For more than a hundred years the Blackpool tower has been one of the best known seaside attractions in Great Britain. Opened in May 1894 the first customers paid 6d for entry, a further 6d for the lift to the summit and if they decided to see the circus after descending to ground level that was a further 6d. A far cry from the £ 30 per person charge nowadays. ( 6d = two and a half new pence) The tower stands 518 feet high. An amazing 10,000 light bulbs are used to illuminate it from dusk till dawn. Painting and general rejuvenation, works on a 7 year cycle which is currently about half way through. The present owners are Blackpool town council although there have been several different owners over the years. When fully lit up at night the Tower can reputably be seen from outer space, though few people can verify this. For anyone interested the web site www.wikipedia.org carries a comprehensive list of facts and figures. My Wife Kathleen and I spent a week in Blackpool in mid May. The weather was a bit of a mixture, so on one of the rainy days we decided to spend a day in the tower. Arriving at about 10-30 we joined a small queue and were soon parting with 60 quid for the two of us. Although this seems an inordinate amount of money, it did turn out to be money well spent. By the time we left the tower just before tea-time we had endured every imaginable emotion from absolute jaw dropping Awe, to utter screaming ab-dabs. First off was the lift to level 5, (This part is free to visitors by the way) there is a very nice panoramic view out over the Irish sea, miles of beach, no less than three piers, the promenade or golden mile as it is known. Best of all from the quaint cafe, one can have a lovely Aerial view of the recently laid “Comedy Carpet” in all its splendour. A massive array of white tiles incorporating many of the jokes and gags of the hundreds of comics to have appeared in the Tower and on the Piers over the many years, going right back to the old days of the Music Hall and including of course dozens of to-days well know comedy acts. After spending about a half hour on level 5. We were ushered into a mini theatre, supplied with 3D glasses and treated to the most amazing 15 minutes imaginable; I wouldn’t want to spoil the experience for anyone by describing the event suffice it to say that those 15 minutes of 3D cinema where alone worth the entrance fee. Extraordinary doesn’t begin to describe it. From the 3D cinema we were lead to the lift for the ride to the summit entitled quite fittingly “ The Blackpool eye” The view as you would expect is spectacular, all round on a circular platform which incorporates the famous or is it infamous? Glass floor. The floor is totally safe and apparently can withstand weight of over 3 tons, per square inch, yet many people stood in absolute terror whist others walked around carefree enjoying the stunning view. Luckily Kath and I were in the latter group so we spent a good hour in the eye, picking out landmarks and generally enjoying the magical view. Eventually we had to drag ourselves to the lift down as we had pre-booked the circus for the early afternoon performance. The Circus was as I expected very traditional with the usual Clowns, High wire acts, fabulous Trapeze artists, and a truly brilliant finale. I really do not wish to spoil anyone’s future enjoyment by describing the circus in any detail but please go if you are in Blackpool. It is truly Awesome. All in all a memorable day which we fully enjoyed, and without a glimmer of doubt worth every penny. DONT MISS.
