Blackpool
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225840324
2008-07-15T17:21:37Z
J.delanoy
2372780
Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/81.148.128.97|81.148.128.97]] to last version by Dudesleeper (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
{{Infobox UK District
|name = Blackpool
|image = [[Image:Blackpool tower from central pier ferris wheel .jpg|300px]]<br />Blackpool<br />[[Image:EnglandBlackpool.png]]<br />''Shown within [[England]]''
|status = [[Borough]], [[Unitary Authority]] (1998)
|region = [[North West England]]
|admincounty = [[Lancashire]]
|area = [[List of English districts by area|Ranked 330th]]<br>34.92 [[square kilometre|km²]]
|adminhq = [[Blackpool]]
|onscode = 00EX
|demonym = Sandgrown'un, Blackpudlian (colloquial)
|population = [[List of English districts by population|Ranked {{English district rank|ONS=00EY}}]]<br>{{English district population|ONS=00EY}}<br>{{English district density|ONS=00EY}} / km²
|ethnicity = 96.8% White<br/>1.3% Asian<br/>0.8% Mixed<br/>0.4% Black<br/>0.3% Chinese<br/>0.2% Other Estimate<ref>http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=276900&c=macclesfield&d=13&e=13&g=428795&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1206541359765&enc=1&dsFamilyId=1812</ref>
|politics = <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Arms-blackpool.jpg|200px|Arms of the Blackpool Borough Council]] --><br />Blackpool Council<br />http://www.blackpool.gov.uk/
}}
{{Otheruses}}
{{mergefrom|Gay Blackpool|Talk:Blackpool#Merger proposal|date=July 2008}}
'''Blackpool''' ({{Audio|en-uk-Blackpool.ogg|/{{lang|unicode|ˈblækˌpul}}/}}) is a [[seaside resort|seaside town]] in [[Lancashire]], [[England]]. Lying along the coast of the [[Irish Sea]], it has a population of 142,900, making it the [[North West England#Important cities and towns|fourth-largest]] settlement in North West England.
Blackpool rose to prominence as a major centre of tourism during the 19th century, particularly for the inhabitants of [[Northern England|northern]] [[mill town]]s.
== History ==
=== Toponymy===
Blackpool is believed to get its name from a historic drainage channel (possibly Spen Dyke) that ran over a [[bog|peat bog]], discharging discoloured water into the [[Irish Sea]], which formed a black pool (on the other side of the sea, [[Dublin]] is derived from the [[Irish language|Irish]] for "black pool").<ref>[http://www.blackpool-stay.co.uk/about-blackpool/default.php About Blackpool] BHGHA</ref> Another explanation is that the local dialect for stream was "pul" or "poole", hence "Black poole".
People originating from Blackpool are called "Sand Grown" or "Sandgrown'uns".
=== Early history ===
A 12,000 year old animal skeleton (the ''Carelton Elk'') found with barbed arrowheads near [[Blackpool Sixth Form College]] in 1970 provided the first evidence of humans living on [[Fylde peninsula|the Fylde]] as far back as the [[Palaeolithic]] era.<ref name="amounderness">
{{cite web
| title = Who were the Setantii?
| publisher = amounderness.com
| url = http://www.amounderness.com/site/setantii.htm
| accessdate = 2008-01-26}}</ref> The Fylde was also home to a British tribe, the [[Setantii]] (the "dwellers in the water") a sub-tribe of the [[Brigantes]], who from about AD80 were controlled by [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] from their fort at Dowbridge, [[Kirkham, Lancashire|Kirkham]]. During the Roman occupation the area was covered by oak forests and bog land.
Some of the earliest villages on The Fylde, which were later to become part of Blackpool, were named in the [[Domesday Book]] in 1086. Many of them were [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] settlements. Some though were 9th and 10th century [[Viking]] place names. The Vikings and Anglo Saxons seem to have co-existed peacefully with some Anglo Saxon and Viking place names later being joined together - such as Layton-with-Warbreck and Bispham-with-Norbreck. Layton was controlled by the Butlers, Barons of Warrington from the 12th century.
In medieval times ''Black Poole'' emerged as a few farmsteads on the coast within Layton-with-Warbreck. The name coming from "le pull" which was a stream that drained Marton Mere and Marton Moss into the sea close to what is now Manchester Square. The stream ran through peat lands which discoloured the water, and 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, was built toward the end of the 17th century by Edward Tyldesley, the Squire of Myerscough, and son of the [[Cavalier|Royalist]], Sir Thomas Tyldesley. An [[Act of Parliament]] in 1767 enclosed a [[Commons|common]], mostly Sand Hills on the coast, that stretched from Spen Dyke southward. And plots of the land were allocated to landowners in Bispham, Layton, Great Marton and Little Marton. The same Act also provided for the layout of a number of long straight roads that would be built such as Lytham Road, St.Annes Road and Highfield Road.<ref name="Blackpool Tourism">{{cite news|title=Blackpool History |publisher=[[Blackpool Tourist Office]] | |url=http://www.blackpooltourism.com/resources/files/2_Blackpool%20History.pdf |accessdate=2007-03-18}}</ref>
===Taking the Cure===
By the middle of the 18th century, the practice of [[sea bathing]] to cure diseases was beginning to become fashionable among the wealthier classes, and visitors began making the arduous trek to Blackpool for that purpose. In 1781 Thomas Clifton and Sir Henry Hoghton built a private road to Blackpool, and a regular stagecoach service from Manchester and Halifax was established. A few amenities, including four hotels, an archery stall and bowling greens, were developed, and the town grew slowly. The [[Census Act 1800|1801 census]] records the town's population at 473. The growth was accelerated by the actions of Henry Banks, often considered to be the “Father of Blackpool”. In 1819 he purchased the Lane Ends estate, including the Lane Ends Hotel and built the first holiday cottages. In 1837, his son-in-law Dr. John Cocker built Blackpool’s first assembly rooms, which still stand on the corner of Victoria Street and Bank Hey Street.
===Arrival of the railway ===
The most significant event in the early growth of the town occurred in 1846, with the completion of a [[Blackpool Branch Line|branch line]] to Blackpool from the main [[Preston and Wyre Joint Railway]] line from [[Preston]] to [[Fleetwood]]. Fleetwood declined as a resort, as its founder and principal financial backer, [[Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood]] went bankrupt. In contrast, Blackpool boomed. A sudden influx of visitors provided the motivation for entrepreneurs to build accommodations and create new attractions, leading to more visitors and a rapid cycle of growth throughout the 1850s and 1860s. In 1851 a Board of Health was formed. [[Gas lighting]] was introduced in 1852, and piped water in 1864. By 1851, the town's population was over 2500.
The growth was intensified by the practice among the Lancashire [[cotton mill]] owners to close the factories for a week every year to service and repair machinery. These became known as ''[[Wakes Week]]s''. Each town's mills would close for a different week, allowing Blackpool to manage a steady and reliable stream of visitors over a prolonged period in the summer.
