Blackpool

Yesterday it was time for the final fling. The Watt kids were going back to school today and we leave to go back to Qatar Very Early Friday morning 7th. We decided that Blackpool was just the place to go with the bonus of a train trip there and back.

Blackpool is a seedy old seaside town. It was full of hard looking northerners and pensioners who apparently take advantage of midweek specials to have a break in Blackpool, playing bingo and going tea dancing. There a lots of cheap hotels, souvenir shops and arcades along the seafront. They are redeveloping the esplanade and have big plans, dependent on government grants to redevelop the area into a "people's park" that also showcases the town history. We walked along the seafront to Pleasure Beach, the themepark we were visiting.






We spent all day frightening ourselves on the rides and eating junk food. We bought stuffed toys and photos of ourselves on the rides.










Here's a little video of Leo and Robbie on the cheesiest ride we found.


We bought Pleasure Beach rock. When I bought some I Love You lollies to take back to Ian, Leo told me to get a room.

We caught the 5.38 back to Manchester. We sat next to a milktruck driver and his can of Carling Black Label on the train trip. He had started work at three in the morning, delivering to Tescos but had broken down in Blackpool. He had been drinking for six hours and had decided to catch the train back. He was 41 but looked ten years older, teeth missing and weathered drinker's face. Decent man, loved his family. Too frightened to win the lottery in case he drank it all away but had bought the same numbers for the last 20 years. Interesting lesson for Leo and Robbie in the class divides in England as he talked with Clare's and our kids, each finding out about hopes in life, what was important, where each person was categorised.