Been to Blackpool lights recently?

Galloping Hairpin · 11-10-2009, 17:20

Hi,
Just wondering what my fellow 'Accringtonians' think of Blackpool these days?

We popped over there the other day to meet up with a relative who'd come up on business. We got there 5:00-ish, but as we'd got the kids we decided to stay and let them see the lights. I haven't been to see the lights since I was 8 (20 yrs ago).
The lights didn't start until after 7 even though it was really dark much earlier, so we got something to eat in a little cafe, but a group of 8 drunk women came in and really ruined the meal for us. One of them peed on the floor, another one wet herself on the way to the bathroom and they were so noisy and their language was SO bad I was embarrassed. It was WHAT they were saying, not the actual language. Things you don't want your 9yr olds to know about!!

Bear in mind it was only 6:00pm.
They actually grabbed the waiter at one point and began groping him. Another one popped her GIGANTIC

boobs out and dipped them in her gravy and asked him to lick it off! OK GUYS I KNOW YOU LIKE THAT BIT!!! But come on...., not in front of young children!! The kids were so shocked I hardly knew what to say to them.

Well, after leaving there with a hundred apologies from the staff ringing in my ears, we walked a little way down the promenade, but to be honest it was a waste of time. The lights were not worth seeing, (they still weren't on)the sea was invisible because of fog, building work and the dark sky so the only thing to look at were a 101 tacky shops that make Accy's pound shops look like Harrods.
The lights came on eventually at7:00 is but they weren't anywhere near as good as they were when I was young. The kids barely noticed them anyway because by now there were half legless, half naked women staggering about everywhere (so much so my young son asked his dad why they weren't wearing underpants), guys snogging in corners and more drunks falling over in front of us! We left and were home just after 8.
Am I unreasonable or shouldn't you expect that there would be some time in the evening, as early as that that you can take the kids to the lights without them being in the middle of drunken brawls etc.
And as for the lights, was that it? or did we miss them? We only saw a handful of mermaid things and some cameras. I asked my mum and she agreed that when we used to go there were huge displays along the sides etc. Well we didn't see anything.
We came home with 3 shocked children and a handful of rock!

Ossywarrior · 11-10-2009, 18:27

what did u expect, its blackpool although i didnt know little chef had gravy containers big enough to fit boobs in

TubbyLes · 11-10-2009, 18:28

Sorry to hear about your bad experiences,you were obviously in the wrong place at the wrong time.I was in Blackpool last Monday to take some pictures and movies with my new camera.The lights do not come on till well after dusk,and the main tableaux are to the north.you have to catch a tram to Bispham and walk the mile or so south to just before Gynn Square.There are fewer displays than there used to be--a sign of the times.Attached are a few examples to compensate.

Taggy · 11-10-2009, 18:29

Drove through them on Friday night actually, after seeing the stage version of Porridge at The Grand Theatre. Blackpool has had a reputation for sometime now with regards Stag and Hen groups at Weekends. It is quite rowdy then i must admit. Much better to visit during the week, particularily with Children, if thats possible. I was a little dissapointed in the lights too, being honest, but not sure if thats just my jaded adult view of them. Certainly nothing to match them anywhere else in Britain though. I still love Blackpool, but havn't stayed there overnight for a few years, but may well do again in the not to distant future. Yep its got plenty of faults and needs further investment, which is probably going to be difficult in the current climate. The works on the promenade have been going on for ages, and i still cant see when its going to be completed. Its been hardwork this year, when ive taken my Disabled Son there for the day, which ive done a few times, usually love to walk full length of Prom with him, but the works have made it more difficult with the Wheelchair, but will be good eventually when finished. They seem to be improving the central areas a bit too, with a more continental feel to it, with the new street lighting and music etc, but its all taking a long while, and doesn't look pretty whilst the works being done.

We go to the Grand Theatre quite a lot, and there's been some really good shows and plays on there, and its a lovely place, full of history and character. Unbelievable now, but its was almost pulled down a few years back...that would have been criminal!!! Still loads of clubs there with decent entertainment too. Yep theres lots of rough areas, and certain parts are cheap and tacky. Also there's a hell of a lot of Polish moved into Blackpool now, taking up a lot of seasonal employment. But overall i still love the place, for all its faults. Its unpretentious and a place you can have fun, without having to break the bank.

Best Regards - Taggy

Galloping Hairpin · 11-10-2009, 19:08

what did u expect, its blackpool although i didnt know little chef had gravy containers big enough to fit boobs in.. (Ossywarrior)

HA HA! No there aren't any in existence big enough to fit those in. She dipped them in her dinner plate and just to give you an idea of the size of those things,...,, they swamped the plate entirely!