In 1863, the [[North Pier, Blackpool|North Pier]] was completed, rapidly becoming a centre of attraction for elite visitors. [[Central Pier, Blackpool|Central Pier]] was completed in 1868, with a theatre and a large open-air dance floor. The town expanded southward beyond what is today known as the [[Golden Mile]], towards South Shore, and [[South Pier, Blackpool|South Pier]] was completed in 1893, making Blackpool the only town in the [[United Kingdom]] with three piers. In 1878, the Winter Gardens complex opened, incorporating ten years later the Opera House theatre, said to be the largest in Britain outside of [[London]].
The town was granted a Charter of Incorporation as a [[Municipal borough]] in 1876. W.H. Cocker, son of Dr John Cocker, and therefore grandson of Henry Banks, was its first [[mayor]]. The town would become a [[County Borough]] in 1904.
===Electricity===
Much of Blackpool's growth and character from the 1870s on was predicated on the town's pioneering use of electrical power. In 1879, it became the first municipality in the world to have electric street lighting, as large parts of the promenade were wired. The lighting and its accompanying pageants reinforced Blackpool's status as the North's most prominent holiday resort, and its specifically [[working class]] character. It was the forerunner of the present-day [[Blackpool Illuminations]]. In 1885 one of the world's first [[Blackpool tramway|electric tramway]]s was laid down as a [[conduit]] line running from Cocker Street to Dean Street on the [[Promenade]]. The line was operated by the ''Blackpool Electric Tramway Company'' until 1892 when their lease expired and Blackpool Corporation took over running the line. A further line was added in 1895 from Manchester Square along Lytham Road to South Shore, and the line was extended north, first to Gynn Square in 1899, and then to [[Fleetwood]]. The tramway has remained in continuous service to this day.
By the 1890s, the town had a population of 35,000, and could accommodate 250,000 holidaymakers. The number of annual visitors, many staying for a week, was estimated at three million. 1894 saw the opening of two of the town's most prominent buildings; the [[Blackpool Grand Theatre|Grand Theatre]] on Church Street, and [[Blackpool Tower]] on the Promenade.
The first decade of the new century saw the development of the Promenade as we know it today, and further development southwards beyond South Shore towards Harrowside and Squires Gate. The [[Blackpool Pleasure Beach|Pleasure Beach]] was first established about this time. Seasonal static illuminations were first set up in 1912, although due to [[World War I]] and its aftermath, they only enjoyed two seasons until they were re-introduced in 1925. The illuminations extended the holiday season into September and October.
===Towards the Present===
The inter-war period saw Blackpool attain pre-eminence as a holiday destination. By 1930, Blackpool claimed around seven million visitors per year, three times as many as its nearest British rivals, still drawn largely from the mill towns of East Lancashire and West Yorkshire. [[Stanley Park, Blackpool|Stanley Park]] was laid out in 1920 and opened in 1926. The area round the park has become renowned for some of the most desirable residences in the area.
[[Image:BisphamParishChurch01.jpg|thumb|275px|Bispham Parish Church, All Hallows]]
Blackpool was spared serious damage during [[World War II]], and in the decade afterwards, it continued to attract more visitors, reaching a zenith of 17 million per year. However, several factors combined to make this growth untenable. The decline of the textile industry led to a de-emphasis of the traditional week-long break. The rise of [[package holiday]]s sent many of Blackpool's traditional visitors abroad, where the weather was more reliably warm and dry, and improved road communications, epitomized by the construction of the [[M55 motorway]] in 1975, made Blackpool more feasible as a day trip rather than an overnight stay. The economy, however, remains relatively undiversified, and firmly rooted in the tourism sector.
== Local Government ==
Though the [[Blackpool Urban Area]] extends beyond the statutory boundaries of Blackpool to encompass [[Fleetwood]], [[Cleveleys]], [[Thornton, Lancashire|Thornton]], [[Poulton-le-Fylde]] and [[Lytham St Anne's]], Blackpool remains administratively separate.
Between 1894 and 1974, Blackpool formed a [[county borough]] independent of the [[Administrative counties of England|administrative county]] of [[Lancashire]]. With the passage of the [[Local Government Act 1972]], Blackpool's county borough status was abolished and it was made part of the [[non-metropolitan county|shire county]] of Lancashire. On [[April 1]], [[1998]], however, Blackpool was made a [[unitary authority]] and re-formed as an autonomous local government unit. It remains part of Lancashire for [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial]] purposes however.
As of 2008 Blackpool council is currently controlled by the Conservative party the largest party represented with 27 councillors and a governmental majority of 12. The Labour party with over 12 councillors and the Liberal democrats with just 3 the third and fourth largest parties represented respectively are currently in opposition.
{| class="wikitable"
!Year !! [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]] !! [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] !! [[Liberal Democrats]] !!
|-
|2008|| 27|| 12 || 3 ||
|-
|}
== Economy ==
[[Image:TVR Sagaris in Monte Carlo.jpg|thumb|[[TVR]] being one of the last independent [[Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers of the United Kingdom|British car makers]]]]were a major employer in Blackpool,
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Blackpool at current basic prices by the ''[[Office for National Statistics]]'' with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/RegionalGVA.pdf Regional Gross Value Added]|1.79 [[Mebibyte|MiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 1878156 bytes -->}}, pp.240-253.</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year || Regional Gross Value Added<ref>Components may not sum to totals due to rounding</ref> || Agriculture<ref>includes hunting and forestry</ref> || Industry<ref>includes energy and construction</ref> || Services<ref>includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured</ref>
|-
| 1995 || '''1,276''' || 9 || 276 || 992
|-
| 2000 || '''1,444''' || 1 || 210 || 1,234
|-
| 2003 || '''1,598''' || 1 || 220 || 1,377
|}
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Griffith 500.jpg|thumb|right|250px|TVR Griffith 500 as formerly built at TVR in [[Bispham, Blackpool|Bispham]].]] -->
While Blackpool enjoys a large number of small businesses and self-employed people, there are some large employers. The government-owned [[National Savings and Investments]] is based at Marton, together with their random number generating computer ''[[ERNIE]]'' which picks the [[Premium Bond]] numbers, while other government agencies are based at Warbreck and Norcross further up the Fylde Coast. '''Burtons Foods''' produce biscuits and other bakery products, '''Klarius UK''' manufactures automotive components, and the '''Glasdon Group''' is a plastics manufacturer which makes litter bins, park benches and reflective road signs.
[[TVR]] formerly produced sports cars at its [[Bispham, Blackpool|Bispham]] factory.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6062084.stm BBC NEWS | Business | TVR to move car production abroad<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Blackpool was also the original site of [[Swallow Sidecar Company]] forerunner of [[Jaguar Cars]].
Many Blackpool residents work in the retail sector, either in the town centre or the retail parks on the edge of town.
== Tourism ==
[[Image:Pepsi BM.JPG|right|thumb|250px|The [[Pepsi Max Big One]] at [[Pleasure Beach Blackpool|Pleasure Beach]].]]
