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My favorite childhood day trips ( By: px)

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When I was young it ws always one of the highlights of the year if we got to go on a day trip to somewhere special. Living in the northwest of England meant that the coast was reachable, and back, in one day. Most families back in those days did not have a car so it was usually a coach or train ride, which was all part of the fun.

That part of England has a coastline with many great beaches and a lot of the coastal towns had become resorts with scores of hotels and guest houses. People taking their annual vacation generally stayed in one of those bt the "day-tripper" just made the journey out, put in some beach-time, had lunch and did shopping or, better yet, got to visit a theme park.

This piglix contains a list of my favorite seaside destinations from those halcyon days.
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Blackpool

Blackpool Illuminations and Tower

Blackpool Illuminations and Tower

Website visitblackpool.com
blackpool.gov.uk

Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England, on England's northwest coast. The town is on the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Preston, 27 miles (43 km) north of Liverpool, 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Bolton and 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Manchester. It had an estimated population of 142,065 at the 2011 Census.

Throughout the Middle Ages and Early Modern period, Blackpool was a coastal hamlet in Lancashire's Hundred of Amounderness, and remained such until the mid-18th century when it became fashionable in England to travel to the coast in the summer to improve well-being. In 1781, visitors attracted to Blackpool's 7-mile (11 km) sandy beach were able to use a new private road, built by Thomas Clifton and Sir Henry Hoghton. Stagecoaches began running to Blackpool from Manchester in the same year, and from Halifax in 1782. In the early 19th century, Henry Banks and his son-in-law John Cocker erected new buildings in Blackpool such that its population grew from less than 500 in 1801 to over 2,500 in 1851. St John's Church in Blackpool was consecrated in 1821

Blackpool has been the main attraction of the northwest coast due in part to the many amazing venues it has. Some events in Blackpool have been going on for well over a hundred years and believe it or not, one of those is it's annual Air Show.
Chief among the many famous attractions are Blackpool Tower and the wonderful theme park "The Pleasure Beach".
Blackpool Tower is not unlike Paris's Eiffel Tower but much smaller. Still, a ride to the top is quite a thrill and the view astounding (if the weather is not unkind).
The one thing that attracts millions every year, between August and early November, is the Blackpool Illuminations (see below).
 
Event/Festival Years Description
Blackpool Illuminations 1879–present Blackpool Illuminations, consisting of a series of lighted displays and collages arranged along the entire length of the seafront, 7 miles (11 km) in total, attract many visitors from late August to early November.
Blackpool Air Show 1909–present The air show is an annual free event which features the world-famous RAF Red Arrows, a group of daredevil wing walkers, some of the most spectacular pilots in the country as well as a range of new and exciting displays.
Blackpool Dance Festival 1920–present A world-famous annual ballroom dance competition of international significance, as featured in the 1996 film Shall We Dance?
Punk Rock Rebellion Festival 1996–present Blackpool has played host to the Punk rock Rebellion Festival, an annual event which after a couple of intervening years in nearby Morecambe made its permanent home in Blackpool.

Some of the many attractions:

