| Blackpool has always been famous for it's golden sands. The beaches are still
a main attraction despite the more sophisticated amusements the town has to offer.
The most popular stretch is in front of the Golden Mile between the Central and North Piers.
Here, we see the slade, where the sea wall becomes a gentle slope giving vehicle access to the
beach.
Boat trips out to sea and back again have always been a feature of Blackpool life and it is
here also that the inshore lifeboat is launched when needed. |
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The beach has an extremely slight gradient with no sudden shelving into deeper water.
Paddling, more than swimming, has always been a favourite at Blackpool.
Ice cream vans and the occasional wandering salesman peddling sunglasses are dotted amongst
the sunbathers and children wielding buckets and spades to build the ultimate sand castle.
Against the railings of the sea wall to the right of the photograph, a green tarpaulin
covers rows and rows of canvas deck chairs that can be hired for a day on the beach. |
| A tradition of English seaside resorts are donkey rides on the beach.
A local by-law gives Blackpool's donkeys a day off every Friday. A further by-law stipulated that
whilst standing waiting for customers, all asses should be facing the same way... |
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Donkey operators are normally the first to appear on the beach every day, taking up the
best positions quickly as soon as the tide recedes. |
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Once the tide comes in the sands are completely covered. Watching the waves
splash up is a favourite pasttime, though in particularly rough weather it is dangerous.
The appearance of white horses out at sea as seen here normally means rain sometime the following day. |
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On fine days the sunseekers move off the beach and onto the Promenade in hundreds when the tide comes in. If, that is, they are awake to notice the tide come in...! |
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| This general shot from the Central Pier in 1977 shows the last days of the World
War II vintage lorries that ferried visitors out to the waiting boats for a half hour cruise
from the beach.
The tide is on its way in and soon even the tiny strip of sand near the slade will be
underwater, but for now the visitors and the donkey operator are grimly determined to eke out
every last available minute! |
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