11 surprising things you didn't know about Blackpool
By Claire Lark
Published 28th Mar 2023, 12:30 BST
Updated 28th Mar 2023, 12:40 BST
Famous for its Pleasure Beach, the Illuminations, glitzy ballroom dancing and fish and chips on the seafront, Blackpool is the UK’s most popular seaside tourist destination. And we love it.
But there are a few claims to fame about our fabulous resort which might surprise you…
We love taking you on a trip down memory lane looking back at people and places through the decades - from long, lost boozers to memorable moments in time and much, much more - sign up to our NEW newsletter here
Blackpool has protected 47 buildings with listed status including some more unusual ones such as the traditional red phone boxes in Talbot Road and Abingdon Street Photo: Google Street View
The Tower Ballroom forms the centrepiece to any series of Strictly Come Dancing, and is the week that celebrity dancers strive for when they appear on the show.
But the Strictly celebrities aren't the only famous faces to have appeared over the years. Take That, Cleo Lane and Duke Ellington are among some of the acts to have performed at the Tower, while a huge model of King Kong was attached to the outside in 1984 Photo: National World
...takes seven years to complete. Built in 1894 and inspired by the Eiffel Tower, Blackpool Tower is 518 feet and 9 inches tall, and it takes seven years to paint it from top to bottom. Its lifts travel 3,500 miles every year – more than the distance between Blackpool and New York – and on a clear day Blackpool Tower can be seen from as far away as Wales and the Lake District. Rigger Mark Smith painting the blue top of the Tower gold Photo: library