Last week, my lovely boyfriend took me away to Blackpool for a midweek break. He’d kept it a secret up until a couple of weeks beforehand (as I no longer have a car so we had to discuss travel issues) and I can’t tell you how happy I was when I found out – I almost cried!
To some, Blackpool might not seem like much, especially compared to weekends away abroad and the like. And even though some parts are said to be tacky/rundown (though I insist its all part of it’s charm!), Blackpool is a place that has always been special to me. Not only is there so much to do there, but I have fond memories of visiting as a child with my family.
I’ve spent a long time waiting and wishing to meet not only a special guy but a guy who actually knows me well enough to take me to such a place, and despite numerous hints to ex boyfriends, it never happened. So of course, I was over the moon to find out that Vincent would be taking me there for two nights/three days (though it worked out more like two-and-a-bit-days – but boy did we pack a lot in during that time!).
Here’s what we got up to.
Due to no longer having a car, we actually took the coach there and back with National Express. I had no issues with this as I used to travel a lot with National Express when I lived up North for uni, so I’ve had plenty of experience of long, long coach trips. As it goes, they’ve actually updated their coaches a bit.
We took an overnight coach on the way there so that we would have a whole day as opposed to half a day upon arrival. This was fine – we did struggle to sleep, but it was worth it for the extra time there. We just had one issue when we had to change coaches and ended up on a super packed coach, meaning we didn’t get a seat at first as some passengers were rude and wouldn’t move their feet. But we got some seats together in the end.
Anyway, eventually we arrived in Blackpool bright and early – to lots of rain. But this didn’t dampen our spirits – after all it’s a well known fact that you don’t go to somewhere like Blackpool to sunbathe! Our first duty was to grab some breakfast and then head to our hotel – The Imperial.
We couldn’t actually check in until 3pm but we were able to leave our luggage with them in a safe location – and they even allowed us into the gym/pool area to use the changing rooms to change and freshen up which was a nice gesture.
BLACKPOOL TOWER
After this, we headed straight to Blackpool Tower. Here, we experienced The Blackpool Tower Dungeon, the Blackpool Tower Circus and the Blackpool Tower Eye (which actually refers to going up the tower). I was really excited to do the dungeons as I hadn’t done them at Blackpool Tower before – I know they had something similar when I was younger, but if I remember rightly it was part of Madame Tussauds when it was still in the tower and was actually just gruesome/horror waxworks. I try and do the dungeons anywhere they have them when I visit a new place.
The dungeons were so much fun and a lot better than I thought they’d be. As I’ve done a few, I didn’t expect it to be much different, although sometimes a couple of the subjects change based on the location’s history. This time, nearly everything was new so I took in lots. The visuals were stunning too and I loved the area all about the Pendle witches, which took place in a fake forest. Very cool.
Next, we popped into my favourite arcade, Coral Island, as we had about an hour to spare before the circus (but not long enough to go up the tower in that time). Then we came back for the circus. Going to the circus when I was younger is one of my favourite memories and I’ve always remembered parts of it. It was super funny and the talent/performances were amazing. Apparently, the clowns Mooky and Mr Boo have been part of the show for 25 years (the actors too), so it was the same people I saw each time when I was young as well. It was really lovely coming back here to watch the circus now that I’m a little older – but it was just as funny and jaw dropping as it’s always been.
We then headed up the tower (after a quick 4D movie) to take in the sights of Blackpool – it was so windy and we were able to see so far. We also braved the glass walk. I’d last done this alone in October, where I’d reminisced about going there with my family and my mum. This time around, I also reminisced, but it was a bit different as I had my boyfriend with me, who I consider to be part of my family now. It was a weird feeling coming back in such different circumstances, but somehow made me feel positive about the future. I also felt that if my mum could have seen me then, she would have been happy to see how happy I was.
TUESDAY NIGHT
After the tower, we headed back to the hotel to check in. Our room was lovely and the hotel itself was gorgeous and classic, but some parts were a little outdated and could do with some upkeep. Still, the boy did good and the room was very plush. We then headed out to dinner at this gorgeous fully vegan restauraunt up by the Pleasure Beach. I have so much to say about this amazing restaurant so I will be writing a separate post on this. After a filling meal, we headed back to the hotel for an early night!
BLACKPOOL PLEASURE BEACH
The following day we headed over to Blackpool Pleasure Beach – a huge waterfront themepark. We really messed up on the weather though as today was a day when it rained nearly the whole day – really we would have been better doing the tower on this day and doing the Pleasure Beach the day we arrived, but nevermind. It’s not like it was cold – only our first stop at the themepark was a ride on Valhalla which is an amazing and visually stunning water ride. Unfortunately this left us drenched for the rest of the day! We did the rounds, riding the biggest and oldest coasters, getting lost in a maze etc and of course going on The Big One, which dominates the whole park. Despite the cold, it was a really fun day and we got to go on everything we wanted to. Also, because the weather was crap, the lines were super short for everything.
WEDNESDAY EVENING
Tired and gripping a Panda teddy won from Donkey Derby, we headed back to the hotel before dinner. Because we were so cold, we took an hour out to go for a swim, jacuzzi and sauna in the hotel’s leisure area which was nice. The jacuzzi was beyond warm and was well deserved after being in the cold all day. Afterwards, we dressed up nice (as today was also technically our four month anniversary!) and headed back to our hidden gem of a vegan restaurant for dinner. We wanted to head into town afterwards but we were just too tired so ended up back at the hotel for a celebratory drink.
THURSDAY MORNING
Our coach was picking us up at 2:50, so after check out, we spent a busy morning doing all the last small things we wanted to do in Blackpool. We popped back into Coral Island to try and win some tickets and go on the mini ride there (yes there’s a ride in the amusement arcade and a ghost train), then ordered some traditional seaside chips. It just had to be done. We also took a walk along the pier and very windy beach, had a game of old school 10p bingo (which was ever so confusing but I won without realizing!) and generally had a mooch around. We had a bit of a rush catching the coach as the tram was real slow (and we lost track of time in Coral Island), and the coach was also late into Manchester so we literally made our second coach with a minute and a half to spare, but eventually we were on our way home.
It was an amazing weekend and one of my favourite breaks/holidays yet. It was so lovely showing my boyfriend around places I used to love as a child and have such great memories of. It was also great doing things as a ‘first’ together, like the dungeons and a kiss at the top of the tower (n’awww). It was great to get away from Luton/Hitchin too and although we packed so much in, it felt like a really relaxed few days away and we’re already planning to go back soon, perhaps for the illuminations.
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