Comments on round the merseyrail we go: The End of the Pier Show

I'd already been to the Winter Gardens, and it...

2011-10-22T14:23:25.107+01:00

I'd already been to the Winter Gardens, and it looked like they were being redeveloped. I was put off the Tower by the queue (and not being able to go up it in the strong winds) and I refused to pay £5 for the Pleasure Beach just to walk round, because I'm cheap!

I'd have imagined hotel developers would love to get their hands on some of that Golden Mile property - if they could. Liverpool's got hotel developments coming out of its ears at the moment. I bet Blackpool would be the same if developers could get past the dozens of low-rent B&B owners who currently clog up the streets.

I like the shape of the concrete roof supports at ...

2011-10-21T22:41:19.907+01:00

I like the shape of the concrete roof supports at Blackpool North. Am I weird?

Poulton station looks good partly because it was r...

2011-10-21T00:35:13.411+01:00

Poulton station looks good partly because it was refurbished about 18 months ago. The town is considered posh round here, although it's a bit pretentious.

As far as your impressions of Blackpool are concerned, it's not going to appeal to everyone. But you didn't go into the Winter Gardens? Or the Tower building? Or inside the Pleasure Beach? You missed some of its defining features, which have seen a lot of investment just recently.

Most of the guest houses and seafront shops and arcades are sad and have seen better days. But tell me, who is going to invest the tens of millions to build these big hotels, an arena etc? For a town of its size, Blackpool does alright. It's far more interesting than, say, Preston, or Bolton. We lack a university, which is a problem, and money for investment is thin on the ground. The big cities like Liverpool and Manchester have had the regeneration, but out here, change comes slower, if at all. Trust me, it's better than it was ten or twenty years ago.

PS - I find it hilarious you like North station! I think most people round here would gladly see it torn down: a soulless box with few facilities. Each to their own!