Proud to be sandgrown

Tangojoe

Well-known member
I'm well aware that Blackpool and the golden coast represent the best and the worst of everything. A truly unique place. But the crown has to be the tower and the jewel in the crown is the ballroom. There's not a city or town in the world that wouldn't want to possess this architectural masterpiece. As is becoming of this treasure, a major refurbishment is underway at the moment and the Gazette has published a pictorial progress report which I'm delighted to share, especially for the sandgrown diaspora.


 
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With the work at the Winter gardens with new conference centre,5 star hotel,museum,Holiday Inn with famous chef Marco Pierre White restaurant,multimax cinema,Old yates building ready to open,facelift on the old Clifton hotel,Abingdon st market done up and other projects in the pipeline Blackpool is on the up and with Simon Sadler on board he's one part on the jigsaw which will make this a brilliant place to live.
 
With the work at the Winter gardens with new conference centre,5 star hotel,museum,Holiday Inn with famous chef Marco Pierre White restaurant,multimax cinema,Old yates building ready to open,facelift on the old Clifton hotel,Abingdon st market done up and other projects in the pipeline Blackpool is on the up and with Simon Sadler on board he's one part on the jigsaw which will make this a brilliant place to live.
It does indeed. I’m still a little bit perplexed at Marco Pierre White coming here. But it’s fantastic news for the town.
 
It does indeed. I’m still a little bit perplexed at Marco Pierre White coming here. But it’s fantastic news for the town.
Why his restaurant will do a bomb in the area it comes with the package of 5 star hotel, conference centre etc.
I've eaten at his place in Birmingham brilliant exactly what we need not ping pubs everywhere (microwave food).😁
 
Good to read this. When I was walking to the ground a few years ago, a tripper or away fan in front of me was slagging the town off. It was all I could do not to turn round and say “where do you effing well live, is it Las Vegas? Casvegas or Chezvegas more like“
 
I've eaten at his place in Birmingham brilliant exactly what we need not ping pubs everywhere (microwave food).😁
It will definitely do a bomb for sure, it’s just a different standard of place than we are used to but certainly what we need 👍
 
With the work at the Winter gardens with new conference centre,5 star hotel,museum,Holiday Inn with famous chef Marco Pierre White restaurant,multimax cinema,Old yates building ready to open,facelift on the old Clifton hotel,Abingdon st market done up and other projects in the pipeline Blackpool is on the up and with Simon Sadler on board he's one part on the jigsaw which will make this a brilliant place to live.
We just need to upgrade some of the more difficult residents.
 
It does indeed. I’m still a little bit perplexed at Marco Pierre White coming here. But it’s fantastic news for the town.
Big plans afoot for sunny Blackpool some of the ‘names’ are getting in early
 
Maybe a few trees and some green spaces would be a welcome addition, particularly in the town centre and Bond street areas.
Bond Street earmarked for China Town, a park is part of the 300 mill police station site
 
Bond Street earmarked for China Town, a park is part of the 300 mill police station site
Well no offence to anyone around that area but it felt like driving through the Bronx at night when in and around Bond Street recently, in terms of feeling safe.
Had a cafe job there as a teenager mid 80’s and it was thriving back then, so would be nice to see a return to that.
 
Well no offence to anyone around that area but it felt like driving through the Bronx at night when in and around Bond Street recently, in terms of feeling safe.
Had a cafe job there as a teenager mid 80’s and it was thriving back then, so would be nice to see a return to that.
Which Cafe Lala? I grew up that area
 
A lot of high end investment going into the town and these investors surely must know what they’re doing, but will will high end visitors actually come.
 
I'm well aware that Blackpool and the golden coast represent the best and the worst of everything. A truly unique place. But the crown has to be the tower and the jewel in the crown is the ballroom. There's not a city or town in the world that wouldn't want to possess this architectural masterpiece. As is becoming of this treasure, a major refurbishment is underway at the moment and the Gazette has published a pictorial progress report which I'm delighted to share, especially for the sandgrown diaspora.


I got this sent this morning from the Tower reunion group I’m part of. You can imagine my astonishment when I saw my initials in chalk from 1980 on picture No. 18. I remember writing them in the South ballroom ceiling just before I left. 😄B78D5125-F83A-4D10-A77B-BCC5D7A2D305.jpeg
 
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A lot of high end investment going into the town and these investors surely must know what they’re doing, but will will high end visitors actually come.
They will when conference centre and 5 star hotel is finished.
Easy to get too good train links and a variety of hotels from expensive to cheap.

We want all to feel welcome from families, festival goers, events to corporate provide for them and they will come.

Would also like a neutrals area(no colours etc) at BR so someone on holiday can rock up and get a match in.
 
They will when conference centre and 5 star hotel is finished.
Easy to get too good train links and a variety of hotels from expensive to cheap.

