 35,000 and could host 250,000 holidaymakers. Notable structures, like the Grand Theatre (1894) and Blackpool Tower, emerged. The Grand Theatre was among Britain's first all-electric theatres. In 1885, it established one of the world's earliest electric tramways, initially operated by
5481-493: The public on 14 May 1894, when admission was from 6d , and, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic , has not missed a season since. The present interior was designed by Frank Matcham and was completed in 1900. The circus ring can be lowered into a pool of water and holds 42,000 imperial gallons (190,000 L) at a depth of up to 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m), which allows for Grand Finales with Dancing Fountains. The Tower Circus
5568-480: The sea. The stream ran through peatlands that discoloured the water, 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,
5655-415: The seaside. The local climate is mild and rainy also in summer. In the late 20th century, changing holiday preferences and increased overseas travel impacted Blackpool's standing as a leading resort. Despite economic challenges, the town's urban fabric and economy remain centred around tourism. Today, Blackpool's seafront, featuring landmarks such as Blackpool Tower , Illuminations , Pleasure Beach , and
5742-578: The seawall and promenade to mitigate this. Blackpool has a temperate maritime climate according to the Köppen climate classification system. Typically, cool summers, frequent overcast skies and small annual temperature range fluctuations. The minimum temperature recorded was −15.1 °C (4.8 °F), recorded during December 1981, however −18.3 °C (−0.9 °F) was recorded in January 1881. The absolute maximum temperature recorded in Blackpool
5829-530: The second half of the 20th century and up to 2007, Blackpool was one of the country's leading locations for political conferences, with the three main parties as well as bodies such as the TUC holding events at the Winter Gardens . With the Winter Gardens in need of refurbishment and parties preferring inland city locations to coastal resorts, Blackpool held no major political conferences between 2008 and 2021. The Conservatives returned for their spring event in 2022 in
5916-402: The settlements of Lytham St Annes, Poulton-le-Fylde, Warton/Freckleton and Kirkham separated. Blackpool's population was approximately 141,000 in 2021 according to census figures – a fall of 0.7 per cent from the 2011 census . It is one of five North West local authority areas to have recorded a fall in this period, during which the figure for England as a whole rose by 6.6 per cent. Blackpool
6003-423: The steel front pieces for the aquariums . A new system of hydraulic riveting was used, based on the technology of Fielding & Platt of Gloucester . The total cost for the design and construction of the tower and buildings was about £290,000. Five million Accrington bricks , 3,478 long tons (3,534 t) of steel and 352 long tons (358 t) of cast iron were used to construct the tower and base. Its base
6090-570: The survey respectively. It was also in the lower half of the rankings for business start-ups, closures and overall stock, as well as the proportion of new economy firms. Blackpool is the third lowest local authority area in the UK for gross median weekly pay. Its growth rates were forecast to be among the lowest localities in the UK Competitiveness Index 2023 - along with Blaenau Gwent (Wales), Burnley (North West), Torbay (South West), and Merthyr Tydfil (Wales). Blackpool
6177-545: The tower was evacuated after reports of smoke. Fire services found it was caused by an electrical fault in a neighbouring property. On 28 December 2023, at around 14:15 GMT, flames were reported close to the top of the tower. Lancashire Fire & Rescue responded with six fire engines, a drone team and rope rescue. In addition to this, LFRS were also supported by a helicopter from the National Police Air Service . Later that day, at around 16:30 GMT, it
6264-472: The tower, the Comedy Carpet by Gordon Young is a celebration of the resort's long comedic history in the form of a visual pavement of jokes and catchphrases, embedded into the surface of the revamped promenade. From above, it is easy to read the eternal catchphrase of the late Sir Bruce Forsyth , "Nice to see you - to see you... nice!". Painting the Tower structure takes seven years to complete, and
6351-452: The town's urban area is highly built up, only 70 hectares (0.70 km ; 0.27 sq mi) (2017) of green belt exists within the borough, covering the cemetery, its grounds and nearby academy/college playing fields by Carleton, as well as the football grounds near the airport by St Annes. Further afield, portions are dispersed around the wider Blackpool urban area into the surrounding Lancashire districts of Fylde and Wyre, helping to keep
6438-447: The workers who maintain the structure are known as "Stick Men". There are 563 steps from the roof of the Tower building to the top of the Tower, which the maintenance teams use for the structure's upkeep. If the wind speed exceeds 45 mph (72 km/h), the top of the Tower is closed as a safety precaution; if the wind reaches 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) the tower top sways by an inch. 5 miles (8 km) of cables are used to feed
6525-423: Was 37.2 °C (99.0 °F) during a 2022 United Kingdom heat wave . During an average summer, the warmest temperature reached 28.5 °C (83.3 °F) between 1991 and 2020. Precipitation averages slightly less than 900 mm (35 in), with over 1 mm of precipitation occurring on 147 days of the year. Blackpool is within a green belt region that extends into the wider surrounding counties and
