Sights, sounds and smells of Blackpool

O

Ollygon

Well-known member
I was driving down the Prom this morning near Central Pier, and the landau in front of me pulled into the layby outside Tussauds for his horse to have a drink out of the stone trough.

There was a lovely smell of fried onions wafting through the window, and then a tram went past me and clanged its bell.

All evocative experiences.

There are so many in and around Blackpool. Despite the ignorant knockers it's a great place to live.

What can other posters add to the list?
 
Ollygon said:
I was driving down the Prom this morning near Central Pier, and the landau in front of me pulled into the layby outside Tussauds for his horse to have a drink out of the stone trough.

There was a lovely smell of fried onions wafting through the window, and then a tram went past me and clanged its bell.

All evocative experiences.

There are so many in and around Blackpool. Despite the ignorant knockers it's a great place to live.

What can other posters add to the list?
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I love walking into B/R, smelling cigarette smoke, beer and aftershave, and hearing our accent. It just feels like I've come home (having not lived on the GC for 46 years).

Similarly, had to get a train out of Inverness this morning, why do stations all smell the same as well?
 
I worked for some years in a rock factory. Lots of smells but the fruit cocktail and the peppermint are the most evocative.
 
when cycling on the prom(not in lycra)the smell of weed is horrendous, used to be just central from central pier but now its all over, opp. Anchorsholme park smoking in the cars. Cant describe the smell from the sea, salty, seeweedy but its a fresh nice smell. mmm burtons biscuits.
 
cside said:
Coronation.
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I did one season in their Bank Hey Street shop - shit wage but I was only 15. The following year I started the summer in their factory (1976) and was being paid £14 a week, despite working over my hours. My mum - who'd worked for lots of the Blackpool rock and confectionary companies - pulled me out after two weeks and I went to work for her lot - better hours and £20 a week.
 
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1966_and_all_that said:
I did one season in their Bank Hey Street shop - shit wage but I was only 15. The following year I started the summer in their factory (1976) and was being paid £14 a week, despite working over my hours. My mum - who'd worked for lots of the Blackpool rock and confectionary companies - pulled me out after two weeks and I went to work for he lot - better hours and £20 a week.
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That was a long time before my time there. But I did deliver quite a few times into town and to Bank Hey St.

This was in the late 90s. The owner at the time, Ian, was a good man and he always looked after us. I think the factory had some hard times but everyone always got paid and there wasn’t any funny business. He retired a few years back and I think the business was sold.
 
Growing up on Waterloo Rd in the 70s, once a year the noise of the taxis from Manchester helping children’s charities have a day out in Blackpool and on the Pleasure Beach, used to get me running out excitedly onto the pavement. The sound of the taxi horns, cabs all decorated and colourful, along with the children all waving and squirting water pistols etc was truly a joy.
 
The thunderous rattle of the Grand National, Big Dipper & Roller Coaster as they speed through the dips.
 
All the above and candyfloss. Plus the 10p my dad would give us for the first spotting the windmill or the tower. I absolutely love the place hence I come over at every opportunity. If you have things on your mind nothing better than sat down North Shore alone near the sea and reflecting. Looking over to where uncle Tom's cabin used to be and catching crabs. The fish ones. Lol.. But that sea air beats any pain killer or anti depressant. You who live in the fy postcode for many years are very lucky hence the reason I will be soon. Manchester has become a dump and an expensive dump at that.
 
The Pleasure Beach owned all the sights, smells, and sounds in one place when we spent the school holidays there in the 60’s. The sounds of happy screaming as the Big Dipper and the Grand National hurtled downwards, the sweet smell of Candy Floss, Waffles, and Toffee Apples. Savoury wafts of Fish & Chips, Hotdogs & Onions, Burgers & Fried Onions. The smell of beer breath, farts, fags and sweat of ageing Teds and greasers from inland towns, tumbling round in The Barrel in the Fun House, the rather scary menacing Laughing Clown on his rotating throne.
The clippity clop of landaus on the prom, trundling trams clattering along the tracks, crashing waves battering the sea walls along with brightly lit illuminations swaying crazily on a stormy night reflected in puddles.
A Blackpool FC Manager being interviewed on radio in a post match empty Bloomfield Road with only the echoing sound of seagulls circling in the background.
 
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If going somewhere early getting a lift or cycling you'd get to see the circus elephants getting walked across the road to go on the beach. Oh and the gigantic dungs they left on the prom road (when it was 2 lanes each way and actually worked as a road and not somewhere you avoid at all costs).
 
Levi501 said:
The Pleasure Beach owned all the sights, smells, and sounds in one place when we spent the school holidays there in the 60’s. The sounds of happy screaming as the Big Dipper and the Grand National hurtled downwards, the sweet smell of Candy Floss, Waffles, and Toffee Apples. Savoury wafts of Fish & Chips, Hotdogs & Onions, Burgers & Fried Onions. The smell of beer breath, farts, fags and sweat of ageing Teds and greasers from inland towns, tumbling round in The Barrel in the Fun House, the rather scary menacing Laughing Clown on his rotating throne.
The clippity clop of landaus on the prom, trundling trams clattering along the tracks, crashing waves battering the sea walls along with brightly lit illuminations swaying crazily on a stormy night reflected in puddles.
A Blackpool FC Manager being interviewed on radio in a post match empty Bloomfield Road with only the echoing sound of seagulls circling in the background.
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Thought the overly bossy dwarfs who commanded the fun house in the 70's were more menacing than the demented clown.
 
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