Lighting Up Blackpool

I've reached the last quarter of 1983 in my scanning now. The famous Illuminations start every year on the Friday following August Bank Holiday Monday and end on the first Sunday in November.

One September night saw me down on the Promenade by the Pleasure Beach. A highlight of the Illuminations was always seeing illuminated trams going up and down the Promenade. There were more of them on the tracks in those days than there are now.

The Hovertram in 1983 carried advertisements for Oystons Estate Agents, but was far better known for its previous sponsor and still referred to as the "Shell" hovertram. It is seen here passing the amusements arcade by the northern entrance to the Pleasure Beach.

For several years during the 1980s lasers were used to create startling rods of light that swung across the sky from the piers and the Tower top. They were green in colour and could be seen quite spectacularly from the approach to Blackpool along the M55 motorway if you were driving in at night.

The Pleasure Beach Casino building has never been a casino. It was a name carried over from the building's predecessor, which likewise was more about restaurants and bars than gambling. The art deco circular building housed the White Tower Restaurant and for a while a grotto-style ride through which you travelled in a large suspended seat.

Balloon tram 708 stops to let passengers disembark. From the background you could be forgiven for thinking that this was taken along the Bispham cliffs, but at this time there were still a limited number of large tableaux on the Promenade south of the Pleasure Beach.

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Ocean Village Two Decktop Show

Tuesday, 5 May 2009. We were back onboard Ocean Village Two as she made her way down the Adriatic from Croatia towards Greece. Zakinthos is our port for tomorrow.

That night there was a show on the main pool deck with the acrobats and show team. The show opened with singer/guitarist Chris O'Leary - a lad after my own heart!

We were up there early to get a good spot against the rail on the top deck and there was a stiff breeze blowing which soon chilled us right down. "Don't worry, the captain will steer the ship round for the show so the wind won't be felt." He must have forgotten...

Laser beams were shooting out, writing "PLANET" - the name of the show - against the chimney stack of the ship. I always think lasers are more spectacular if you ignore what they are writing or drawing. It's the beam itself that's more spectacular. Then whilst the showteam sang their hearts out and danced about in futuristic costumes, the acrobats gave their performances on trapeze, cloth, swinging hoops and other apparatus way up there in the night sky on the 40 foot framework on top of the deck.

One wrong move and splash!... It was very spectacular - the acrobats were mainly from Colombia and they definitely have more nerve than I do!

By the end of the show my teeth were in danger of chattering and I had to wonder how the acrobats had managed in skimpy costumes and trying desperately to hang onto each other whilst dangling from a trapeze by their feet. "Sorry, love, I was cold..." wouldn't quite have cut it had one of them been catapulted over the side in the dark...

The acrobats deserved every bit of applause they got. I'd have been down from that iron framework like a shot, looking for a woolly jumper and a mug of mulled wine or something...

After the show there was an opportunity to have your photo taken with the cast. Ever the cheapskate, I took my own. I've no idea who the people in the middle are, but they looked to be enjoying themselves anyway!

We went down below and ended up in the casino. Fran loves playing the slot machines. It doesn't do a lot for me so I usually just sit and watch our money disappear! Anyway she was down to her last 10 tokens and the woman from the next machine moved. Fran gave me half the coins and I promptly won 72 pounds much to the disgust of the woman who had simply moved behind us... Sorry, dear, if you snooze, you lose...

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