Blackpool Stanley Park, Motorcycle Show and Classic Car Show

Stanley Park is a beautiful place to visit and a great day out for all the family. It is set in 256 acres and has lots for everybody to do.  There is the boating Lake with Pedal and rowing boats available for hire, large childrens play area, crazy golf, putting and tennis courts. There is also the band stand and the Italian and Rose Gardens and Fountains.  There is lots of wide open spaces and picnic areas should you just want to relax and watch the world go by.
It is also next to Blackpool Model Village and across the road from the zoo, should you want to combine your visit with any of the above.

There is always something going on at the park should it be a fun day, music in the band stand or heritage day. Last year Stanley Park was the starting point for the Cycle Tour of Britain  and this year the race for stage 1 will end on Blackpool Promenade on Saturday 11th September at approximately 1340. The park has also hosted The Blackpool Motorcycle Show and The Classic Car show in the Italian Gardens.
It is free entrance into the park and it was free to spectate the above, but there are charges for crazy golf, putting, hiring of boats and tennis courts. There is also The Art Deco Cafe where you can sit inside or outside and skate park for boys and their toys.

The Blackpool Motorcycle show took place on Sunday 11th July this year in the Italian Gardens in the very lovely Stanley Park. It was a beautiful sunny day and the bikes were great. Entrance was free for spectators and there was a really good turn out. Stanley Park is hosting more and more events and has a lovely setting.

Blackpool Classic Car show

This was held on Sunday 29th August from 10.00am until 4pm and was free for spectators. We were very lucky with the weather as it was a beautiful sunny day (windy) but at least sunny and dry. There was a very good turn out with lots of very lovely cars.  

To view more images from the Classic Car Show visit my Flickr page.

Blackpool Pride

For the last five years, Blackpool has been hosting a 'Blackpool Pride Parade and event' and every year it has got bigger and bigger. Although I have never attended the actual event, I do like to go and watch the parade. It is normally on for a couple of days and there are market stall's, entertainment such as Xfactor's Lucie Jones, Tight Fit, The Cheeky Girls and Blackpool's own Betty Legs Diamond (all appeared this year 2010) as well as many others. The parade is always very colourful and flamboyant and great to watch and should not be missed if you are in Blackpool. I always try and take plenty of pictures and have photos from 2009 and 2010 on my Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/geminiali.

Below are some pictures from the Parade from 2009 and 2010.

Blackpool Pride Parade 2009

Pride Parade 2010

There is a website that is one of the partner associated with the Pride Parade and that is BAGS (Blackpool Accommodation for Gays) for any help with accommodation.

Blackpool Illuminations

There is probably not a person in the world (well maybe some people) who have not heard of or seen Blackpool Illuminations. They usually shine from the first weekend in September until the around the 7th November and the switch on is always a big event. Everybody from Red Rum to Dr Who and Top Gear have flicked the famous switch over the years and this year it is the turn of Robbie Williams who will turn them on Friday 3rd September 2010. This year's switch on is causing controversy as it has always been a free for all event, but this year while still free is a ticketed event. So people wanting to go and watch had to apply then there would be a lottery for wristbands, of which the people of Blackpool were going to be given a few thousand tickets and the rest given to others. However it emerged last week that some of these tickets had ended up on ebay, which obviously angered people from Blackpool, so they are supposed to be in the process of being removed from ebay. Back in the day when I was growing up, the switch on was always at Talbot Square opposite North Pier and as it got to be a bigger event, it moved to Central Car Park. This year it will be held on St Chad's Headland as as well as Robbie Williams, it has emerged that Russell Watson, The Wanted, Olly Murs,  and Gabriella Climi will be appearing, Alesha Dixon and The Plain White T's are also rumoured to be appearing.

There are many ways to view the illumination's and if you have the energy, there is no better way than walking them (although it is a very long walk!!!)
If you want an easier way then you can either drive through them and depending on what day and time you choose to go, it can take a good couple of hours or if you don't want the stress of driving there are open top bus tours which operate Monday to Friday from Marton Mere Holiday Park.
If you fancy something a bit different why not book tour on an illuminated tram which departs from North Pier Tram stop and costs £5 for adults and £3.50 for children over 5 (under 5's are free).
Blackpool Landau's also operate tours prices on request to each landau and as far as I am aware they are not allowed to operate on Saturdays (according to Blackpool evening gazette) due to the amount of traffic.

For more of my Blackpool and Illuminations photos go to my Flickr website.

On Tuesday 31st August 2010, there is a 'Ride the lights' event along Blackpool promenade, which is a preview of the lights by push bike only. It is from 7pm until 10pm and you can ride and see as much or as little as you choose with no other traffic other than bikes oh and its free too.