  • Blackpool Tower
  • The Winter Gardens
  • The Sea Life Centre
  • Louis Tussauds Wax Works
  • The Blackpool Tower Dungeon
  • Indoor Golf Centre
  • Bonny Street Market
  • Mr T's Amusement Arcade
  • Blackpool Tower, opened in 1894, has been a dominant landmark of the Blackpool skyline since that time. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, it is 518 feet (158 m) in height. Beneath the tower is a complex of leisure facilities, entertainment venues and restaurants, including the world-famous Tower Ballroom and Tower Circus.
  • North Pier, the northernmost of Blackpool's three piers, includes a small shopping arcade, a small tramway and the North Pier Theatre toward the end of the pier. The pier end also used to have a helicopter pad, but this was damaged in a Christmas storm in 1997 and collapsed into the sea.
  • Grand Theatre, Blackpool was built by Frank Matcham in 1894. It offers an eclectic mix of drama, dance, opera, ballet and comedy including a yearly Pantomime.
  • Central Pier is the middle (central) pier, and includes a large Ferris wheel and shops.
  • Sandcastle Water Park is the UK's largest indoor waterpark, home to 18 slides and attractions including the largest indoor rollercoaster waterslide in the world, 'The Masterblaster', and the first indoor 'Sidewinder' in the world. Two new slides are currently being built: Aztec Falls (a bowl slide) and Montazooma (a mat slide).
  • South Pier is the southernmost pier. Almost directly opposite the Pleasure Beach, it houses a theme park.
  • Pleasure Beach Blackpool is an amusement park with rides including the Pepsi Max Big One, which was the world's fastest and tallest complete circuit rollercoaster between 1994 and 1996.
  • The Winter Gardens is a large entertainment and conference venue in the town centre. It includes the Opera House (one of the largest theatres in Europe), Pavilion Theatre, Empress Ballroom, Spanish Hall, Arena and Olympia.
  • Stanley Park is a Grade II historic park and gardens with golf course, cricket club, sports arena, lake, art deco restaurant, model village, gardens etc.
  • The Imperial Hotel is a massive red-brick Victorian hotel, which has hosted high-profile guests such as Charles Dickens , Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher.
  • Blackpool Sands stretch along the whole seafront and comprise the main natural attraction for tourists.
  • Funny Girls is a drag cabaret burlesque showbar, located on Dickson Road.
  • Blackpool Zoo provides a home to over 1,500 animals from all over the world.
  • Viva Cabaret Showbar & Events Suite is a Vegas-style production show venue next to the Tower.
  • The Comedy Carpet is an area of 2,200m2 opposite the Tower, with jokes and punchlines set into the pavement. It is one of Britain's largest public artworks.
  • The Great Promenade Show is a series of modern artwork installations along Blackpool's South Promenade, including the Blackpool High Tide Organ, an unusual musical monument that uses the movements of the sea to make music.
  • Madame Tussaud's Waxworks is a waxwork museum, featuring models of celebrities, musicians, sports personalities and a Chamber of Horrors.
  • The Odeon Cinema is situated on a multi-complex site, on Rigby Road, with 10 screens.
  • Sea Life Centres is a large aquarium featuring a walkthrough shark tank, located on the Promenade near Central Pier.
  • The Doctor Who Exhibition, which closed in 2009, was the biggest Doctor Who exhibition in the UK, containing props and costumes from the long-running BBC TV series, including some from recently aired programmes.
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Southport

Lord Street, Southport.JPG
Lord Street, Southport

Southport is a large seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census, Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventhmost populous settlement in North West England.

The ride out to Southport took about the same length of time as did Blackpool, which to a youngster seemed endless! But it was a fun place to go to with miles of very flat beaches. Because they are so flat, the tides move very quickly in and out and also for a great distance.

Southport lies on the Irish Sea coast of North West England and is fringed to the north by the Ribble estuary. The town is situated 16.7 miles (26.9 km) to the north of the city of Liverpool and 14.8 miles (23.8 km) southwest of the city of Preston.

Historically a part of Lancashire, the town in its present form was founded in 1792 when William Sutton, an innkeeper from Churchtown, built a bathing house at what now is the south end of Lord Street, the town's main thoroughfare. At that time, the area, known as South Hawes, was sparsely populated and dominated by sand dunes. At the turn of the 19th century, the area became popular with tourists due to the easy access from the nearby Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and the town quickly grew. The rapid growth of Southport largely coincided with the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian era. Town attractions include Southport Pier with its Southport Pier Tramway, the second longest seaside pleasure pier in the British Isles and Lord Street, an elegant tree-lined shopping street, once home of Napoleon III of France.

