I was watching a YouTube video earlier showing the Blackpool Illuminations back in the early 90s and it made me ponder, why can't the Illuminations be as good as it was back then?
When I was a kid, I remember the Illuminations having so much variety in themes, colours and dazzling lights. Over the past years, they haven't been as good as they used to be as there would be not many themes and the lights would have not many colours and would also be static which is pretty bland and boring. The only things that were still good were the display further up North.
I will admit, they have improved a bit as there was more colours and dazzling lights when I went on the Illuminations tram tour during my holiday last year. What needs to be there now is more themes. They need to get rid of the ones promoting hotels or Beaverbrooks jewellery as they don't feel like a theme to me.
What are your thoughts on the Illuminations? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I guess they're OK if you've never witnessed electricity in action before
(Credit Bill Bryson) "
Fuller extract here...
"It was the illuminations that had brought me there. I had been hearing and reading about them for so long that I was genuinely keen to see them. So, after securing a room in a modest guesthouse on a back street, I hastened to the front in a sense of some expectation. Well, all I can say is that Blackpool's illuminations are nothing if not splendid, and they are not splendid. There is, ofcourse, always a danger of disappointment when you finally encounter something you have wanted to see for a long time, but in terms of letdown it would be hard to exceed Blackpool's light show. I thought there would be lasers sweeping the sky, strobe lights tattooing the clouds and other gasp-making dazzlements. Instead there was just a rumbling procession of old trams decorated as rocket ships or Christmas crackers, and several miles of paltry decorations on lampposts. I suppose if you had never seen electricity in action, it would be pretty breathtaking, but I'm not even sure of that. It all just seemed tacky and inadequate on rather a grand scale, like Blackpool itself." |
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"I guess they're OK if you've never witnessed electricity in action before
(Credit Bill Bryson)
Fuller extract here...
"It was the illuminations that had brought me there. I had been hearing and reading about them for so long that I was genuinely keen to see them. So, after securing a room in a modest guesthouse on a back street, I hastened to the front in a sense of some expectation. Well, all I can say is that Blackpool's illuminations are nothing if not splendid, and they are not splendid. There is, ofcourse, always a danger of disappointment when you finally encounter something you have wanted to see for a long time, but in terms of letdown it would be hard to exceed Blackpool's light show. I thought there would be lasers sweeping the sky, strobe lights tattooing the clouds and other gasp-making dazzlements. Instead there was just a rumbling procession of old trams decorated as rocket ships or Christmas crackers, and several miles of paltry decorations on lampposts. I suppose if you had never seen electricity in action, it would be pretty breathtaking, but I'm not even sure of that. It all just seemed tacky and inadequate on rather a grand scale, like Blackpool itself.""
Did this guy think that it was going to be like Las Vegas or something? |
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I went once to see them, having known about them for most of my life, and was pretty underwhelmed by them if I'm honest
But there again I've always felt like that about Blackpool itself, too. Morecambe is much nicer, and Southport is lovely. In fact, I must get back to Southport some time |
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"Your right southport is lovely  "
I agree. Southport is definitely nice. We've still got a free game when my brother won on mini golf last year. What's cool though is there is no expiration date on the free game ticket so we can come back anytime we want |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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The illuminations are brilliant when you're a kid. Not so much when you're an adult and have actively shopped for your own lighting in your house! I'm in Blackpool at the mo and had a drive down the prom with the kids. They remember a few years ago when they saw them. I just remember the bloke aggressively shaking the collection bucket at me! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"We used to go there in the 80s.
First time in 82 was nice. 84 our visit coincided with a big gay event. I was just 15 with my mum and dad. By 86 the place was a tacky hole. Never been back."
I have a feeling there was probably a few 'tacky holes' in 84 too  |
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