Buildings that Blackpool was stupid to get rid of

Why would blackpool delete so many historic buildings? Its not like it had an extremely rich history anyway as its not a very old town, as far as English towns go. So many towns try to preserve their heritage and blackpool have just binned theirs off to install a woolworths and the syndicate...

Very sad to see, as many, like myself, would not have been able to see how historically beautiful the town was. This thread has allowed me to see blackpool in a new light, and I'm even less happy about how it looks at the moment!
 
Going back to my previous railway theme, even North Station isn't what it was. Glorious glazed overall roof demolished to make way for a Fine Fare, later Wilkos in favour of keeping the excursion platforms that much further out of town.
 
Played in the Commonwealth many times and i remember Steve Davis practising on the next table against a local player named Harry Wyers. Also frequented the Tangerine Club many times.
 
JJpool said:
blackpool.hippodrome.theatre.c.1904.jpg


After getting rid of this then there was the brilliant...

8251121963_88386c59c4_b.jpg


Never forgave the council for getting rid of this for a carpark 😡

Not sure who was making decisions about the older historic building preservation in Blackpool way back when, but what were they thinking.

291b2216dd02bb4755932e627a4c7fa2.jpg


yKF141nSTfe8G0mrtOjoCBo9Dd2arJFStCWu-qDkQGODqm28lo57AXuAUbzicCr_xBAJCSgzZK_XmoAfCmOXolR-NjF3_96KByyPLe60J3IebuYL3BdP-VcT



ce97b358828fb918835197b0dd8d9fd7.jpg


I bet there's more they could have kept.
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Awesome but bloody freezing
 
Mexboroseasider said:
Yep. I used to play snooker in the Commonwealth. Great atmosphere in snooker halls. Dimly lit apart from the big lights over the tables. Very quiet; the only sounds of the snooker balls clicking and muttered swear words when you balls up a shot.

First place I ever played Space Invaders too.
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I learned most of my bad language watching you play snooker.

Had a lot of bands played there as well, remember seeing XTC many years ago.
 
Wilburrabbit said:
Always suspicious of the ‘accidental’ fire which took out the Fun House in the Pleasure Beach. Listed building but it’s destruction made way conveniently for what is now Valhalla. Planners must have been insane to allow some of those old buildings to be replaced by concrete eye sores.
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And yet they force private dwelling extensions to go through too many hoops.
Was not 62 and counting involved in planning when we were destroying our heritage? if so you can understand why it happened
 
Thanks for the pics, people. We had some lovely Victorian buildings. I take it there were no preservation orders?
 
Wizaard said:
When I was a kid, I had the choice of the Derby, Cocker St, Lido and South Shore open air swimming baths.

All gone. Considering it's a seaside town, the lack of decent swimming facilities is criminal.
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It's probably due to the large expanse of water that's free to use. 😀
 
Costero Poderoso said:
this is something that really gets to me, beautiful old Victorian buildings get knocked down and replaced by a low quality non descript pastiche, which you cant even describe as architecture. whoever was responsible for that new monstrosity should have their RIBA certification removed.
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It's not quite right to blame the architect, they work to budgets. That design will have been chosen and signed off by the planning department at Blackpool purely based on cost. The criminals are successive governments for allowing towns like Blackpool to fall into disrepair particularly through the 80s and 90s and it continues.
 
Killingmesoftly said:
Obviously still here but always think the tower building is spoilt by having a chippy one side and dungeon thing other ..in what is otherwise a beauty of a building…
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Your dead right. It's the one remaining jewell which has recently been refurbished back to it's former glory and they spoil it. Only in Blackpool.
 
Wilburrabbit said:
Always suspicious of the ‘accidental’ fire which took out the Fun House in the Pleasure Beach. Listed building but it’s destruction made way conveniently for what is now Valhalla.
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Conveniently, the laughing man had been removed from the area at the time for refurbishment.
 
JJpool said:
blackpool.hippodrome.theatre.c.1904.jpg


After getting rid of this then there was the brilliant...

8251121963_88386c59c4_b.jpg


Never forgave the council for getting rid of this for a carpark 😡

Not sure who was making decisions about the older historic building preservation in Blackpool way back when, but what were they thinking.

291b2216dd02bb4755932e627a4c7fa2.jpg


yKF141nSTfe8G0mrtOjoCBo9Dd2arJFStCWu-qDkQGODqm28lo57AXuAUbzicCr_xBAJCSgzZK_XmoAfCmOXolR-NjF3_96KByyPLe60J3IebuYL3BdP-VcT



ce97b358828fb918835197b0dd8d9fd7.jpg


I bet there's more they could have kept.
Click to expand...
Too true. Clueless planners.
 
