British Seaside - 1978 | The Archivist Presents | #160

Ah, the Great British Seaside! Blackpool in the 1970s, classic!

Since the late 19th Century, Blackpool has been a major holiday centre on the England's North-West coast. In good weather or bad there are many amusements to keep the visitors occupied, including those of the famous Blackpool Pleasure Beach. ® Each September people flock to the town to see the 'Illuminations' which are strung along the 'Golden Mile'. The special feature of this year's Lights are the television 'Muppets'.

GV sea breaking on shore. MS 2 women sitting in deck-chairs. LS beach and Blackpool Tower. LS aerial view of beach. Ditto. GV people on beach. MS people putting up deck-chairs on beach. MS 2 children paddling in sea. MS naked child walking along beach. LS aerial of beach. Aerial of Blackpool town. LS ditto. GV houses. MS hotels (Sunset Strip). GV rows of hotels. MS hotel window with signs. MS hotel window with 'No Vacancies' sign. MS ditto. LS aerial beach and town. LS Blackpool Tower. MS children playing on beach. CS child digging in sand. MS woman putting up a deck-chair. MS child put up onto a donkey. MS child riding pony. MS woman taking child for paddle. LS Blackpool Tower. GV tram moving along road. LS ditto. GV cars down street. GV crowds walking along. GV cars along street. CU sign 'The Good Old Days'. GV crowds along street. GV ditto. MS sign 'Winter Gardens'. MS signs 'Tom O'Connor' and 'Tony Selby'. MS sign 'Tommy Steele Stage Spectacular'. MS crowds along street. MS ditto. CU candy floss being made. MS candy floss bought and handed to child. BCU child eating candy floss. MS 6 people eating candy floss. BCU ice cream machine and cornet. CU machine turned off. MCU girl's face as she eats ice cream. MCU ditto (another girl). GV street. CU sign 'Bingo'. Various of Bingo session. Various of people with other amusements, including table games, one-armed bandits, fruit machines. Elevated view fairground. MS people boarding fairground scenic railway. GV train moving . LS small boats in water. Various shots people in boats and also from boats. CU view from scenic railway. Train hits water splash. Various ditto. GV elevated mini go-karts. GV elevated view of cottage. GV view from train. MS boy on mechanical horse. MS ditto. MS people on merry-go-round. MS ditto. MS chair lift. LS elevated view from chair lift. LS elevated view of fairground. MS girl on trampoline. MS ditto. MS rockets merry-go-round. MS people in rockets. MS scenic railway. MS ditto. Various ditto. CU people on a 'witch's hat'. MS ditto. GV fairground amusement. CU girl with arm round statue. GV Blackpool beach at dusk. GV Tower at dusk. GV street scene at night. Many various shots of illuminations and street scenes with Muppets as this year's theme. NB aerial shots are really elevated shots from Blackpool Tower.

You can license this story for commercial use through AP Archive - story number is: BM78-151

[axoscurry.]

i was ten in 1978.... this has took me back.... its not the same country it has changed beyond recognition.☹☹☹☹

[englishincontext]

I was born in the north-east and as a child used to go on holiday to Whitby and Scarborough. I'm now 69 and am just beginning to get the warmth back into my skin.

[robertwilliams]

Blackpool will never be the same again

[neilmalloy]

Good Times, went to Blackpool on day trips with working men's club, loved it 😊

[Jkk]

Happy days back then wish I could turn back the clock!

[fatbelly]

Notice how the kids are all slim. Yes they would eat ice cream and candy floss on holiday but that was probably a once a year thing. They also walked and played games outdoors.

[jantune]

I wish we could go back to those days. Simple, safe, fun. 😢😢😢 Look at the mess we’re in now.

[beedee]

"frequently vulgar" hahahahaha! This was basically my childhood. I'm from Yorkshire so my "seaside" was at the other side of the "North". This is EXACTLY how I remember it, even the clothes (although Bridlington didn't have all the lights and rides as Blackpool did). Sitting on a gloomy, windswept beach eating candy floss and paddling in the chocolate coloured North Sea in your undies is exactly what it was all about. Then after a packed lunch of sandwiches and crisps we'd head for the arcades, play "smash and grab" and "shove the penny" before buying a stick of rock and eating a waffle with fresh cream on your way back to the car. I now live by the sea in Australia and my experience with the "seaside" is something quite different to my childhood memories. Thanks for posting!

[neiledwards]

And not a mobile phone in sight wonderful

[V.]

For almost a century Britain's have frozen happily on it's sands. 😊

[annwornell]

OMG what happened. I was born in 1942 and never expected to see our Country in this state!

[sparerib]

This brought back some memories, bloody freezing sea, cold chips and flasks of coffee to combat the bone chilling wind. Them were't days. 😂

[ianglover]

I have a Photograph of a little Girl of 18 Months old, on my dressing table! It was taken in Blackpool in 1927! The Little Girl grew to be a very Beautiful Lady, my Beloved Mother! The opening scene depicted an Elderly Lady, who resembled my Mother, in her later years! I am now reflecting with a tear of all the Happiness I shared with Her and my Father! Thank you so much for posting 💖💖!!

[pamelamckenzie]

Those times was fun times and simple I love it.

[peterlawson]

That was my England; the country has changed beyond recognition since then and not for the better.

[johnferrari]

We remember had bloody good it was back then and not just Blackpool.
Now we see it and long for the old times, can you imagine how bad it’s going to be in similar years to come.
How bloody sad.

[AGC]

I miss those times, who’d have thought this country would end up like this 😢

[phrayzar]

My old dad always used to say "turn off those lights, it's like Blackpool illuminations in ere". When we went to Blackpool we were walking along the prom and he said those immortal words "It's like Blackpool illuminations out here" the whole family was rolling around. Bloody great memories.

[BB-wcjx]

Wonderful happy and safe times, sadly not now....😔

[wbrax]

The Brits saved their hard earned pennies all year toiling in factories/pits/everything else just for a week at Blackpool. Money well spent!
I was 14 in 1978, and boy - what I would give to have those glorious times back again.
Thanks for the upload. It took me back to a time when as a kid I didn't appreciate it at the time. I loved it, but didn't appreciate it as much as I would now. As a 60 year old I would appreciate every minute.