Located on the Irish Sea coast, Blackpool became a fashionable seaside resort during Victorian times. Back then, sea water was believed to have health-improving properties and when the rail connection arrived in 1846, working class families from Lancashire's industrial towns could easily reach here for their vacations. By the 1920s and 30s, Blackpool was the country's most popular resort.
However, Blackpool suffered a major blow when the package holiday era arrived, followed by low-cost airlines that would bring British families to southern Europe on the cheap.
Nevertheless, they're trying to get tourism back on its feet with illuminations and there is a huge theme park that still attracts crowds.
Blackpool has a long stretch of beach along the Irish Sea and having arrived fairly early in the morning, the waterfront was deserted.
There is a long waterfront promenade with 3 piers, which have arcades and amusement rides on top today. The first one, North Pier, opened in 1863 and eventually marketed itself for the "better classes" with music performances for a charge as a second competitor pier opened later.
Immensely popular, the government decided to build a second pier in 1866, which opened 2 years later. The entertainment here catered to the masses with open-air dancing and games. Dubbed the "people's pier", Blackpool was trying to close in on Brighton as a major resort, although during by the early 1870s, Blackpool only had less than a tenth of Brighton's population.
When the Eiffel Tower opened in 1889, its success inspired others to think whether they should do the same with their cities. This was ironic given at the time, people thought buildings made of brick and stone showed beauty, and not iron and steel.
A syndicate of London and Manchester "gentlemen" became interested in building a similar tower, although initially it was destined for the Isle of Man, but the government there refused permission and the project landed in Blackpool, a growing ambitious town.
Construction began in 1891 with much fanfare. There was a grand procession leading to the ceremony that laid the foundation stone. Blackpool Tower opened 3 years later.
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