Blackpool is heavily dependent on tourism. In what is often regarded as its heyday (1900-1950), Blackpool thrived as the factory workers of northern England took their annual holidays there en masse. Any photograph from that era shows crowds of tourists on the beach and promenade. Blackpool was also a preferred destination of visitors from [[Glasgow]] and remains so to this day[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20030511/ai_n12739457/pg_5]. Reputedly, the town still has more [[hotel]] and [[Bed and Breakfast|B&B]] beds than the whole of [[Portugal]].<ref>[http://politics.guardian.co.uk/tories2003/story/0,,1034102,00.html Conference destinations: Blackpool | Politics | guardian.co.uk<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The town went into decline when cheap air travel arrived in the 1960s and the same workers decamped to the Mediterranean coast resorts due to competitive prices and the more reliable weather.<ref name=NYT041207>Alan Cowell, [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/world/europe/12memo.html Postcard From Ailing British Coasts: Wish You Were Here], ''The New York Times'', April 12, 2007.</ref> Today Blackpool remains the most popular seaside resort in the UK, however the town has suffered a serious drop in numbers of visitors which has fallen from 17 million in 1992 to 10 million today.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/6313439.stm BBC NEWS | UK | England | Lancashire | Blackpool: 'It's like someone has died'<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Similarly Blackpool Pleasure Beach remains the country's most popular free attraction with 6 million visitors a year but has lost over a million visitors since 1998.<ref>[http://elt.britcoun.org.pl/elt/d_t2.htm Holidays - Table 2<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Today, many visitors stay for the weekend rather than for a week at a time.
[[Image:Blackpool Illuminations and Tower.jpg|thumb|right|275px|The Tower and Illuminations]]
[[Image:Blackpool centralpier winter.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Blackpool's Central Pier in Winter]]
=== Conferences ===
Outside the main holiday season, Blackpool's [[Winter Gardens, Blackpool|Winter Gardens]] routinely hosts major political and [[trade union]] conferences, ranging from that of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] and the [[Transport and General Workers Union|TGWU]] with thousands of delegates and visitors, to substantially smaller gatherings such as the [[Communication Workers Union (UK)|CWU]] or [[National Union of Students of the United Kingdom|NUS]] conferences.
=== Entertainment ===
Blackpool remains a summer entertainment venue, specialising in variety shows featuring entertainers such as [[Ken Dodd]] and [[Roy 'Chubby' Brown]]
=== Events and festivals ===
* [[Blackpool Dance Festival]] is a world famous annual [[ballroom dance]] competition of international significance: [http://www.blackpooldancefestival.net]
* [[Blackpool Illuminations]] consisting of a series of lighted displays and [[collage]]s arranged along the entire length of the sea front, seven miles (11 km) in total, attract many visitors from late August to early November; a time when most British seaside resorts' holiday seasons have already ended. This results in some spectacular traffic snarl-ups as most people now view the lights from cars and coaches which crawl nose-to-tail along the whole length of the sea front, particularly so at weekends and during school holidays. Each season a famous person "flicks the switch" to turn the lights on in an opening night Switch on ceremony. Scottish actor [[David Tennant]] flicked the switch for the 2007 display on 31 August.<ref>[http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=143&articleid=2192110 Dr Who to switch on Blackpool lights]</ref>
=== Gay Blackpool ===
{{main|Gay Blackpool}}
Blackpool has often been described as the "gay capital of the North" (with [[Brighton]] often being described as "the gay capital of the South").<ref>{{Citation
| title = Life looks better in the pink
| newspaper = [[BBC]]
| date = 2003-08-05
| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/lifestyle/2003/08/05/in_the_pink.shtml
| accessdate=2008-01-28 }}
</ref><ref>{{Citation
| title = The Gay Capital of the North
| newspaper = [[The Bolton News]]
| date = 2002-07-16
| url = http://archive.theboltonnews.co.uk/2002/7/16/606715.html
| accessdate=2008-01-28}}
</ref> Historically, seaside resorts have been able to provide niches for [[minority group]]s.<ref name="Walton">{{cite book
| last = Walton
| first = John K
| title = The British Seaside: Holidays and Resorts in the Twentieth Century
| publisher = [[Manchester University Press]]
| date = 2000
| pages = 161-162
| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=uydACzcGjQEC&pg=PA162&lpg=PA162&d
| isbn =0719051703 }}
</ref> Blackpool, like other English resorts, has had a reputation for being a safe community for gay people.<ref name="Walton" /> During the [[second world war]], there was a proliferation of cafés, pubs and clubs where homosexual men could meet in Blackpool.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Rebellato
| first = Dan
| title = 1956 and All That: The Making of Modern British Drama
| publisher = [[Routledge]]
| date = 1999
| pages = 156
| url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=u9XpdFkTuUcC&pg=PA156&d
| isbn =0415189381 }}
</ref> In the 1990s, the town began to be promoted as a gay tourist destination.<ref name="Walton" />
Blackpool contains several bars, pubs and nightclubs aimed at the LGBT community. These include [[Funny Girls]] (a [[burlesque]] [[cabaret]] showbar), FG2, the Flamingo, the Flying Handbag, Lucy's Two, Pepe's, Roxy's, Mardi Gras, Taboo and dtBar.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Gay Blackpool
| work =
| publisher = Real Blackpool
| date = 2008-07-11
| url = http://www.realblackpool.com/
| accessdate =2008-07-11 }}</ref> There are two saunas catering for gay and bisexual men: Acqua Sauna Club and Honeycombe Sauna.<ref>{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = Blackpool Gay Saunas
| work =
| publisher = astabgay.com
| date =
| url = http://www.astabgay.com/Blackpool_Gay_Saunas.htm
| accessdate =2008-07-11 }}</ref> The town had its first [[gay pride]] celebration in 2006.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Pop Idol helps Blackpool show its Pride
| work = Pink News
| publisher =
| date = 2008-05-20
| url = http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-7690.html
| accessdate =2008-07-11 }}</ref>
=== Nightlife ===
Blackpool's modern night-life, like that of many other UK towns, has become increasingly dominated by "binge drinking". Blackpool has become a favoured destination for often roudy [[hen party|hen]] and [[stag party|stag parties]] (brides or bridegrooms-to-be and their friends) who roam the town's many bars and clubs getting increasingly drunk. Their behaviour and the character of the town at night is often claimed to have contributed to the decline of Blackpool as a family destination. Complaints have been raised from hotel and guest house owners keen to attract a more upmarket clientele<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.lga.gov.uk/Documents/Briefing/Our_Work/Environment/fitness.pdf]|1.14 [[Mebibyte|MiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 1200682 bytes -->}}</ref>.Such behaviour has also placed added strain on the town's emergency unit, based at the Victoria Hospital near Stanley Park. This is now one of busiest accident and emergency units in the country<ref>http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/Hospital.aspx?id=RXN08</ref>.
=== Future ===
Blackpool is continually striving to improve its position within today's tourist industry. One controversial proposal, which had the involvement of the local council, was to transform Blackpool into a casino resort along the lines of [[City of Las Vegas|Las Vegas]] and [[Atlantic City]], making it the centre point of [[gambling in the UK]]. However, [[Manchester]] was unexpectedly selected for the initial trial by the Government's [[Casinos Advisory Panel]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6312707.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | Manchester wins super-casino race<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Since this decision, Blackpool's council and MPs have lobbied Parliament extensively, claiming their bid was misunderstood. The local newspaper, the [[Blackpool Gazette]], sent a petition signed by over 11,500 local residents and visitors demanding the decision be reconsidered. On [[29 March]] [[2007]], the Advisory Panel's recommendations were approved by the House of Commons, but rejected by the House of Lords, meaning the bill must now be reconsidered by parliament.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6500859.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | Lords scupper super-casino plan<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> This has led many in the town to feel that Blackpool has been given a "second chance" to prove its' case, and as of April 2007, the town's representatives are still heavily lobbying parliament to award the casino to Blackpool.
