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14:11 this bloke is exactly right , one street back in blackpool shows you what the place is really like , buildings that look like the signage hasn't been changed in 30 years & look like their paint-phobic , the place absolutley survives on keeping the seafront looking tidy & peoples memories of how it used to be , such a shame the nations favorite seaside resort ended up like this
Except that's a bit of a misconception. Yes those parts exist and is the worst part of the town with many of the problem people imported or drawn in by the bright lights etc, sadly it's on show to millions unlike many towns bad areas. Yet further back in many residential areas, where no tourists go but people live, it's perfectly fine and makes up far more of the town. There's tons of good things in Blackpool, and yes some bad but you don't judge the whole town off the problem areas. There's a massive amount of investment happening in many areas. It has it's issues but similar problems to many seaside towns, yet far more going for it than most.
@@MrJj86ukif you could transport yourself back 40yrs I’d guarantee that you would not find a single street on the level of the hundreds of dystopian streets you’ll find scattered in and around Blackpool today. The businesses and people that are existing on a thread - again this level of deprivation simply did not exist 40 or even just 20yrs ago. It sounds like you’re in denial of this - or maybe you’re just being optimistic? Being blind to the facts is hardly going to help resolve things is it?
@eelponna3145 Of course not and deprivation is there but it's not, as the post claimed, the real Blackpool at all. The real Blackpool is also where people live in normal residential areas that tourists don't see and being born and raised in Blackpool I know all about it. The central area does obviously get the coverage but people think the whole town is like that, it isnt. People only judge as the worst area is in a place where millions of visitors pass through. As said there's a lot happening to improve many things including these inner areas to have better streets and better housing, better life chances etc, less people having to move away for work etc meaning less problem people from elsewhere imported, which has been the real issue in the central area.
@@MrJj86uk - Blackpool is a fucking shit hole mate. There are pockets that are nice (roads around Stanley Park etc) but it's largely a dump. @eelponna3145 is right. The place is unrecognisable from even 30 years ago. Had my car serviced at Halford's Autocentre recently and walked from there past Notarianni's and on to the front. The scale of the deprivation shocked me. Litter and shit everywhere. Roads and pavements full of potholes. Boarded up houses. Every shop was gambling/slots, cash converters and run down cafes. Just an eviscerated, miserable economy with lots of bedraggled people who'd just given up. Even the front is a mess. It's what decades of cheap, foreign packaged holidays, chronic under investment, terrible Govt policy and lack of opportunity does over time.
That guy looks part of the problem, didn't sound like he was from Blackpool either, which is typical of the issue of imported poverty in the central area.
Appreciate you mate. You are highlighting how those who struggle the most live. It's not a dump on Britain; you're exposing the dirty corners that most people refuse to look at.
Seeing that car saddened me. It spoils so many happy memories for me. I last stayed in Blackpool for a few days in 2006. I was down for the Grand National at Aintree. Even then I noticed its decline. Things hadn’t changed since I was there over twenty years before that.
What’s worse if you just want to take the kids and you don’t want to go on any rides you still have to pay the full price, which is one of reasons never go anymore.
Stephen’s absolutely right, Blackpool WAS a brilliant place to grow up, and we didn’t notice it going downhill back then. It only really became evident to me when I moved away and came back for a visit…it seemed to be worse each time I returned, until a few years ago when I got back to see it as it is now. North Shore streets that used to be bustling and busy with jaunty B&Bs are now just bedsitland with murders being committed by addicts (Carshalton Road). And, for a place with so few green spaces, there doesn’t seem to be any great desire to keep them maintained; no real pride from residents who’re happy to fly-tip or churn up the grass with illegal motorbikes. It’s like the Wild (north) West here, and only getting worse. I really wish I’d never come back this last time because my memories of a once great town have been ruined by what it’s become.
Blackpool attracts the lowest of the lows. I saw another comment say Las Vegas for scum, as someone who has worked in the tourism industry here (hotels/bars/restaurants you name it) I'd definitely say that's an accurate description. Not saying everyone that lives or visits here is scum. However it has definitely got worse over the years and continues to do so. There are okay and decent areas if people look around hard enough such as the area around Stanley Park/Marton Mere. These places just become bigger targets for the scummy thieves though. (It's not coincidence the largest green space in the town is one of the nicer areas to live in Blackpool). I use to think staying here and trying to be a decent resident was the best thing to do, same for others but it's got the point where it feels that hopeless that I too have to decide eventually to leave it behind. It's a never ending snowball effect. The horrible looking areas make the locals feel like crap which also drives out business (because who wants to go to areas with run down buildings or who even wants to open their business there), then the locals turn to crime/drugs due to less opportunity which then makes more business close down. It all just keeps snowballing on to make the town even worse over time. @@basylpeterjones
@@pjl8119 Agree, they ''THINK'' a few new Hotels will fix things. Could be wrong BUT I doubt it, all three piers are a state now, people just don't look. Back Streets are also a mess, years ago you'd never see a single empty / void shop, everything was filled and the place was buzzing. Hate saying it as I have a lot of history with the place, but it's a rundown toilet now, why spend money AND time in a rundown toilet.
