Blackpool's North Pier Shines Forth
Peter Sedgewick and his family - Owners of Blackpool's three, yes three, iconic seaside piers have outdone themselves in their revamp of the North Pier in 2018. A massive investment in refurbishing the pier to highlight its historic features and entertainment role over many decades was put on show on Saturday May 9th with a special family Open Day inviting visitors and residents to enjoy this iconic part of Blackpool's seaside attraction. Below : last minute cleanups as the crowds arrive on Saturday morning with the new miniature train ready for its first rides in a very hot sun. The flags are a very nice touch - not an EU star in sight..
Above where once a long jetty continued out into the sea - now only a view.
Tastefully repainted with special tributes to patrons and entertainers over past years and seasons - North Pier has become an important new addition to the must visit heritage of the resort. Blessed with fantastic sunshine and crowds of visitors, the Pier thronged with strolling families and all ages seeking to enjoy a renewed leisure attraction on the seafront. The former fishing jetty with its steamer traffic and dedicated anglers has long gone with only a vista of tides and waves looking out on to the Irish Sea. But the entertainment pavilion, theatre and various side attractions made the historic pier well worth a visit on Saturday (and into the future). A new tourist train has replaced the earlier Pier tramway whose rails have been discretely covered over with wooden panelling. The author and his wife availed themselves of the train ride which was a far cry from the former tramway ride but added to the flavour of the pier's attractiveness to today's visitors.
Below : well designed story boards and images provide the historical backdrop to this very first Victorian seaside 'treat' on Blackpool's seafront.
The Sedgewick family are to be congratulated on the investment and effort made in returning North Pier to a semblance of its former attractiveness, and the tasteful signage and displays which recall the glory days of previous decades. Below : Equally tasteful was the traditional icecream cone enjoyed by the Author posed with one (or is it two> of the performance artistes) adorning the pier during the special open day.