Blackpool Zoo

A visit to Blackpool is not complete without a visit to the zoo. There has been a lot of redevelopment lately and it is now a great place to visit and is definitely worth a day out. I have actually bought an annual pass for £29 which is basically the cost of two visits and I can go as many times as I like. You do have to pay for parking on top of the admission cost which is a little unfair but apparently the money is reinvested in animal projects. The zoo is a little out of the way of Blackpool Town centre, near the De Vere Hotel but there are buses that will take you there. It is £14.50 for adults and £10.25 for children (over 3), under 3's go free and there are concessions for students, pensioners and people with disabilities and family passes. There are also online booking discounts. Inside the zoo there is 'The Children's zoo' which has its own area with donkeys, rabbits, pigs and many more. There is a large outdoor play area and picnic areas as well. The food from the cafeteria is very expensive so I would recommend taking your own if going for the day. If the weather gets really bad and you are on a day trip to the zoo, you can always take your little monkeys into the Playbarn which is next to the zoo. It is a large indoor play area for babies, toddlers and older children, I think it is about £3.00 entrance fee (free for under 1's). It is a good way of tiring the children out if you think they are not tired enough after your day at the zoo!!!!

 

 

Check out more of my photographs from the zoo on my Flickr.

World Horse Welfare Penny Farm Nr Blackpool

Well worth a visit and free entrance is World Horse Welfare Penny Farm which is open on Wednesdays and weekends. Like I said it is free entrance and there is ample parking, it is on the outskirts of Blackpool so you would really need a car to get there or Stagecoach Bus X61. There are usually about sixty horse at any one time mostly rescued from people who keep them as pets or can no longer look after them. There is also a coffee shop and gift shop and every September they have an open day with displays by the Kings Troop and Household Cavalry. There is also an adoption scheme for the horses. This is a great under stated family day out which is not a publicised as it should be. The stables are indoors so you don't have to depend on the weather to enjoy it.
The volunteers and staff at Penny Farm are very helpful and knowledgeable about all the horses and will make your day a fun day out. There are activies throughout the year at Penny Farm so it is worth checking out the'Whats on Page' of their website for more details.

Blackpool - My Home Town

Well I decided to do this blog over a year ago but things happened and it never materialised so I am going to start now by saying 'We are premier League' because we were not when I decided to do this and want to say Good Luck for this season to Ian Holloway and all at Blackpool FC. 
What can I say about Blackpool???

Well I have lived here since I was a baby when my mum and dad moved here from Glasgow and have grew up thinking that Blackpool was a dump, although it has its moments it is having more and more events and attractions on and is trying to establish itself as the number one UK tourist spot once more. Being more famous in recent years for the 'hen and stag parties' although there are still plenty that come to party, Blackpool is doing its best to bring the families back to the resort.




I am a keen but amateur photographer and love getting out and about taking photographs and want to make the most of the town I live in, so now try and go out whenever there are events on in Blackpool and take some photographs and publish them on Flickr so that people can see how great the town is.  As well as looking in the Blackpool Evening Gazette, I always check Visit Blackpool for all the latest news.
This year on Friday 3rd September the lights will be switched on by Robbie Williams which is a great pull for the town although for the first time it will be a ticketed event and I do wonder if there will be many local people who will get tickets. This event is a register now and there will be a lottery for tickets. I want to share some of my photographs and details on some of the events that have and are taking place in Blackpool.

Since the promenade started being done up it has become a really nice place to go and relax, there are grassy areas and seated areas and in lovely surroundings as the promenade was beginning to look shabby and really needed updating.  I used to go to the pleasure beach quite regularly, although I don't really like the rides, it is a great place to take some fantastic photographs, but since they started to charging an entrance fee (which I begrudge paying seeing as though you still have to pay for all the rides) I haven't been, although I believe they do have special offers regularly on books of tickets and the Hot Ice show is always fantastic.

The sandcastle water park is a great attraction for families and people of all ages and at the prices are £10.35 for adult and £8.55 for children over 3 (there are discounts for seniors and people with disabilities) and also family tickets available. It is a great day out with lots to do but it does not have its own car park so it is either street parking (of which there is little in this area) or in the car parks although there are car parks, they are expensive if you are parking all day so if you are on holiday, it may be cheaper to travel by tram or bus.

Below are some events that have taken place in and around Blackpool.

Blackpool Championship Parade

Every year Blackpool hosts the World Firework Championships and this year is no different, but usually they take place over a few weekends however this year they will take place over three days being 10th - 12th September 2010.  They will also be set off from the beach between Central and South Pier this year instead of from North Pier as in previous years.

It is always a great event although in some instances the events have had to cancelled due to our lovely British weather!!!