6612-575: Was announced that Blackpool Council had bought Blackpool Tower, and that the Merlin Entertainment Group would manage it and add various attractions, including a new Dungeon attraction, and a new observation deck called Blackpool Tower Eye would operate at the top of the tower. The company was also to manage the Blackpool Louis Tussauds waxwork museum, to be rebranded as Madame Tussauds . On 12 December 2021,
6699-794: Was built by the Tyldesley family of Myerscough Lodge and existed in the latter part of the 17th century. By the end of that century it was occupied by squire and diarist Thomas Tyldesley , grandson 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 southwards (see Main Dyke ). In the 18th century, sea bathing gained popularity for health benefits, drawing visitors to Blackpool. In 1781, The town's amenities, including hotels, archery stall, and bowling greens, slowly expanded. By 1801,
6786-508: Was commissioned by the Tower company in response to the opening of the Empress Ballroom in the Winter Gardens . The sprung ballroom floor is 120 ft × 102 ft (37 m × 31 m) and is made up of 30,602 blocks of mahogany , oak and walnut . Above the stage is the inscription "Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear", from the poem Venus and Adonis by William Shakespeare . Each crystal chandelier in
6873-438: Was complete by 1951, by which time some 147,000 people were living in the town – compared with 47,000 in 1901 and 14,000 in 1881. The town continued to attract more visitors in the decade after the war, reaching a peak of 17 million per year. By the 1960s the UK tourism industry was undergoing radical changes. The increasing popularity of package holidays took many of Blackpool's traditional visitors abroad. The construction of
6960-472: Was part of the ancient parish of Bispham . The township was constituted a Local Board of Health District in 1851, governed by a local board. In 1868 the Layton with Warbreck district was renamed the Blackpool district. In 1876 the district was elevated to become a municipal borough , governed by a body formally called the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Blackpool", but generally known as
7047-445: Was placed on the side of the tower in 1984. In 1985, escapologist Karl Bartoni and his bride were married suspended in a cage from the tower. The lifts and winding gear were again replaced in 1992. The same year, the tower complex was renamed Tower World, and was opened by Diana, Princess of Wales . The tower is usually painted in dark red, except for its centenary year in 1994 when it was painted gold by abseiling painters. In 1998,
7134-460: Was removed to allow the structure to be used as a Royal Air Force radar station known as 'RAF Tower', which proved unsuccessful. A post box was opened at the top of the tower in 1949. The hydraulic lifts to the top of the tower were replaced in 1956–57 and the winding-gear was converted to use an electric motor. The top of the tower was painted silver in 1977 as part of Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee celebrations. A giant model of King Kong
7221-772: Was revealed that the 'flames' were in fact orange netting that was blowing in the wind. The top of the tower is currently known as the Blackpool Tower Eye. At a height of 380 feet (120 m), the Eye is the highest observation deck in North West England. It was previously known simply as the Tower Top, until it reopened in September 2011. Reopening after a major renovation, new owner Blackpool Council brought in Merlin Entertainments to manage
7308-434: Was reverted in 1974 when Blackpool became a lower-tier non-metropolitan district with the county council once more providing services in the town. Blackpool regained its independence from the county council in 1998 when it was made a unitary authority. Blackpool remains part of the ceremonial county of Lancashire for the purposes of lieutenancy . Blackpool is covered by two Westminster constituencies : Until 1945,
7395-533: Was sailing from Liverpool to Savannah, Georgia , but was caught up in a storm, and mistook the recently built Blackpool Tower for a lighthouse . Abana was first seen off North Pier , and later drifted to Little Bispham where she was wrecked, and can still be seen at low tide. The ship's bell still hangs in St Andrews Church in Cleveleys . In 1940, during the Second World War , the crow's nest
7482-491: Was suitable for this activity, and by 1781 several hotels had been built. The opening of a railway station in 1846 allowed more visitors to reach the resort, which continued to grow for the remainder of the nineteenth century. In 1876, the town became a borough, and by 1951 its population had reached 147,000. Blackpool's development was closely tied to the Lancashire cotton-mill practice of annual factory maintenance shutdowns, known as wakes weeks , when many workers chose to visit
7569-459: Was voluntary and has varying response rates, the ONS warns that 'caution is needed when comparing figures between different areas or between censuses'. According to the 2021 census, 49.5 per cent of residents aged 16 years and over were employed (excluding full-time students, with 3.8 per cent unemployed (a drop from 5.4 per cent in 2011). The proportion of retired residents was 23.8 per cent. Just over
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