Thanks for your history lesson Laura! Bet you're glad they changed the name to Colchester, it's much easier to say! (Maybe that's why they changed it!)
Blackpool - Sun, sea, sand etc...
It has to be said that some parts of the town have been looking a bit worn out and run down in recent years, BUT, Blackpool is in the middle of a regeneration plan which should make us a thriving, popular resort again. Work has begun all around the town building new shops, improving the sea-front etc.. there are plans to spruce us up all over the place. There are still a few more years work to go, but it will make a huge difference when it's finished.
I live at the airport end of town and it's now an International Airport, with plans to expand and offer even more destinations. I like where I live, close enough to town if I want to go clothes shopping

and far enough away not to be hassled in the holiday season.
At the moment, on a wet windy day in Blackpool, some parts don't look particularly inviting, and it can look like we need a good lick of paint here and there, ....and there... and there... (it can get a bit depressing looking at it sometimes), but the plans to clean it up, improve it and expand, will make it an even better place to live and to visit. On a sunny day, in the visitor season, you don't notice what needs doing quite so much. Many locals try to avoid going into town when it's busy, infact I've known some people say they haven't been into town for years! It can be a bit frustrating if you're in a hurry and suddenly find yourself bumping into people who've come to an abrupt standstill in front of you to gaze up to the top of the tower!
So, in town we have the sea and sand, three piers, lots of shops with more being added, places like the Pleasure Beach, Skating Rink, Sea Life Centre, The Tower, The Sandcastle Waterpark, Amusement Arcades etc..The Winter Gardens, The Grand Theatre, and a whole array of pubs and clubs for the nightowls.
On the outskirts we have Stanley Park with a lovely lake, trees and gardens and loads of space, Blackpool Zoo (which is looking much nicer than it used to), A Golf Course, Climbing Walls, Sports Centre, Cinema Complex with restaurants and pub, Model Village and probably other things I don't even know about.
Like everywhere, the town it has it's problems, but 'they' are working hard to rejuvenate it and put things right, and if it ends up looking anything like the pictures the planners have drawn, it'll be much improved for everyone, holiday makers
and residents.
Obviously the tower is Blackpool's most famous feature, or as my youngest son said as we were driving through the illuminations when he was about three.."Look mummy, a transformer!"
Oh...and Harry Corbett bought the first ever Sooty from Blackpool.

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