Other future projects include a £500 m scheme to build ''Storm City'' a proposed multi-themed indoor entertainment complex on a 30 acre site between Rigby Road and Central Drive.<ref>[http://www.blackpooltoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=62&ArticleID=2044263 Storm over theme park plan - Blackpool Today<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.blackpooltoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=62&ArticleID=2050436 Storm City: The public's plan B - Blackpool Today<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Storm City would house:
*A 12,000 seated Arena
*Four World Class hotels
*Shopping areas
*Five themed entertainment areas
*Rooftop gardens
*Blackpool's own version of the [[London Eye]].
In March 2007 Blackpool Council signed up to a three month deal to work exclusively with the developers of Storm City.<ref>[http://www.blackpooltoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleID=2146737&SectionID=62 Nothing here to rival Storm City - Blackpool Today<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.blackpooltoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=62&ArticleID=2136029 Council's exclusive Storm City 'deal' - Blackpool Today<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
A second scheme, which is primarily aimed at the local population, but will also benefit those holidaymakers travelling to the town by rail, named ''Talbot Gateway'' would be a £285 m Civic Quarter, for which International project management specialist AMEC has been chosen to transform what is at present a rundown area around Blackpool North railway station into a what Blackpool Council hope will be a world class gateway with new office and retail space as well as a public square, dubbed the Talbot Plaza. The development would be 'wrapped' around Blackpool North railway station so that rail passengers arrive at street level into the new plaza with views down to the seafront, making their arrival at Blackpool a much more pleasant experience that at present. The regeneration company behind much of the towns current and future development, ''ReBlackpool'' are working with Blackpool Council and AMEC to sort out the planning application.<ref>[http://www.blackpooltoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=62&ArticleID=2217800 £285 m plan for Blackpool gateway unveiled - Blackpool Today<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
== Landmarks & places of interest ==
{{Prose|date=April 2007}}
Blackpool boasts some important landmarks, most of which appeared originally as part of the flourishing tourist industry.
=== Major attractions ===
[[Image:BlackpoolTower OwlofDoom.jpg|225px|thumb|right|[[Blackpool Tower]], a Blackpool landmark.]]
[[Image:Central pier.jpg|thumb|225px|Central Pier, Blackpool]]
[[Image:Blackpool climbing towers.jpg|thumb|225px|Twin Climbing Towers, Blackpool Central]]
* [[Blackpool Tower]], opened in 1894; it has been a dominant landmark of the Blackpool skyline since that time. Inspired by the [[Eiffel Tower]] of [[Paris]], [[France]], it is 158 metres (518 ft 9 in) tall. Beneath the tower is a complex of leisure facilities, entertainment venues and restaurants, including the world famous Tower Ballroom and Tower Circus.
* [[North Pier, Blackpool|North Pier]] - The northernmost of Blackpool's three piers. It includes a small shopping arcade, a small tramway and the [[North Pier Theatre, Blackpool|North Pier Theatre]] toward the end of the pier. The pier end also used to have a [[helicopter]] pad, but this was damaged at Christmas 1997 by a windstorm and it collapsed into the [[Irish Sea]].
* [[Central Pier, Blackpool|Central Pier]] - The middle pier, includes a large [[ferris wheel]] and shops.
* [[South Pier, Blackpool|South Pier]] - The southernmost pier. Almost directly opposite the Pleasure Beach, it houses a theme park.
* [[Pleasure Beach Blackpool]] - a famous theme park. Rides include the [[Pepsi Max Big One]], which was the [[List of roller coaster records#Fastest roller coasters|world's fastest]] and [[List of roller coaster records#Tallest steel roller coasters|tallest complete circuit]] [[rollercoaster]] between 1994 and 1996.
* [[Winter Gardens, Blackpool|The Winter Gardens]] is a large entertainment and conference venue in the town centre. Includes the Opera House (one of the largest theatres in Europe), Pavilion Theatre, Empress Ballroom, Spanish Hall, Arena and Olympia.
=== Other attractions ===
* [[Blackpool Sands, Blackpool|Beach]] - Stretching along the whole seafront. The main natural attraction for tourists.
* [[Funny Girls]] - World Famous Drag Cabaret Burlesque Showbar, located on the North Shore.
* [[Blackpool Zoo]] - provides a home to over 1500 animals from all over the world.
* [[Blackpool Grand Theatre|Grand Theatre]] - Victorian theatre designed by [[Frank Matcham]]. Also now known as the [[Grand Theatre, Blackpool|National Theatre of Variety]].
* [[Great Promenade Show]] - Series of modern artwork installations along Blackpool's South Promenade. Includes the [[Blackpool High Tide Organ]] an unusual musical monument which uses the movements of the sea to make music.
* [[Louis Tussaud's Waxworks, Blackpool|Louis Tussaud's Waxworks]] - Waxwork Museum, featuring models of celebrities, musicians, sports personalities and the famous Chamber of Horrors.
* ''[[Doctor Who]]'' Exhibition The Biggest Doctor Who Exhibition in the UK - contains props and costumes from the long-running [[BBC]] TV series, including some from recently aired programmes.
* [[Sandcastle Water Park (Blackpool)|Sandcastle Water Park]] (now known as Waterworld) - An indoor swimming pool with slides and waves. Next to the South Pier.
* [[Stanley Park, Blackpool|Stanley Park]] - Grade II Historic Park & Gardens with Golf Course, Cricket Club, Sports Arena, Lake, Art Deco Restaurant, Model Village, Gardens, etc.
* [[Odeon Cinemas|Odeon]] [[Movie theater|Cinema]] - Situated on a multi-complex site, on Rigby Road, with 10 screens.
*The Syndicate Superclub, holds just over 5,000 people.
===Tall Structures in Blackpool===
{| solid #cccccc;" class="sortable"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Building
! Height (ft)
! Height (m)
! Floors
|-
| '''[[Blackpool Tower]]''' <ref>[http://www.theblackpooltower.co.uk/ Welcome to Blackpool Tower and Circus Official Website - five floors of family fun!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
| 518
| 158
|
|-
| '''[[Pepsi Max Big One]]''' <ref>[http://www.rcdb.com/id775.htm Pepsi Max Big One (Pleasure Beach, Blackpool)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
| 213
| 65
| N/A
|-
| '''Walter Robinson Court''' <ref>[http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=101655&bt=2&ht=2&sro=1 Tallest skyscrapers / Emporis.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
| 210
| 64
| 22
|-
| '''[[Blackpool Pleasure Beach|Ice Blast]]''' <ref>[http://www.themeparkjunkies.co.uk/index.php?act=parkguide&rgp=1&ride=285 Blackpool Pleasure Beach - Ice Blast<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
| 210
| 64
| N/A
|-
| '''Charles Court''' <ref>[http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=101655&bt=2&ht=2&sro=1 Tallest skyscrapers / Emporis.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
| 150
| 46
| 16
|-
| '''Churchill Court''' <ref>[http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=101655&bt=2&ht=2&sro=1 Tallest skyscrapers / Emporis.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
| 150
| 46
| 16
|-
| '''Elizabeth Court''' <ref>[http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=101655&bt=2&ht=2&sro=1 Tallest skyscrapers / Emporis.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
| 150
| 46
| 16
|-
| '''Ashworth Court''' <ref>[http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=101655&bt=2&ht=2&sro=1 Tallest skyscrapers / Emporis.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
| 150
| 46
| 16
|}
== Transport ==
{{Prose|date=April 2007}}
=== Air ===
[[Blackpool International Airport]] operates regular charter and scheduled flights throughout the UK and Europe. The airport is actually just over the borough boundary into [[Fylde (borough)|Fylde Borough]], although a proposal to reorganise Blackpool's borders would see the airport incorporated into Blackpool Borough. This airport which was formerly known as ''Blackpool Squires Gate Airport'', is one of the oldest in the UK and has been in use as an airfield since 1909. Airlines serving Blackpool include [[Jet2]] and [[Ryanair]].