@@P.G.Wodelouse Mostly day trips, or weekends at a push. It will always attract certain people, but it's been in steep decline for years. All 3 piers are a mess, all £ Out, none invested back In. Real shame but many other places are the same.
@@P.G.Wodelouse I know it is still thriving in the summer and there is lots to do but it probably had even more in the past. still needs a lot of work to make it more attractive. The pleasure beach theme park is amazing and one of my favourite theme parks and I like the tower but there is work to make it. I would say the same for Margate, Great Yarmouth or Scarborough and many other seaside towns. They need more money spent on them so they could be more thriving. That is why seaside towns are among the most deprived because they rely on tourists. I would say they need something else aswell to bring money in🤷♂️
The iconic blackpool tower one third of the size of the Eifull tower,but a victorian masterpiece that will never be replicated.stunning brick arches and a work of art,and the tower ballroom is a must to see with its beautiful architecture. The victorian builders new how to build in them days.
The Tower is actually half the height of the Eiffel. The Eiffel doesn’t have a fabulous circus ring built in its base, an amazing ballroom, a Dungeon experience, roof gardens, kids play zone, bars and cafes.
The man outside the pub summed it up by correctly saying the council allocation of money is all for the front and for the visitors,the outskirts is forgotten about similar to the way Liverpool city council operates.
I go to Blackpool every August for Rebellion Punk Festival , great locals they deserve better , seems council get paid for shipping in addicts from Liverpool and Manchester and housing them in crappy hotels etc
I live in Blackpool. The council are ONLY interested in tourism and generating conferences and visitors. The locals are forgotten. Poverty is high. There is nothing for the local kids, everything is geared up for kids that DONT live here. Crime is high. Drug and alcohol addiction is a huge problem. Suicide is one of the highest in the country. Its grim for alot of people living in Blackpool.
Community outreach and mutual aid become the only way of getting help in situations like this, where the council and government refuse to help. Very sad.
Makes me laugh when people say there’s nothing for kids. There’s 50 different attractions, a zoo, theme park, the sea, a beach, parks. There’s more than majority of the country in Blackpool. Seasonal jobs for college and uni folks. ( Yes I know this is also an issue) Try growing up in a forgotten city like Stoke where there was a cinema and bowling.
Yeah, very sad, indeed. I used to live there. Free enterprise, though, isn't it? Capitalism and Conservative government. Why the poor, working class people of Blackpool most often vote Conservative is totally beyond my thinking. Perhaps due to the party conference nonsense... hey... they wouldn't do that deliberately though, would they...? 🤔
A walk on the wild side meets Wendall brilliant to see you working together, loved Blackpool in the 80s and 90s but was drawn to Devon and Cornwall since had some brilliant holidays down there.
I was fortunate to visit Blackpool for a couple of days in 1990 while spending a month long holiday in England. It was during the illuminations and it was fabulous. It was like stepping back in time. Went dancing at an amazing ballroom which had people from 15 to 85. It is a great memory. Thanks Blackpool.
Wicked video mate. I am subscriber to Stephen’s channel and it’s clear to see the council are concentrated on tourist revenue. As many elaborated to seaside towns are very much in decline right now and I often go around back streets to see struggles when visiting. On a positive UTS 🤞🔴⚪️
I’m 74, live in central England and considered moving to the seaside…the magical places of my younger years. After watching your uploads, there’s no way I would want to choose any of these places. What on earth has happened to my country! All those charming coastal resorts, the east coast, the Isle of Wight…all gone downhill. Thank you for warning me!
I called in for a coffee and a bacon butty at The Pitsop on Easter Saturday, it was excellent and I chatted with the lady on the video. Her heart is fully into supporting the local community, well done !
I had already subscribed to Stephen. (Walk on the wild side) When he did a vlog with Lee, the mackmaster. And Jane from fylde coast. And you wendall when you did the jaywick vlog..🇬🇧
Go to Blackpool every year, I love it and so do my kids. We go for long weekends. Peak season and staying close to the front is a cracking little holiday.
I doubt anywhere in the south would be as bad as some northern towns. My brother lived for a while in Medway in Kent which the locals considered rough. But to him it seemed fine cos he’d experienced worse
@@cultfiction3865 You would be surprised. There are some awful, dirty towns down south on the decline. Especially with the crime rates and knife crime.
EXCELLENT VID !!! Yes been following Steve's channel some time, which is brilliant. It's a sad state of affairs right across the Uk , as we know. I emigrated 15 years ago when I saw this coming. Yes xmas & other high days are hard , but my quality of life is good.
Great video. I’ve watched a fair bit of Walk on the Wild Side and enjoy that too. Visited Blackpool nearly every year in January for the racing pigeon show from 1995 to 2019 and the change has been very obvious. Visited a few years back on a sunny day with the family during the summer and really enjoyed it! But that was only really visiting the touristy spots and the promenade.