Regular Events and Places of Interest in Southport

  • Southport Airshow The north west's biggest airshow held in the summer.
  • Southport Flower Show The UK's largest independent flowershow.
  • British Musical Fireworks Championships
  • Woodvale Rally
  • Scooter Rally at Pontins Southport
  • Southport International Jazz Festival
  • Southport Food and Drink Festival
  • Southport Weekender
  • Southport Rocks
  • Southport 24 Hour Race A Sailing race that sees boats racing continuously for 24 Hours even in extreme weather conditions. Entries have included Olympic gold medialits and teams from Eire, France and even the USA and Australia! It is regarded as 1 of the hardest endurance races in the world.
  • Tidy Boys IDEAL Weekender
  • Lakeside Miniature Railway
  • Southport Pier (formerly home of the Southport Pier Tramway)
  • Marine Way Bridge
  • Lord Street
  • Southport Model Railway Village
  • Southport Town Gardens
  • Kings Gardens
  • Wellington Terrace, Lord Street
  • Promenade Hospital (Renovated as luxury flats and renamed Marine Gate Mansions)
  • Ribble Building, built as a railway station then adapted for use as a bus station, part of the site was redeveloped as a supermarket and the remainder converted to a hotel and restaurant)
  • Scarisbrick Hotel
  • Smedley Hydro (A former Victorian Hydropathic Health Spa, now under ownership of the Home Office for the UK's Birth, Deaths and Marriages)
  • Botanic Gardens (was home of only local history museum in Southport – that was closed by Sefton Council in 2011)
  • Hesketh Park
  • Park Crescent, Hesketh Park No.29 has one of the oldest existing residential garages in the UK dating from about 1899, although both house and garage have been converted to flats.
  • Kew Gardens (Southport District General Hospital now occupies most of the site)
  • Meols Hall
  • Round House
  • Wayfarers Arcade
  • Atkinson Art Gallery & Library
  • Arts Centre & Town Hall
  • St Cuthbert's Church
  • St George's United Reformed Church, Lord Street
  • Emmanuel Parish Church, Cambridge Road, which has an organ, installed in 1914, built by Harrisons of Durham
  • Holy Trinity Church. The church was founded before 1898.
  • Queen Victoria Statue â€“ originally moved from the Town Hall Gardens to Neville Street junction to the Promenade and again to the pedestrianised side of Neville Street.

    Statue of Queen Victoria on Neville Street

  • Cannon Cinema (Lord Street)-(demolished and replaced with the Vincent Hotel that opened in 2008)
  • Kingsway Night Club (demolished in 2010 following an arson attack)
  • Open Air Baths (demolished 1990s, South Ocean Plaza complex now occupies the site)
  • Steamport Museum (housed inside the former 27C locomotive shed, demolished in late 2000) site now occupied by Central 12 shopping complex.
  • Palace Hotel, Birkdale (a large Victorian hotel, demolished in 1969)
  • Southport General Infirmary (demolished in 2008–09 with only a wing of the infirmary remaining as it is being used for mental health services)

 Famous or well-known people from Southport

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Wikipedia

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Rhyl

 

Rhyl Seafront - geograph.org.uk - 388762.jpg
Rhyl


Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community in the historic county of Denbighshire. It lies on the north-east coast of Wales at the mouth of the River Clwyd (Welsh: Afon Clwyd). To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn beyond. Prestatyn is to the east and Rhuddlan to the south.

It was always fun to visit Rhyl but the distance was greater than Blackpool and Southport which meant having less time to spend there. But there is no denying that there was some additional magic to being in Wales. It has a charm of its own and with the mountains too, the scenery is nothing short of splendid.

On a day trip you had little opportunity to explore the many other ancient towns and sights in the area but the old churches and especially the ancient (mostly ruined) castles was one of my favorite things.

Rhyl has long been a popular tourist destination. Once an elegant Victorian resort, there was an influx from Liverpool and Manchester after the Second World War that changed the face of the town. The area had declined dramatically by 1990, but has since been improved by a series of regeneration projects that have brought in major investment. Several millions of European funding, secured by the Welsh Government, has been spent on developing Rhyl's seafront.

Famous or well-known people from Southport

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Wikipedia

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