Blackpool

Blackpool exists because Lancashire mill workers needed somewhere to spend their annual week off. The 'Wakes Weeks'—when entire factories closed for maintenance—sent hundreds of thousands of workers to the seaside. By the 1880s, railways deposited them on Blackpool's seven miles of sandy beach.

The resort industrialized entertainment. Blackpool Tower, completed in 1894 and modeled on the Eiffel Tower, gave visitors something to do when it rained—elevators to a viewing platform, ballroom dancing, and the circus that still performs below. The Blackpool Illuminations, first lit in 1879, extended the season into autumn darkness. The Pleasure Beach, opened in 1896, pioneered the modern amusement park. Blackpool's tramway, operational since 1885, remains one of the world's oldest electric streetcar systems.

The numbers were staggering: by the mid-20th century, Blackpool received 17 million visitors annually. In 2021, 18.8 million visitors still contributed £1.5 billion to the local economy—making Blackpool the UK's biggest seaside resort.

But the economics have changed. Package holidays to Spain drew away the working-class families who once filled boarding houses for a fortnight. The M55 motorway made Blackpool a day trip rather than an overnight destination. Wages in seaside resorts remain among Britain's lowest; seasonal employment creates instability.

By 2026, a £100 million DWP hub consolidates 3,000 government jobs. Blackpool Tower and Madame Tussauds have transferred to local management. The question: can a resort built for the industrial working class adapt to a post-industrial economy?