Author: Ed

From Left to Rights: LeftCoast Reimagining Blackpool Through Creative Rights

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At LeftCoast, the question is simple but powerful: what would change if art became foundational to how people live in and shape their town? Since 2013, the Blackpool-based arts organisation has worked alongside residents to challenge assumptions about what people “from a town like Blackpool” should expect or deserve. Through co-creation and long-term collaboration, LeftCoast uses creativity to celebrate local knowledge, amplify lived experience and reframe how communities see themselves and their surroundings. Led by Artistic Director Laura Jamieson, LeftCoast’s work is rooted in a belief that art can influence not only culture, but wellbeing, confidence and civic identity. Its…

Blackpool Councillor Gerard Walsh Shifts to Reform

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Gerard Walsh has become a prominent figure in Blackpool local politics over the past decade, known both for his long service as a councillor and for a high-profile change in party allegiance that has attracted attention locally. Walsh first entered local government as a Conservative councillor, representing the Squires Gate ward on Blackpool Council. He was elected to the council in 2019, winning support from local voters in a contest that emphasised community issues such as housing standards, street safety and investment in neighbourhood services. As a Conservative councillor, Walsh served on a number of council committees and was known…

Ted Lightbown: Blackpool’s Chronicler of Change and Heritage

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Ted Lightbown is a respected Blackpool-born author and local historian whose work has played a key role in documenting and preserving the social, architectural and cultural history of Blackpool and the wider Fylde Coast. His publications draw on local archives, personal recollections, postcard collections and historic photographs, offering detailed insight into how the town evolved from a modest coastal settlement into one of Britain’s most recognisable seaside resorts. Lightbown’s interest in local history developed through a lifelong fascination with Blackpool’s streets, buildings and maritime traditions. He built his reputation through careful research and a talent for placing historic imagery into…

The Blackpool Brick Festival

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The Blackpool Brick Festival is an annual celebration of creativity and imagination centred around LEGO®-style building bricks, attracting enthusiasts, families and builders of all ages to the Fylde Coast. The festival first began in 2018, inspired by global brick convention traditions and driven by the passion of the UK and international LEGO® fan community. Since its inception, it has grown into one of Blackpool’s most anticipated family events, combining artistry, play and community engagement. The festival brings together amateur and professional builders, collectors and exhibitors to showcase astonishing models, themed displays and interactive builds. Visitors can expect to see everything…

Upside Down House Opens on Blackpool Prom

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The biggest Upside Down House has arrived on Blackpool’s iconic Promenade! Designed for visitors of all ages, this interactive photo experience invites guests to step into a world where nothing is quite as it seems – perfect for capturing mind-bending photos and unforgettable memories. With its striking sky-blue exterior inspired by its seaside surroundings near South Pier, this is one attraction you won’t be able to miss. But the real magic begins inside, where gravity is flipped on its head and every room offers a surreal twist on reality. From floors becoming ceilings to furniture defying expectations, prepare to see…

The Lyndene Hotel becomes Le Ponderosa in Peter Key’s Phoenix Nights

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The Lyndene Hotel on Blackpool’s Promenade — once a familiar stop for holidaymakers along the Golden Mile — gained a unique place in British television history through its association with the hit comedy series Phoenix Nights. Created and co-written by Peter Kay, Phoenix Nights became one of the most celebrated British sitcoms of the early 2000s, renowned for its affectionate and chaotic portrayal of working-men’s club culture. In the series, Le Ponderosa is the fictional working-men’s club owned by the ambitious yet beleaguered Brian Potter, played by Peter Kay. Although the show was set in a fictional Manchester clubland, the…

Boarding House Becomes The Lyndene Hotel

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The Lyndene Hotel on Blackpool’s Promenade has stood as part of the town’s seafront hospitality landscape for well over a century, its history reflecting the broader story of Blackpool’s rise as Britain’s most famous seaside resort. Situated at 303–315 Promenade along the Golden Mile, the hotel occupies a prime sea-facing position within easy walking distance of the Blackpool Tower, Central Pier, the Winter Gardens and the resort’s main shopping and entertainment district. This central location has long made it attractive to visitors wanting both convenience and coastal views. While the precise date the building first opened as a named hotel…

Snooker Shoot Out: Blackpool’s Fast-Paced Snooker Spectacle

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The Snooker Shoot Out has firmly established itself as one of the most distinctive and entertaining tournaments on the professional snooker calendar, and it will return to Blackpool from 9 to 12 December 2026 at the Tower Circus inside The Blackpool Tower. Unlike traditional ranking events, which are played over multiple frames and extended sessions, the Shoot Out uses a single-frame format with a strict 10-minute time limit per match. A shot clock operates throughout, typically allowing 15 seconds per shot during the first half of the frame and reducing to 10 seconds during the closing stages. The compressed format…

Andrew Finlayson: Championing Social Mobility from Blackpool

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Andrew “Finny” Finlayson is a senior business leader based on the Fylde Coast who has combined corporate leadership with a strong public commitment to social mobility and inclusive growth. He serves as Managing Director at Accenture UK & Ireland and is the firm’s North West Regional Lead. In this role, he oversees regional operations and helps shape digital innovation strategies across the North West. His work spans both private and public sector transformation, with particular involvement in health and public services programmes that focus on modernising systems while keeping people at the centre of change. In late 2025, Finlayson was…

Blackpool Central Railway Station: The Lost Gateway to the Seaside Resort

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Blackpool Central railway station was once the principal railway gateway to Britain’s most famous seaside resort. Opened in 1863 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, it was constructed to serve the explosive growth of Blackpool’s Victorian tourism industry, bringing thousands of visitors from industrial towns and cities across the North of England. Located just a short walk from the Promenade, the Tower and the town centre, Blackpool Central quickly became one of the busiest holiday stations in the country. At its height in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it expanded to 14 platforms beneath an impressive overall roof….