In 1927 the local council announced that an aerodrome would be built near Stanley Park, which would become [[Blackpool Stanley Park Airport]] offering flights to the [[Isle of Man]] for £1.80.<ref name="BIA001">
{{cite web
| title = History of Blackpool Airport
| publisher = [[Blackpool International Airport]]
| url = http://www.blackpoolinternational.com/about-us/history.php
| accessdate = 2007-10-05 }}</ref> The airport was officially opened by then [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British Prime Minister]], [[Ramsay MacDonald]] in 1931.<ref name="CT001">
{{cite web
| title = Control Towers: RAF Stanley Park Airfield
| publisher = Control Towers
| url = http://www.controltowers.co.uk/S/Stanley_Park.htm
| accessdate = 2007-10-05 }}</ref> However, with the opening of Squires Gate Airport a decision was made in 1936 by the [[Department for Transport|Ministry of Transport]] to close the airport at Stanley Park. The airport closed a year later.<ref name="BIA001"/> During the [[World War II|Second World War]] the airport was used as a [[Royal Air Force]] training station, known as ''No. 3 School of Technical Training''. The land that the airport stood on now covers [[Blackpool Zoo]] as well as a hotel and golf course. The [[hangar]]s from the old airport are still in use as the elephant enclosure for the zoo.<ref name="CT001"/>
=== Bus and coach ===
[[Image:528056 8fa062f4.jpg|thumb|right|Blackpool's Talbot Road bus station and multi-storey car park.]]
Busses and coaches are operated by:
* [[Blackpool Transport]] operates the main bus services in and around Blackpool, under the operational name of [[Metro Coastlines]].
* [[Stagecoach]] operates the regional bus and coach services in and out of Blackpool, under the operational name of [[Stagecoach in Lancashire]] or [[Stagecoach Express]].
* [[National Express]] operates the main long distance coach services in and out of Blackpool.
Facilities include -
* [[Blackpool Talbot Road Bus Station]] which was the main town centre bus station, but is now used by Stagecoach and National Express services, and is officially called ''Blackpool National Express Coach Station''. Blackpool Transport stopped using the bus station in the early 2000s after a disagreement with [[Blackpool Council]] regarding the state of the bus station building. Blackpool Transport now use ''Market Street'' and ''Corporation Street'' as their ''bus interchange'' which is located in the heart of the town centre.
* [[Blackpool Lonsdale Road Coach Station]] the main coach station in Blackpool, is located in [[South Shore]]. This is mainly used by independent coach operators and also by some National Express services. The coach station has a cafe, shop and toilet facilities but is in a state of disrepair.
* [[Blackpool Colosseum Bus & Coach Station]] was the main bus and coach station in South Shore. Located next to Blackpool Transport Headquarters, it was demolished to make way for a [[Somerfield (UK retailer)|Somerfield]] supermarket.
=== Railway ===
Train operators serving Blackpool include:
* [[Northern Rail|Northern]]
* [[TransPennine Express]]
Stations in the town are, or were:
* [[Blackpool North railway station|Blackpool North]] (originally ''Talbot Road'')
* [[Blackpool Pleasure Beach railway station|Blackpool Pleasure Beach]]
* [[Blackpool South railway station|Blackpool South]] (originally ''Waterloo Road'')
* [[Layton railway station|Layton]] (originally ''Bispham'')
* [[Squires Gate railway station|Squires Gate]] (just outside the borough boundary but serving [[Blackpool International Airport]])
* [[Blackpool Central railway station|Blackpool Central]] (originally ''Hounds Hill'', closed 1964)
* [[Burlington Road Halt]] (closed 1949)
* {{stnlnk|South Shore}} (renamed ''Lytham Road'' 1903, closed 1916)
Blackpool once had two railway termini with a total of over 30 platforms, mainly used by excursion traffic in the summer. [[Blackpool Central railway station|Blackpool Central]], close to [[Blackpool Tower]], was closed in 1964, whilst [[Blackpool North railway station|Blackpool North]] was largely demolished and rebuilt as a smaller facility. The route of the former excursion line into Blackpool Central is now used as a link road from the M55 motorway to the town centre. The line into Blackpool via [[Lytham St Annes]] now has a station serving [[Blackpool Pleasure Beach]] but terminates at [[Blackpool South railway station|Blackpool South station]]. The line into North station is now the more important.
=== Road ===
The [[M55 motorway]] links the town to the national [[motorway]] network.
=== Tram ===
[[Image:712 at Bispham.jpg|thumb|275px|A double-decker balloon tram on the promenade at Bispham]]
[[Image:GleisplanBlackpool1998.png|thumb|left|115px|Tramway route]]
{{main|Blackpool tramway}}
[[Blackpool tramway]] runs from [[Starr Gate]] in Blackpool to [[Fleetwood]] and is the only surviving first-generation [[tramway]] in the [[United Kingdom]] (UK).<ref name="TT001">
{{cite web
| title = Blackpool trams
| publisher = thetrams.co.uk
| url = http://www.thetrams.co.uk/blackpool/
| accessdate = 2007-11-03 }}</ref> The tramway dates back to 1885 and is one of the oldest electric tramways in the world. It is run by Blackpool Transport as part of the ''Metro Coastlines'', owned by Blackpool Council. The tramway runs for 11 miles and carries 6,500,000 passengers each year.<ref name="FWN764391">
{{cite news
| title = Anger over tram network
| publisher = [[Fleetwood Weekly News]]
| date = [[2004-03-26]]
| url = http://www.fleetwoodtoday.co.uk/fleetwood/ANGER-OVER-TRAM-NETWORK.764391.jp
| accessdate = 2007-11-03 }}</ref>
The tramway was for a long time the only working [[tram]]way in the [[United Kingdom]] (UK) outside of museums. It was also the UK's first electric system. However there are now a number of other tramways including [[Manchester Metrolink]], [[Tramlink|South London Tramlink]] and [[Sheffield Supertram]].