We want all to feel welcome from families, festival goers, events to corporate provide for them and they will come.

Would also like a neutrals area(no colours etc) at BR so someone on holiday can rock up and get a match in.
There won’t be room, we’ll be full to bursting.
 
They will when conference centre and 5 star hotel is finished.
Easy to get too good train links and a variety of hotels from expensive to cheap.

We want all to feel welcome from families, festival goers, events to corporate provide for them and they will come.

Would also like a neutrals area(no colours etc) at BR so someone on holiday can rock up and get a match in.
I'd sooner it sold out every week with home fans.
 
Think the new hotel where the palace was is more an eyesore than a new modern hotel. More trees and green space on hotel side of prom and keep SPGC as it is but increase fees,similar to other courses in the area. Only trouble with some of these new investors they demolish something and turn it into a temp car park.
 
It was his mum Pam and she was married to John Sayer I think it was, and her other son Paul worked there.
He was always at Q’s snooker hall on his time off 👍
It was an absolute goldmine of a business at the time. Saturdays shift was 10 am till about 2am Sunday morning 🥴
They owned the holiday flats above too.
Mark had already passed away by then. Pam always just looked so sad. I was only 15 at the time but you could feel her sadness just by looking at her.
 
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As someone who has fought to preserve much of this towns history I do get it, but in this instance I welcome the 45 mill investment.

Then you still don't get it.

You are the first person I've actually heard welcoming "cash" over heritage (other than councillors rubbing their greasy hands together). And as history shows the £45 million will 99.9% be royally spunked on the next white elephant tourist folly rather than anything meaningful or lasting for residents of the town.
 
Saw the Tower the other night from the top of Red Bank Rd and with it being lit up in bright red,it looked awesome.
 
I'm well aware that Blackpool and the golden coast represent the best and the worst of everything. A truly unique place. But the crown has to be the tower and the jewel in the crown is the ballroom. There's not a city or town in the world that wouldn't want to possess this architectural masterpiece. As is becoming of this treasure, a major refurbishment is underway at the moment and the Gazette has published a pictorial progress report which I'm delighted to share, especially for the sandgrown diaspora.


Well done Tangojoe. Politically we are far apart but as far as Blackpool goes, we are well on the same page.
 
Because it's all a bit Fulham and a bit shit?
I think Fulham represents everything thats bad about London and that ground sums it up; complete sh ite hole but everyone has to pay silly money even to buy a bag of groceries.

I bet some of you still havent recovered from the walk up from Parsons Green station,which was rather erroneously given as the stop off of choice on here at the time?
 
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Whatever else can be said about Blackpool, one things for sure.
The tower ballroom is an absolute masterpiece.
I’d arranged for a relation from Australia to play the Wurlitzer, as a birthday surprise.
It got canned, because of covid!☹️
 
Whatever else can be said about Blackpool, one things for sure.
The tower ballroom is an absolute masterpiece.
I’d arranged for a relation from Australia to play the Wurlitzer, as a birthday surprise.
It got canned, because of covid!☹️
And the Winter Gardens /Grand theatre. 👍
 
One of my favourite memories in teaching is taking our juniors for a trip to the tower, and going into the ballroom where there were old people dancing. The next thing, they were pairing up and dancing with our children, all enjoying, brilliant to watch from the side as the Wurlitzer played.
We go regularly to the tower Christmas pantomime, still love seeing the kids’ faces when it fills with water, amazed as I was when I went with my grandma many years ago.
We also go to the Grand too, everytime we go on a visit to Blackpool I’m proud and nostalgic. Lucky to have some real gems.
 
Whatever else can be said about Blackpool, one things for sure.
The tower ballroom is an absolute masterpiece.
I’d arranged for a relation from Australia to play the Wurlitzer, as a birthday surprise.
It got canned, because of covid!☹️
I worked 4 seasons plus at the Tower when I was a - very - mature student - I did one complete season as a Tower Ballroom Bar Supervisor (50p extra an hour) - once Uni finished I was doing 50/60 hour weeks at the height of summer and into the illuminations.

The atmosphere even in a fairly empty ballroom was great but when full and with the organists or Andy Pryor’s Big Band playing it was absolutely electric, hard work but a fantastic amount of fun and I can still remember the feeling it gave you.

Though inside I always said the view from the bar into the ballroom was one of the most beautiful in the World. People obviously agreed as some visitors came back a number of times in the summer just to dance or to watch the dancing.

The strange footsteps, scraping of chairs and tables and doors closing when the Tower was shut and empty and I was opening up early obviously attracted visitors from other parts of the “World” too!

But the atmosphere was always one of enjoyment and has bled into the walls, ceiling and of course the dance floor and seeps out and affects your mood. If you have never been in I strongly suggest you make the effort one day, even if its just to sit and stare at its beauty, but I bet you can’t help smiling as those good vibes soak into you.
 
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