 |
Every year from September to the beginning of November the famous
Blackpool illuminations shine nightly along seven miles of promenade.
The switch-on ceremony is always a high profile event with a TV, film or music star
performing the actual ceremony of throwing the switch.
The photographs on this page were all taken during the 1977 Illuminations. |
 |
 |
Views of the Pleasure Beach before the Big One Roller
Coaster was built.
Towards the right hand third of the photograph the Space Tower stands against the night
sky. This was a rotating drum from where riders had spectacular views. On a clear day you could see the Isle of Man. At night... you couldn't... |
 |
The Space Tower again. A time exposure was used to show the
movement of the tower as it spins slowly whilst ascending and descending.
The Space Tower was dismantled to make way for the Big One rollercoaster and now stands
at one of the company's other amusement parks at Morecambe.
The Log Flume and Big Dipper are in the background. |
| The Tower and Golden Mile seen from the central Promenade, south of the Central Pier.
A shower of rain has washed over the Promenade, leaving reflected patterns of light from
thousands of coloured bulbs. |
 |
 |
The North Pier, seen from the top of the Tower.
The Tower top offers a great vantage point to see the Illuminations. More views can be
seen on one of the Blackpool Tower pages. |
 |
The Central Pier, seen from the Golden Mile.
The crowns display was new for 1977, that year being the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Royal fervour reached a peak that year, contrasting with the current
popularity of the Royal Family. |
 |
| The Golden Mile with Blackpool's original Ripley's Odditorium. This occupied an old hotel building and had this large Las Vegas style sign outside. This was the first of the Golden Mile attractions to have a permanently illuminated frontage on any large scale.
The building was demolished following a fire. Ripleys currently have an attraction on Ocean Boulevard in front of the Ppleasure Beach. |
 |
 |
These photographs give some idea of how busy the Promenade used to get with traffic. It seldom gets so snarled up these days, possibly because parents see the Lights as being too unsophisticated in these days of computers and
games consoles.
Children still find a trip to the Illuminations fascinating though and modern displays
incorporate more effects and movement than in previous years. |
 |
 |
As we saw with the crowns, the Promenade Illuminations are made up of strings of themed lengths of lights and sculptures.
Festoons of bulbs stretch between lampposts and across the roadway and translucent sculptures lit and often animated are attached to every lamppost. |
 |
 |
 |
The Pleasure Beach and South Pier. |
 |
| It was a favourite game of locals to go out on nights like this when there
was a lot of traffic and have competitions to see who could spot the most crashes.
The actual moment of impact had to be witnessed to score!
Drivers should note that if they would like to view the lights they should leave the
car and either take a tram or wear their shoes out a bit! |
 |
 |
 |
Classic view from the Central Pier of the Tower and Golden Mile from halfway down the Central Pier.
The effect of the neon sign of Ripley's Odditorium against the rest of teh Golden Mile in 1977 is plain to see in this photograph. |
|