On [[1 February]] [[2008]] it was announced that the [[Her Majesty's Government|Government]] had agreed to a joint Blackpool Transport and Blackpool Council bid for funding toward the total upgrade of the track. The government will contribute £60.3M of the total £85.3 m cost. Both Blackpool Council and Lancashire County Council will each provide about £12.5M. The Government's decision means that the entire length of the tramway from Starr Gate to Fleetwood will be upgraded and also sixteen [[State of the art|state-of-the-art]] trams will replace the current fleet.<ref name="Gazette3734967">
{{cite news
| last = Parkinson
| first = Shelagh
| title = Blackpool gets £85 m for trams
| publisher = [[Blackpool Gazette]]
| date = [[2008-02-01]]
| url = http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Blackpool-gets-85 m-for-trams.3734967.jp
| accessdate = 2008-02-01 }}</ref>
== Filmography ==
[[Image:BlackpoolTN.JPG|thumb|275px|View from the tower, looking south]]
:''For a comprehensive list of Blackpool in television and film, see [http://www.imdb.com/List?endings=on&&locations=Blackpool,%20Lancashire,%20England,%20UK&&heading=18;with+locations+including;Blackpool,%20Lancashire,%20England,%20UK here].''
The resort is featured in the 1934 film ''[[Sing as We Go]]'', starring [[Gracie Fields]], as well as other cinema and TV productions, including ''[[Hindle Wakes]]'' (1952)'' and ''[[Funny Bones]]'' (1995) starring [[Lee Evans (comedian)|Lee Evans]] and [[Oliver Platt]] and directed by St. Annes born Peter Chelsom, as well as ''[[The Parole Officer (film)|The Parole Officer]]'' (2001) starring [[Steve Coogan]].
The Japanese film ''[[Shall We Dance (1996 film)|Shall We Dance]]'' (1996) closes with a scene at the World Ballroom Dancing Championships in Blackpool. All the hair styling for the film was completed by Blackpool born and bred hairstylist Eileen Clough, who has been in the trade since the 1960s. In the [[Hollywood]] [[Shall We Dance (2004 film)|remake of the film]] (2004) Blackpool is mentioned but not shown. The remake was also directed by Peter Chelsom.
Blackpool is the setting for ''[[Bhaji on the Beach]]'' (1993) directed by [[Gurinder Chadha]]. The film ''[[Like It Is]]'' [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146990/ (''IMDB'')] (1998) directed by [[Paul Oremland]] was also partly filmed in Blackpool. The opening scenes were filmed in the [[Flamingo Club|Flamingo]]. The 2005 television comedy/thriller series ''[[Funland]]'' revolved around the fictionalized, seedier aspects of Blackpool.
''[[Rick Steves' Europe]]'' introduced the viewer to the resort, explaining the history and its attractions.{{Fact|date=May 2008}}
The town also features heavily in the BBC television serial ''[[Blackpool (television)|Blackpool]]'' starring [[David Morrissey]], [[Sarah Parish]] and [[David Tennant]], first broadcast in 2005 along with the one-off follow-up ''[[Viva Blackpool]]'', broadcast in June 2006.
==Music==
Blackpool was notorious for having imposed an indefinite ban on [[the Rolling Stones]] from performing in the town in 1964 after a riot broke out among the audience who had found their performance suggestive during their concert at the Empress Ballroom. The ban was lifted forty-four years later in March 2008. <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/7317497.stm "Resort lifts 44-year Stones ban" - BBC News]</ref> <ref> [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sympathy-for-the-stones-as-blackpool-buries-the-hatchet-over-1964-riot-801768.html Sympathy for the Stones as Blackpool buries the hatchet over 1964 riot] - [[The Independent]] </ref>
The ''Jimi Hendrix - Experience'' video and DVD features concert footage of [[Jimi Hendrix|Hendrix]]'s performance at Blackpool's Opera House in 1967.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400421/locations Experience Jimi Hendrix (2001) (V) - Filming locations<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
== Media ==
Newspapers that cover the Blackpool area include the ''[[Blackpool Gazette]]'' which is the daily evening newspaper covering the Fylde Coast area, known locally as ''The Gazette''. They also publish a free weekly newspaper, the ''[[Blackpool Gazette|Blackpool Reporter]]'', which is delivered to householders in Blackpool. The Gazette also publishes a daily online version in Polish, ''Witryana Polska'' (''Polish Gazette'') to cater for the local [[Poles|Polish]] community.<ref name="Gazette1874795">
{{cite news
| last =
| first =
| coauthors =
| title = Polish Gazette in the TV spotlight
| work =
| pages =
| language =
| publisher = [[Blackpool Gazette]]
| date = [[2006-11-13]]
| url = http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpool-news/Polish-Gazette-in-the-TV.1874795.jp
| accessdate = 2007-10-05 }}</ref> The ''[[Blackpool Citizen]]'' is a free weekly newspaper covering the Fylde Coast area, which is delivered to householders. The ''[[Lancashire Evening Post]]'' is a daily evening newspaper covering the county of [[Lancashire]].
Local radio is provided by [[Radio Wave 96.5|Radio Wave]], a commercial radio station based on Mowbray Drive in Blackpool which covers the Fylde Coast area. The radio station broadcasts on 96.5FM and is owned by media company [[UTV]]. Blackpool also falls in the coverage area of [[BBC Radio Lancashire]], [[Rock FM]], [[Magic 999]], [[Smooth FM 100.4]] and [[105.4 Century FM]].
Television is provided by [[Granada]] - the ITV franchise holder for the North West region, which covers Blackpool and [[BBC North West]] the regional BBC station for the North West region, which covers Blackpool.
==Sport==
===Boxing===
The Tower Circus Arena held regular [[professional boxing]] shows for a number of years. However, for many years boxing shows have been few and far between in the town, with events being promoted on an irregular basis including one in 2005 at the [[Hilton Hotels|Hilton hotel]]. However, on [[16 February]] 2008 professional boxing returned to the 2,000 capacity Tower Circus Arena.<ref name="Gazette3712952">
{{cite news
| title = Countdown to knockout night
| publisher = [[Blackpool Gazette]]
| date = [[2008-01-25]]
| url = http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sports-news/Countdown-to-knockout-night.3712952.jp
| accessdate = 2008-02-06 }}</ref> The show is to be filmed by [[Manchester]] television company [[Channel M]] for screening on [[1 March]].<ref name="Gazette3672572">
{{cite news
| title = Ring masters
| publisher = [[Blackpool Gazette]]
| date = [[2008-01-15]]
| url = http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sports-news/Ring-masters.3672572.jp
| accessdate = 2008-02-06 }}</ref>
=== Cricket ===
[[Blackpool C.C.|Blackpool Cricket Club]]. They last won the League Cup in 2005, and were National Champions in 1990. Also between 1973-1996, they won the Lancashire Cup on eight occasions and were League Champions fourteen times. Their home is in the grounds of Stanley Park.
=== Football ===
[[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool Football Club]], also sometimes known as the ''Seasiders'' or the ''Tangerines'', is the town's professional [[football (soccer)|football]] club. Their most notable achievement was winning the [[FA Cup Final 1953|1953 FA Cup Final]].
[[Image:Johnston and Matthews cup.jpg|thumbnail|Victorious Blackpool [[captain (sports)|captain]] [[Harry Johnston (footballer)|Harry Johnston]] (being carried, left) holds the [[FA Cup]] aloft with [[Stanley Matthews]].]]
