Author Allan Wood Joins Blackpool Council

Allan W. Wood is a Blackpool-born author and local historian whose work has become closely associated with preserving the visual and architectural history of the Fylde Coast. Through books, archive photography and comparative “then and now” studies, he has documented the changing face of Blackpool across the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Raised in the resort, Wood later studied Civil Engineering at Sheffield Polytechnic before returning to Blackpool to work in the Borough Surveyor’s Department at Blackpool Borough Council between 1978 and 1989. His interest in local history reportedly began in the 1970s after discovering historic postcards and photographs at a collectors’ fair in Sheffield. What started as a personal fascination developed into a long-term project to record and interpret the town’s evolving streetscape.

Over the years, Wood has authored and co-authored numerous publications focusing on Blackpool’s heritage. Among his best-known titles are Blackpool Through Time, Blackpool Through Time: A Second Selection, Blackpool History Tour, A–Z of Blackpool and Blackpool in 50 Buildings. Many of these works were produced in collaboration with fellow local historians such as Ted Lightbown and Chris Bottomley. His publications chart Blackpool’s transformation from a modest coastal settlement into one of Britain’s most recognisable seaside resorts. Through carefully selected archive imagery and detailed commentary, Wood has recorded theatres, piers, tramways, hotels, entertainment venues and everyday street scenes — many of which have since been altered, redeveloped or lost entirely.

A defining feature of his work is the use of rare postcard collections and privately held photographs, some appearing in print for the first time. By pairing historic images with contemporary views taken from the same vantage points, Wood has helped readers visualise how dramatically certain streets and landmarks have changed over time. Through decades of research, publication and public engagement, Allan W. Wood has become one of the leading contemporary chroniclers of Blackpool’s built environment, ensuring that the town’s visual heritage remains accessible to residents, historians and future generations.

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