THE nights are drawing in which will make it brighter than ever along the Fylde Coast of West Lancashire. Blackpool Illuminations will be glowing every night until November 4.
This is actually the centenary year of the first public display of light at Blackpool, where they have used what they called “electric sunshine”, to brighten up the winter months since 1879. That was when they first put up eight arc lights on the promenade, becoming the first town in the world to have electric street lighting.
The illuminations really started in 1912 when Princess Louise, one of Queen Victoria’s daughters, opened a new section of promenade along which were artistically draped 10,000 lights. Today’s Illuminations stretch for 10 kilometres and feature more than a million bulbs.
Over the decades, the lights have attracted generations to Blackpool at a time when other seaside towns have been closed for the winter. It has been a traditional family day trip or weekend away. These days, it is just as likely to attract stag or hen parties, or simply pub and club trips, making merry, despite the bad weather, beneath the electric sunshine.
It is billed as the Greatest Free Show On Earth and can be for families who drive along the Promenade and take their own sandwiches and flask of tea.
But a trip to the Lights is not the same unless you get out of the car and smell the sea, get buffeted by the wind and have fish and chips in your hand.
Ah, yes. I remember it well.
How about you?