Costero Poderoso said:
this is something that really gets to me, beautiful old Victorian buildings get knocked down and replaced by a low quality non descript pastiche, which you cant even describe as architecture. whoever was responsible for that new monstrosity should have their RIBA certification removed.
Click to expand...
I have some sympathy with this, but who pays for the upkeep of failing old buildings?
 
I remember reading somewhere that the average modern building is designed to last 30 to 50 years. Anything older than that is really not fit for purpose without spending significant sums to bring it up to modern standards, and even then much would be a compromise in terms of layout, functionality, efficiency etc. Of course that leaves no room for history or emotion.
 
Wizaard said:
When I was a kid, I had the choice of the Derby, Cocker St, Lido and South Shore open air swimming baths.

All gone. Considering it's a seaside town, the lack of decent swimming facilities is criminal.
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You could also argue having no Lido or open air baths might be a reason for the high level of accidental drowning. Safe bathing and a massive tidal range with currents do not mix
 
Since1967 said:
I have some sympathy with this, but who pays for the upkeep of failing old buildings?
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If old buildings are failing i have no issue with significantly changing them or even knocking them down, but when they get replaced with such crap, which often will not last more than a couple of decades before they in turn need to be pulled down, firstly creates an environment which is awful to be in and is no different to any other place, and secondly is an ecological issue. Then the planners have rules that vary widely from one year to the next, one day significant historical valuable buildings are demolished and replaced at a whim, and the next year every thing down to a twenty year old Barrat house and out of town retail sheds are being listed and protected.

the photo that i made the comment on, the new building has no architectural merit at all. its just a box which the planning authorities insist on some twee arches and other "traditional features" so that it fits to the area (which it doesn't). To some extent its the typical Oyston philosophy. Build something the doesnt quite meet the need it has been built for because that way profits are higher (but long term they are not).

there should be some pride in the built environment, and some identity.
 
tangysider said:
You could also argue having no Lido or open air baths might be a reason for the high level of accidental drowning. Safe bathing and a massive tidal range with currents do not mix
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Completely agree. Holidaymakers aren't going to go for a swim at Moor Park.
 
TTractor said:
I remember reading somewhere that the average modern building is designed to last 30 to 50 years. Anything older than that is really not fit for purpose without spending significant sums to bring it up to modern standards, and even then much would be a compromise in terms of layout, functionality, efficiency etc. Of course that leaves no room for history or emotion.
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the average modern building has a projected life span of around 30 years. if you are talking about domestic buildings most will require significant work after ten years.
 
Wilburrabbit said:
Always suspicious of the ‘accidental’ fire which took out the Fun House in the Pleasure Beach. Listed building but it’s destruction made way conveniently for what is now Valhalla. Planners must have been insane to allow some of those old buildings to be replaced by concrete eye sores.
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Lots of fond memories in the Fun House but when you think back, how dangerous was it?
Saw many a person covered in blood after colliding with someone else but no such thing in those days as “where there’s blame, there’s a claim” culture
 
Eternaloptimist said:
Lots of fond memories in the Fun House but when you think back, how dangerous was it?
Saw many a person covered in blood after colliding with someone else but no such thing in those days as “where there’s blame, there’s a claim” culture
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Got a burn on my arm from the record player. Loved that place but my god it wouldn't last 5 minutes in this day and age
 
JJpool said:
blackpool.hippodrome.theatre.c.1904.jpg


After getting rid of this then there was the brilliant...

8251121963_88386c59c4_b.jpg


Never forgave the council for getting rid of this for a carpark 😡

Not sure who was making decisions about the older historic building preservation in Blackpool way back when, but what were they thinking.

291b2216dd02bb4755932e627a4c7fa2.jpg


yKF141nSTfe8G0mrtOjoCBo9Dd2arJFStCWu-qDkQGODqm28lo57AXuAUbzicCr_xBAJCSgzZK_XmoAfCmOXolR-NjF3_96KByyPLe60J3IebuYL3BdP-VcT



ce97b358828fb918835197b0dd8d9fd7.jpg


I bet there's more they could have kept.
Click to expand...
Getting rid of Syndicate! Not moaning about the ballroom that was there first? Or was that ok to get rid of.
 
Josuah98 said:
Getting rid of Syndicate! Not moaning about the ballroom that was there first? Or was that ok to get rid of.
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They shouldn't have got rid of the original.

Things like the syndicate, which was much more relevant to my youth, could have gone anywhere.

However once they built the syndicate, to tear that down for a carpark.....

Crazy. Just an example to me of a bad call.
 
I assume during the 60s-80s the true value of these buildings wasn't appreciated and people had a post-war, build anew kind of mentality. Shame though.

I went to the funhouse very close to when it burnt down in the early 90s. Was a hell of a place, you definitely came out of there with a lot of bruises and vinyl burns. A more intense version of "Tarzans" in Hambleton.
 
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