During the 20th century Blackpool reached the pinnacle of its prominence with British holidaymakers flocking across the country to the popular holiday hotspot. In the 1920s and 1930s, Blackpool was Britain’s most popular resort, which JB Priestley referred to as “the great, roaring, spangled beast”.
Renowned for its iconic Blackpool Tower, Pleasure Beach, and its illuminations, working class families would opt to spend their holidays by the British seaside rather than travelling abroad. However, as foreign travel surged to the Mediterranean and the expansion of package holidays and cheaper flights, the once thriving northern seaside town started to lose its spark. Now Blackpool is grappling with negative perceptions of deprivation and outdated appeal and has witnessed a shift in the market to late night drinking, stag and hen parties.
As a result, two of Blackpool’s most loyal visitors have vowed to never come again due to the town being “nowhere near as nice as it used to be”.
Spending a few days in the iconic town Mr and Mrs Jones from Gloucestershire had been visiting Blackpool every year since 1980.
Mrs Jones said: “We’ve come twice in a year at times. But it’s gone downhill. It’s nowhere near as nice as it used to be.
“We actually hadn’t been for about four years but since the last time we came we’ve seen it go from up ‘here’ to down ‘there’. I’ve said to [my husband] ‘we won’t come again’.
“We went to Skegness a few years ago and that’s just as bad.”
Government statistics consistently place Blackpool as one of the most deprived of 317 Local Authority areas in England based on household income, employment, education, health, crime, barriers to housing and services, and living environment.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 28 per cent of Blackpool’s population were classed as “economically inactive” last year; neither working nor looking for work.
It appears its fall from grace is evident with a large amount of its loyal visitor trade with June and Tony from Waterfoot saying the “hotels have gone to hell”.
“It’s really handy for us and it’s a friendly place but we have seen a decline,” June says. “It’s very, very sad. My heart goes out to Blackpool.”
Tony adds: “It’s a real shame. The hotels on the Prom have gone to hell.”
For its part, Blackpool Council is determined to improve the town’s image. Although the ambitious £300m Blackpool Central Scheme – set to include a flying theatre, two indoor theme parks, a 200-bedroom hotel, public square, and an array of bars and restaurants – stalled when the developer collapsed, demolition of the former police station in Bonny Street started this week in a bid to attract new investment.
The aspiration is that Blackpool Central will add to the town’s £1.98bn visitor economy, which already supports over 22,000 jobs in the area.