..Not that I was looking... I was facing her and couldn't miss it!

!!

Also, this was the middle of the week! Not the weekend which was why I was a little taken aback by it all. I'd heard it was run down, but it's the people I'd say rather than simply the place. Needs to be some sort of control areas maybe..
We obviously didn't go far enough up to see all the lights and the trams were packed so we didn't hop on. We just wanted to leave.
Maybe next time we'll hop in ?? But I may leave the kids behind....Shame.

Thanks for the piccys TubbyLes.

accyman · 11-10-2009, 19:46

i dont bother with teh promanade lights they are only basically adverts for mcdonalds and various other crap companies , i dont know the name of teh area but if you drive right to teh end past all the piers where the tram tracks join the road and have to drive across teh tram tracks teh good lights begin at a roundabout which has a giant display of either ufo's or various coloured lights ( i cant remeber which this year lol)

drive to teh end theres a small amusement arcade and a pretty decent fish and chip shop , i take both my lads each year and avoid teh scummy part of blackpool alltogether

also teh flashy toys are cheaper down that end too taht they sell while your driving along , at the scummy end its £5 for a illuminating toy and at teh decent end its £3

ps:

do you have the name of teh cafe where the woman got her boobs out and dipped them in gravy so i can go for tea without the kids please

katex · 11-10-2009, 22:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by TubbyLes

I was in Blackpool last Monday to take some pictures and movies with my new camera.

Humph ... didn't invite me brother !

Always loved those tableaux.

jamesicus · 11-10-2009, 23:28

I am extremely sad to read about your experiences. I have so many wonderful memories of the Blackpool of my youth (the 1930s, 40s and 50s) -- to this day my favorite holiday venue.

James

joaner3 · 12-10-2009, 02:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by accyman

i dont bother with teh promanade lights they are only basically adverts for mcdonalds and various other crap companies , i dont know the name of teh area but if you drive right to teh end past all the piers where the tram tracks join the road and have to drive across teh tram tracks teh good lights begin at a roundabout which has a giant display of either ufo's or various coloured lights ( i cant remeber which this year lol)

drive to teh end theres a small amusement arcade and a pretty decent fish and chip shop , i take both my lads each year and avoid teh scummy part of blackpool alltogether

also teh flashy toys are cheaper down that end too taht they sell while your driving along , at the scummy end its £5 for a illuminating toy and at teh decent end its £3

ps:

do you have the name of teh cafe where the woman got her boobs out and dipped them in gravy so i can go for tea without the kids please

I think you are talking about Cleveleys, I was over there last September with my brother it looks really nice the promenade as been done up and there are new toilets(very European) and there's a great Fish & Chip Restaurant.

emamum · 12-10-2009, 10:37

we went on saturday, little one liked the lights but was more interested in her big brothers light up thing and her bunny ears

there were a lot of drunken people, a few hen parties coo-ing over the baby, we went to pizza hut went thoughtthe arcade with the parrot and back to the car and drove through, took 2 hours!

grannyclaret · 12-10-2009, 12:49

Surely its not that bad,,,,my grandchildren loved them,,,,

pipinfort · 12-10-2009, 13:26

We went the other weekend and it was rubbish, i must say, we went up to Bispham and the displays there are always a bit better but even they were poor, the kids were very unimpressed and it was full of drunk people in fancy dress from about dinner time onwards............the kids were more impressed with them....

accyman · 12-10-2009, 13:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by joaner3

I think you are talking about Cleveleys, I was over there last September with my brother it looks really nice the promenade as been done up and there are new toilets(very European) and there's a great Fish & Chip Restaurant.

yep thats the place, always start at that end to avoid the scum puking or urinating in the streets etc along teh promanade, you can get out at the end of teh cleveleys part and walk along infront of the illumination displays , one has a mummy that pops out of a box and makes the kids jump then i go get fleeced by my two kids spending all my money on the 2p shover machines lol

did well last week they won 2 trucks ,2 cars and 1 helicoptor which only cost me £12 in 2p coins

Eric · 13-10-2009, 19:20

I'm still waiting for the pics of the gigantic boobs dripping with gravy

We are having our own illuminations right here .... it's called Fall.

Galloping Hairpin · 13-10-2009, 20:16

Well I got told off by the moderators for my rather vivid descriptions! Not good for a freshy EH?

Well, I seem to have missed the lights that were worth seeing, and by all accounts it was a worse than usual weekday evening. So maybe I'll give Blackpool another chance...
I agree with the comments that it should be somewhere the North West can be proud of, and in it's heyday it was. I wonder what Blackpool has to do to become that great again....?
Don't envy the council the task of promoting the place. I'd be embarrassed to say I lived there, let alone worked on the council.