Attractions of Blackpool with Midi & Lesley

Attractions of Blackpool 

We were giddy with excitement as we spotted the infamous Blackpool Tower soaring high above us.

Our first port of call was a visit to the famous Ballroom which is also well known to host the tv show Strictly Come Dancing. As we entered the magnificent building and we were wowed by the ornately decorated ceilings, glittery chandelier, the opulent balconies and the Wurlitzer that took centre stage. The specially sprung dance floor was a hive of activity, so we sat down to watch lots of smartly dressed couples impressing us with their dancing skills. Whilst admiring the elegance of the whole room we enjoyed an afternoon tea with splendid sandwiches and decadent cakes. Feeling brave we decided it was our turn to get up and show off our dance moves. What a truly marvellous experience to be able to float around on this iconic ballroom floor, one that won't be forgotten quickly.

From here we moved on to the Circus, a long-standing show in Blackpool. This was yet another outstanding experience and kept us glued to our seats throughout. We enjoyed watching the funny antics of Mr Boo, our Ringmaster and Mookie the clown who appeared between each different act. The daredevil stunts of the motorbike riders in the metal cage, the lady juggling fire with her feet, the amazing acrobats and seeing the circus ring fill with water were just some of the acts that amazed us! 

We made our way to Madame Tussauds for a chance to get up close and personal with our favourite celebrities. We first walked down the red carpet like VIP'S striking a pose for the waiting paparazzi. Then we put on our dancing shoes as we entered the set of Strictly Come Dancing and a chance for some photos with the judges and presenters. The I'm A Celebrity set was a huge hit as we mimicked the bush tucker trials and of course had a photo shoot with the cheeky chappies themselves, Ant & Dec.

 There were popstars galore and we loved walking down the iconic Abbey Lane with The Beatles. 

We rubbed shoulders with sporting legends and our favourite soap star landladies. 

Practising our royal wave, we made our way over to meet Her Majesty the Queen. There was a new wax work model of the Queen that had only arrived a few weeks ago. We couldn’t believe how life like it was! We all managed to get a great picture sitting next to Her Majesty and some of the other royals too. 

We headed to Windermere in the Lake District. Some of us had been before, but for others it was a new experience to sail from Bowness, down the lake to Lakeside. We enjoyed the views as we cruised along.

 Once we docked, we made our way to Princess a very impressive steam train dating back to 1942. We had our own compartment to sit in and sat back to enjoy the ride down the river, past fields, woodland and small villages. The sound of the trains whistle was delightful, and we all loved the smell and sight of the smoke from the engine. It felt like we had stepped back in history, but we were rather glad that our modern trains go a little faster! There was also the opportunity to buy souvenirs and take photos of the train, plus have a talk with the fireman who told us about constantly keeping the engine topped up with coal. 

It was off to Blackpool to visit  the Sealife Centre, where we were taken on an underwater adventure. Our first stop was exploring the rock pools, where we were able to get up close and gently touch the star fish, mermaids’ purse, hermit crabs and various other small marine life. We then visited the ray fish and the ray breeding pool where the babies stay in their egg cases for up to 12 months. We entered the rainforest section with its unusual variety of sea creatures including poisonous frogs and piranhas. The best experience of the day was entering the ocean glass tunnel. As we slowly walked through, the various amounts of fish and sharks which passed us overhead was such an amazing sight to see. We were also thrilled to have the giant green sea turtle grace us with her presence as she slowly glided over our heads. We sat and watched as the various sharks swam around huge tank whilst we listened to one of the keepers giving a talk on the various species. We learnt about the fantastic conservation programmes in place to save some of the endangered species and the measures to clean the oceans which are hugely polluted with plastic.

It was game on down at the bowling alley as we enjoyed a few competitive games. There were high scores and a few strikes! At times it was too close to call who would come out victorious. We then spent some of our holiday pennies on the arcade machines.

We love celebrating a birthday on one of our holidays!