BLACKPOOL

SEA SIDE SANTA SAUNTER  6.5 Miles

WALKERS  :- Anthony, Paddy, Vic, Martin, 

                        Danny, Mike, John W.

The day as they say, "Dawned Fair" (first time this week) and the Meanderthals had agreed to meet in front of Blackpool's Solaris Centre opposite the giant glitter ball on the prom. But the glitter ball was absent. (gone for repairs apparently) so here's one of our own. 

We crossed over the road and the tram tracks and climbed up to the promenade.

It was a familiar walk and one we had done before, ( Remember we are still in Covid conditions).  Our target was The "Tower" But then a thought occurred to your writer .  ( What if they've also taken the Tower away for repairs ?) No problem we have one of those too.

Yes,  Yes.  I know it's the Eiffel Tower but it'll do.

We continued our walk along the prom as one of Blackpool's many famous attractions loomed before us. The "Big One", like most of Blackpool  was closed . No squeals of delight (or terror) came down to us.

As we pottered forward along the front we came across a group of fishermen flagrantly disobeying the rules.  It clearly says "KEEP OUT".

We suspected they were French or maybe Dutch. Definitely Europeans taking our fish out of our waters. We must tell Boris !

It was only a few minutes before we had passed the "Big one and arrived at that marvellous contraption the "Tidal Organ".  This wailed and moaned as the sea pounded against the shore forcing air up through the structure

We stood around for several minutes listening to the eerily melancholic sounds. 

And then we saw it.   There it was on the horizon. It had not been taken away for repairs. .........  THE TOWER.

In his excitement the photographer has managed to give it a lean .  Oh Dear !

Soon it was time for a brew.... and a very special brew it was too. Today was Martin's birthday . so in true Meanderthal tradition the  Birthday Boy had brought cake !

and to accompany the cake was a shot of "firewater" which Martin often dispenses on our cold winter walks. Wonderful !

 As we sat with our cake and coffee Mike (ex-Blackpool) informed us that the rather artistic stainless steel pipes behind us were actually the vents for the main sewer pipe going out to sea. This lent a certain piquancy to our food and drink.

The promenade was, as you might expect, fairly quiet, but still, as we walked along, all wearing Santa Hats,  we were greeted with smiles and shouts of  "Ho ! Ho! Ho's"  from passers by. One Italian couple also stopped us to take a photo of the group to send back to Italy. (These eccentric Brits you know !)

The next building we came to was the lifeboat station. It had two curios alcoves built into it's wall. What were they ? We decided (erroneously we suspect) that they resembled guard posts.  So we guarded them. 

Just as well. There were some shadowy characters about including some really dodgy ones.   Like this fearsome being.

 

Close by was a shopping/hotel (?) complex which was being refurbished. . Shopping here when it is finished might not be easy as there appears to be a very long queue already.

At last we arrive at the World Famous tower. Look at that sky !

In front of the tower is the " Comedy Carpet " with quips , jokes and quotes from many of the comedians who have appeared in Blackpool. 

The group carried on now looking for somewhere to have or lunch. But what is this ? Two of our friends, Martin and Mike, are still enjoying reading the Comedy Carpet.

"C'mon you two were looking for a place to have lunch."

Just beyond the Tower the promenade widens to accommodate the War Memorial and the "Metropole" hotel. Here there was room for shelters one of which we occupied to devour our sandwiches and whatever other delights we had in our picnic boxes. Usually a chocolate bar (small)  for energy, of course.

Our sandwich site. One of the shelters. 

As we sat in the shelters  Paddy noticed that just in front of us an information board told us that one of Lord Nelson's boats, the "Foudroyant" (?)  had sunk just out from the shore at this point. Rather an ignominious end for such a ship. Anthony, a mine of information, told us that one of it's mast is preserved in Avenham Park Preston

Did you notice in the photo of the shelter we once again had a little friend begging for a share of our lunch ?  Here it is again.

Now we had a decision to make....

Plough on northward along the promenade for a further three or four miles and then catch a tram back to the Solaris Centre or....

Simply turn around and walk the three or so miles back to the cars ?

Our leader chose the latter. A wise choice as the sky was no longer a delightful blue but was becoming ominously grey.

The sea, too, was beginning to look a sombre grey and although there seemed to be very little wind it was getting quite boisterous.

As we walked back we passed a building of a quite unusual design. Your writer had not noticed it on the way out and on discovering what it's purpose was did not feel suitably impressed . Perhaps and age/generational thing.

The building behind our trio of walkers is the "Wedding Chapel".

As we walked back this sign caught our photographer's attention especially in our times of Covid. Perhaps it echoes past times and looks forward to the future.

As we approach the end of this years walks one person stands out as having been an ever present and had in effect kept the group going. So someone took the liberty of presenting him with a magnificent trophy. 

"WALKER of the YEAR"

Anthony with the magnificent solid Gold (coloured) "Walker of the Year" trophy,

THE END