The club's stadium is [[Bloomfield Road]], which is currently being redeveloped and modernised in stages.
Several professional footballers were either born in the town or have lived there. These include:
* [[Jimmy Armfield]] - former captain of Blackpool and [[England national football team|England]]; still lives in the town.
* [[Dave Durie]] - born in the town; played over 300 league games for Blackpool in the 1950s and '60s.
* [[George Eastham]] - born in the town.
* [[Herbert Jones (footballer)|Herbert Jones]] - born in the town; later won six caps for England.
* [[Matty Kay]] - born in the town; youngest player to make Blackpool F.C.'s first team.
* [[Gavin McCann]] - born in the town.
* [[Joe Smith (footballer)|Joe Smith]] - Blackpool F.C.'s longest-serving manager; lived and died in the town.
:''For other people associated with Blackpool, see [[Blackpool#Notable people|here]].''
Other football clubs in Blackpool:
* [[Blackpool Mechanics F.C.|Blackpool Mechanics Football Club]]. Also sometimes known as the ''"Mechs"''. Their home ground is Jepson Way.
* [[Blackpool Wren Rovers F.C.|Blackpool Wren Rovers Football Club]]. Their home ground is Bruce Park.
* [[Blackpool Wren Rovers L.F.C.|Blackpool Wren Rovers Ladies Football Club]].
* [[Squires Gate F.C.|Squires Gate Football Club]]. Their home ground is School Road.
=== Rugby League ===
[[Blackpool Panthers|Blackpool Panthers Rugby League Football Club]]. Their home ground is ''Woodlands Memorial Ground'' in the neighbouring town of [[Lytham St Annes]], which is also the home to [[Fylde Rugby Club|Fylde Rugby Union Football Club]]
=== Rugby Union ===
[[Blackpool R.U.F.C.|Blackpool Rugby Union Football Club]]. Their home ground is ''Norbreck Rugby Ground''.
==Religion==
'''[[Christianity]]'''
Blackpool has a number of Christian churches. As well as eighteen [[Church of England]] and ten [[Roman Catholic]] churches there are also four [[Baptist]], one [[Bible-Pattern Church Fellowship]], one [[Christadelphians|Christadelphian]] two [[Congregational church|Congregationalist]], ten [[Methodist]], one [[Elim Pentecostal Church|Elim Pentecostal]], one [[Church of Christ, Scientist|Christian Scientist]], one [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]] and three [[United Reformed Church|United Reformed]] churches as well as two [[Salvation Army]] halls.<ref name="B4ME001">
{{cite web
| title = Blackpool Churches/Faith Groups
| publisher = Blackpool 4 Me
| url = http://www.blackpool4me.com/blackpool4me/community/Faith/FaithForum/Blackpool+Churches+and+Faith+Groups.htm
| accessdate =2008-01-18 }}</ref>
Other christian groups in the town include Blackpool Christian Centre, Blackpool Community Church, Kings Christian Centre, Liberty Church, part of the [[LGBT]] Christian Community connected to the [[Metropolitan Community Church]] and New Life Community Church.<ref name="B4ME001"/>
'''[[Buddhism]]'''
The Keajra Kadampa Buddhist Centre is a residential [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] centre located in North Shore. A member of the [[New Kadampa Tradition|New Kadampa Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhist Union]].<ref name="B4ME001"/>
'''[[Islam]]'''
The Central Mosque and Islamic Community Centre is located on Revoe Street providing prayer facilities for local [[Muslim]]s as well as a community centre with kitchen and classrooms where [[Islamic studies|Islamic education]] is taught to children.<ref name="B4ME001"/>
'''[[Hinduism]]'''
Fylde Coast Hindu Society meet on the last Sunday each month.<ref name="Gazette3047114">
{{cite news
| last = Ettridge
| first = Lisa
| title = Hindu gifts boost cause
| publisher = [[Blackpool Gazette]]
| date = [[2007-08-25]]
| url = http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Hindu-gifts-boost-cause.3147114.jp
| accessdate = 2008-01-19 }}</ref><ref name="B4ME001"/>
'''[[Humanist]]'''
The Lancashire Secular Humanist group, based in Blackpool.<ref name="B4ME001"/>
'''[[Jainism]]'''
There is a local Jain group in Blackpool.<ref name="B4ME001"/>
'''[[Judaism]]'''
The Blackpool Reform Jewish Congregation is located on Raikes Parade with a synagogue hall and classroom facilities; a purpose built sanctuary hall and assembly room. Blackpool United Hebrew Congregation is located on Leamington Road with a synagogue hall and community centre.<ref name="B4ME001"/>
'''[[Mormonism]]'''
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Blackpool chapel.<ref name="B4ME001"/>
'''[[Religious Society of Friends]]'''
The Quaker [[Friends meeting house]] is located on Raikes Parade with two meeting rooms.<ref name="B4ME001"/>
'''[[Sikhism]]'''
There is a local group in Blackpool to cater for the small local [[Sikh]] community.<ref name="B4ME001"/>
'''[[Spiritualism (religious movement)|Spiritualism]]'''
Albert Road Spiritualist Church is located on Albert Road.<ref name="B4ME001"/>
'''Blackpool Faith Forum'''
The Blackpool Faith Forum was established in 2001 in conjunction with Blackpool Council to provide [[interfaith]] dialogue between the various faith groups in the town, to raise awareness of the various faiths in the town and to promote a [[multifaith]] community. It is linked to the [[Interfaith Network of UK]].<ref name="B4ME002">
{{cite web
| title = Welcome to the Faith Forum homepage
| publisher = Blackpool 4 Me
| url = http://www.blackpool4me.com/blackpool4me/community/Faith/FaithForum/FaithForumHome.htm
| accessdate =2008-01-18 }}</ref><ref name="Gazette2057413">
{{cite news
| title = Group to put its faith on the web
| publisher = [[Blackpool Gazette]]
| date = [[2006-12-01]]
| url = http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Group-to-put-its-faith.2057413.jp
| accessdate = 2008-01-19 }}</ref> In February 2007 a youth forum was established, Blackpool Faith Forum for Youth (BIFFY).<ref name="Gazette1909549">
{{cite news
| last = Butler
| first = Heather
| title = Youngsters have faith in reducing ignorance
| publisher = [[Blackpool Gazette]]
| date = [[2007-02-19]]
| url = http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Youngsters-have-faith-in-reducing.2057413.jp
| accessdate = 2008-01-19 }}</ref>
==Shipwrecks==
{{main|Blackpool shipwrecks}}
The coastline around Blackpool has been a graveyard to a number of vessels over the years. The most recent occurrence has been the grounding of the [[MS Riverdance|''Riverdance'']] in January, 2008. Famously, in 1897, [[HMS Foudroyant|HMS ''Foudroyant'']], [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Nelson's]] flagship prior to [[HMS Victory|HMS ''Victory'']], was grounded close to North Pier in a storm.
