I have always loved Blackpool, though it has seen better days, that's true.



They have had to go, as a town, for the only available market which was downmarket. WHich is not to say everywhere is shoite, it's not, and I've spent time in many spotlessly clean cheap B&Bs with fine breakfasts, but the problem is comparing the price of a week in Blackpool with a week in Magaluf.



But they can't win. People will whinge about everything. Like the rickety old trams, which are tiny, and not fit for purpose. It was much the same when people were up in arms in London about the old Routemaster buses. I mean, I loved them too, but come on, it's a modern city, not a pickled specimen in a jar of aspic. The modern trams are huge, comfortable, digital and ten times better as a minimum. AND they still use the old ones which I think get used for bookings and special events, so it's not like they've been scrapped totally. What do you want them to do?



And, exactly how much money have YOU brought to Blackpool in, say, the last decade, because of those trams?

We use Blackpool as a weekend place once a year.

We accept it for what it is, see a show, have a curry, do the round of the 'attractions' with the younger members of the clan.

It's like a wildwest cowboy town in parts, chavland supreme thanks to many of its clientele (spot the snob ) and rundown and filthy in other parts.

But it's like so many places in that regard.



There is a fair amount of money sucked up and there doesn't appear to be much put back.



The prom was revamped out of the need to bolster the sea defences and they wisely took the opportunity to build things like the comedy carpet.

That aside, apart from rust and decay, nothing much changes in Blackpool.



We still go though, but wouldn't want more than a two night stop.

Because it has a tower, people somehow look on Blackpool as an exception, but it's not. What happened to Blackpool was fairly typical.



There is a reasonable parallel with the tiny town of Benitses on Corfu. It used to be a lovely spot, but decided to chase the drunken dollar and for a short time, succeeded. In the summer it became the Vomit Destination of Choice. But, predictably, the next generation of paralytic fighters moved on to the next big thing, and Benitses was left a ised, prostitued, destitute place, and I'm sure very sorry for what they had done.



Haven't been that way for a while. Last time, it was like a bloke limping out of A&E after a good pasting. Blackpool isn't quite at that stage yet, but it does now rely in a large part on chav stag and hen parties and the like, and there is a price to be paid for that. As a result of neglect, Blackpool has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, and the biggest queues are at the cashpoints at midnight when the chavs get their drugs money. But as a visitor, you can largely avoid all that, and people are good at turning a blind eye too.

Really?

It's certainly their projection. And the figures do seem suggestive. Takings are up (albeit narrowly).

Strange that given the weakness of the Euro cost of holidays to Spain,Greece etc have fallen

As somebody who has holidayed in the UK in recent years, it is very expensive here compared with popular overseas destinations.

Blackpool hasnt had "rickety old trams" for about 5 years now



Whilst I want to stick up for Blackpool as I live there, I just cant. Its a cesspit, only marginally better than Hull



Kind Regards



King james

Having resided in Dagenham for a period in the late 80's I can only concur that the great city of Hull is a utopic haven in comparison.

Morally, politically and integrity wise, in a different stratosphere.

How can I possibly be the judge of that?

Because I can.

Rough Guides' ten top cities in the world to visit in 2016



1. Reykjavik, Iceland

2. Mexico City, Mexico

3. Seoul, South Korea

4. Ljubljana, Slovenia

5. Wroclaw, Poland

6. Nashville, USA

7. Amsterdam, The Netherlands

8. Hull, England

9. Vancouver, Canada

10. Agra, India



[urlhttp://www.roughguides.com/best-places/2016/top-10-cities/[/url

Welcome to the 21st century.

That's a soft unt's guide to no effin' idea planet.