== Areas, districts and estates ==
{|
| valign="top" |
* [[Anchorsholme, Blackpool|Anchorsholme]]
* [[Bispham, Blackpool|Bispham]]
* [[Bloomfield, Blackpool|Bloomfield]]
* [[Brunswick, Blackpool|Brunswick]]
* [[Churchtown, Blackpool|Churchtown]]
* [[Claremont, Blackpool|Claremont]]
* [[Common Edge, Blackpool|Common Edge]]
* [[Devonshire, Blackpool|Devonshire]]
* [[Grange Park, Blackpool|Grange Park]]
* [[Great Marton, Blackpool|Great Marton]]
* [[Great Marton Moss, Blackpool|Great Marton Moss]]
* [[Great Marton Moss Side, Blackpool|Great Marton Moss Side]]
* [[Hawes Side, Blackpool|Hawes Side]]
| valign="top" |
* [[Highfurlong, Blackpool|Highfurlong]]
* [[Hoohill, Blackpool|Hoohill]]
* [[Layton, Blackpool|Layton]]
* [[Little Bispham, Blackpool|Little Bispham]]
* [[Little Carleton, Blackpool|Little Carleton]]
* [[Little Marton Moss Side, Blackpool|Little Marton Moss Side]]
* [[Little Norbreck, Blackpool|Little Norbreck]]
* [[Marton, Blackpool|Marton]]
* [[Marton Fold, Blackpool|Marton Fold]]
* [[Mereside, Blackpool|Mereside]]
* [[Moor Park, Blackpool|Moor Park]]
* [[Norbreck, Blackpool|Norbreck]]
| valign="top" |
* [[North Shore, Blackpool|North Shore]]
* [[Palatine, Blackpool|Palatine]]
* [[Queenstown, Blackpool|Queenstown]]
* [[Revoe, Blackpool|Revoe]]
* [[South Shore, Blackpool|South Shore]]
* [[Squires Gate, Blackpool|Squires Gate]]
* [[Stanley Park, Blackpool|Stanley Park]]
* [[Walker's Hill, Blackpool|Walker's Hill]]
* [[Warbreck, Blackpool|Warbreck]]
* [[Waterloo, Blackpool|Waterloo]]
* [[Whiteholme, Blackpool|Whiteholme]]
| valign="top" |
|}
== Notable people ==
Blackpool has been the birthplace and home to many famous people, including:
* [[Ian Anderson (musician)|Ian Anderson]] - musician [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]]
* [[Jo Appleby]] - soprano singer with [[Amici Forever]]
* [[Pat Astley]] - actress and porn star
* [[David Atherton]] - conductor
* [[David Ball]] - musician ([[Soft Cell]])
* [[Zoë Ball]] - English TV and radio presenter
* [[Ronnie Baxter]] - [[Darts]] player
* [[Lennie Bennett]] - comedian
* [[Charlie Cairoli]] - famous clown, born in [[Milan]] but became famous in Blackpool where lived from 1939 to his death in 1980
* [[George Carman]] - barrister
* [[Frank Carson]] - comedian
* [[Violet Carson]] - ''[[Coronation Street]]'' actress who played the part of [[Ena Sharples]].
* [[Ronnie Clayton (boxer)|Ronnie Clayton]] - British [[Featherweight|Featherweight Boxing]] Champion 1947-54, twice Lonsdale Belt winner
* [[Jimmy Clitheroe]] - British comedy actor, lived most of his life in North Shore, Blackpool, where he died in 1973
* [[Jenna-Louise Coleman]] - ''[[Emmerdale]]'' actress (Jasmine Thomas)
* [[Alistair Cooke]] - journalist and commentator
* [[Steve Croft]] - [[cricket]]er
* [[Raine Davison]] - actress
* [[John Evan]] - musician [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]]
* [[Dan Forshaw, Saxophonist|Dan Forshaw]] - [[Jazz]] musician
* [[Jeffrey Hammond]] - musician [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]]
* [[Roy Harper]] - musician
* [[Barney Harwood]] - TV presenter
* [[Edwin Hughes]] - ("Balaclava Ned") (1830-1927), the last survivor of the [[Charge of the Light Brigade]] at [[Balaklava]] in the [[Crimea]] lived in Blackpool and is buried there.
* [[John Inman]] - actor
* [[Augustus Kenderdine]] - landscape and portrait painter
* [[Cynthia Lennon]] - wife of [[John Lennon]]
* [[Jacqueline Leonard]] - actress
* [[Ian Levine]] - songwriter
* [[Syd Little]] - comedian, [[Little and Large]]
* [[Brian London]] - [[Boxing|boxer]]
* [[Joe Longthorne]] - singer
* [[Chris Lowe]] - musician - ([[Pet Shop Boys]])
* [[Nicholas McCarthy|Nick McCarthy]] - musician ([[Franz Ferdinand (band)|Franz Ferdinand]])
* [[Stacey McClean]] - singer [[S Club 8]]
* [[Vic McGlynn]] - radio presenter
* [[John Mahoney]] - actor (''[[Frasier]]'')
* [[Pauline Moran]] - actress
* [[Janet Munro]] - actress
* [[Graham Nash]] - ([[The Hollies]], [[Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)]])
* [[Bernadette Nolan]] - singer and actress
* [[Coleen Nolan]] - singer and TV presenter
* [[Chris Patten]] - politician and former [[Hong Kong]] governor
* [[Daryl Peach]] - World Pool Champion
* [[Jodie Prenger]] - singer and actress
* [[Maddy Prior]] - singer ([[Steeleye Span]])
* [[Peter Purves]] - TV presenter
* [[Darren Matthews|William Regal]] - ([[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]] wrestler)
* [[John Robb (musician)|John Robb]] - musician ([[Goldblade]]), presenter, music critic
* [[Nikki Sanderson]] - actress ''[[Coronation Street]]''
* [[Michael Smith (chemist)|Michael Smith]] - [[Nobel Prize]]-winning chemist
* [[Robert Smith (musician)|Robert Smith]] - musician ([[The Cure]])
* [[Andy Summers]] - musician ([[The Police]])
* [[Frank Swift]] - footballer ([[Manchester City]] and [[England]])
* [[David Thewlis]] - actor ([[Remus Lupin]] in the [[Harry Potter (films)|Harry Potter film series]])
* [[Ricky Tomlinson]] - actor (Jim Royle in ''[[The Royle Family]]'')
* [[Roger Uttley]] - [[rugby union]] player
* [[Daniel Whiston]] - [[ice skater]] (''[[Dancing on Ice]]'')
* [[Shelly Woods]] - elite wheelchair athlete
== Twin town ==
Blackpool is [[Town twinning|twinned]] with:
*{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Bottrop]], [[Germany]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.blackpool.gov.uk Blackpool Council]
*[http://www.blackpool4me.com/NR/rdonlyres/9B36519E-B694-4272-A0B6-3CAAC63BB106/0/MicrosoftWordBLACKPOOLandDistrictMay2008.pdf Blackpool and District Now and Then: The Chronology of a Holiday Resort]
* [http://www.vrblackpool.co.uk Virtual tour of Blackpool]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0DE6D61531F934A3575BC0A962958260&scp=4&sq=blackpool&st=cse "Tacky, Wonderful Blackpool" - ''New York Times'']
{{Lancashire}}
{{NW_England}}
[[Category:Blackpool]]
[[Category:Local government in Lancashire]]
[[Category:Seaside resorts in England]]
[[Category:Towns in Lancashire]]
[[Category:Unitary authorities in England]]
[[Category:Articles including recorded pronunciations (UK English)]]
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