Drive 5 minutes up the rd either way and it’s lovely…. I live in Blackpool opposite the magnificent Stanley Park and it’s gorgeous.. Drive 10 minutes down to Lytham St Annes and it’s a totally different world, extremely middle-class multimillion pound houses with a totally different aspect to it culturally wise drive the opposite way and head towards Fleet again it’s beautiful totally different but Blackpool is an entity on its own. It’s a very fun town. It has some fantastic people in it. Unfortunately the people you have interviewed at the outsiders who have come into the town and they have bought a lot of their problems with them, but they are not a true representation of Blackpool . And yes we have a problems but we are FOOKING FUN …
Very well said. The knockers should visit Stanley Park and its environs . Most of them could only dream of living in those stunning houses , and the park is one of the best in the UK. I live in the Cotswolds but always enjoy my annual trip to the impressive Imperial Hotel. I doubt the commentators have a great deal of large budget/business experience…I could be wrong ?….but regeneration requires investment : investment requires money obtained from the maximisation of the core business , hence improving the tourist areas so that more money becomes available for improvements elsewhere. Most of the old buildings/ hotels that are not listed are way beyond financial viability given building regulations ( especially around South Shore) and will ultimately be removed in my opinion. That gives the ability to make open green spaces until more economic use of the land arises ( like the old Derby Baths site that needs landscaping ). That’s the way the world works , like it or not.
By 'Fleet' you presumably mean Fleetwood. 'Beautiful' isn't the first word that comes to mind. A dying fishing industry and an aging population. It has similar problems to Blackpool. And you're right: for all of Blackpool's problems - and it has many - it's given many of us some of the best nights out of our lives. Terrific, unpretentious fun.
Blackpool, went there once in November 1997, with my new girlfriend. Out of season, run down, nothing open and stayed in an awful B & B. Surprised it didn't split us up, but been together ever since, some 27 years later lol. Not been back to Blackpool though! Never Again!
I've been to Blackpool. I remember it rained & my clothes were soaked so I did some laundry at my cousin's house in Manchester. Good times. Greetings from Colorado, USA.
Wendall great move walking around Blackpool with Stephen like you he has a good in depth factual U tube channel you could not of picked a better guy to jointly produce this one.
What put it in perspective for me was that I used to work in Blackpool in the 70s and commute daily from Lancaster. I think that brought it home to me that there were plenty of jobs there then for local people and we were filling a gap when there was more jobs than people, specially in the summer/illuminations time. I just worked in a shop. It was also a buzzing place to go for a day or night out. Trains were packed at rush hour with people coming in to work. It is sad what has happened to our coastal towns.
@@Keep_Focus_UK Not now, I've been in cornwall for 30 odd years. Still remember all the pubs lol, great city. Still looked pretty good last time I passed through.
I’ve just started watching your videos and I’m finding them absolutely brilliant I’ve got a firsthand experience of living rough on the streets , I left the The Army after doing 12 years Service two tours of Iraq three tours of Afghanistan to come home to become homeless living on the streets of Blackpool, Shrewsbury ,Litchfield ,Nuneaton, Birmingham and Coventry so I can totally understand where you’re coming from I’m so glad you’re shining a light on this massive problem that the UK has. I’m now two years clean from crack and heroin and alcohol and you have inspired me to start my own UA-cam channel subject being poverty and homelessness and drug abuse keep up the good work.
Holidayed a lot in Crystal Road 60,70,80s .Last time I was in Blackpool was 1998 I think. We visited the Pleasure Beach so much. Loved some of the rides and also used the many Bars scattered around. Great memories.
I just spent a few days there and saw many of the major sights. Was very pleasant and couldn't fault it. If you go looking for bad stuff though you'll inevitable find it, and that applies to most places.
I still love going to Blackpool. We visit the cat cafe every time which is well worth going to. My parents live in Cleveleys so we visit regularly and despite the decline in the back streets its still a great place to go, the illuminations still draw people, piers and arcades are always busy in summer. The beach isn't usually littered with cars though.
Cleveleys is not exactly the life and soul of the party. Know it well. Aging population, deathly at night, a high street which is dying on its backside, and motability scooters galore. Never seen so many charity shops.
@@jasongray4517 it is definitely but its also peaceful and pleasant. Its close to Fleetwood beach and Blackpool. The estuary Park is beautiful. It has a bowling alley, cinema,parks and arcades. For such a small area Thornton and Cleveleys have a lot to do for young families and there's much less crime and dereliction. Scooter rage is the biggest hazard 🤣
@thewickedpixie63 To be fair, they've spent some money on the promenade, which is lovely. It's peaceful, clean and safe. It's also, to be frank, rather boring. Poulton-le-Fylde, however, is a lovely market town and a cracking night out.
@@jasongray4517 i guess it depends what you are after. Like you said all of Cleveleys is tucked in bed by 10 pm 😆. Its nice for a little family time. Less chaos than Blackpool, bit cheaper and safer. Whereas Blackpool has the bars ,booze and brawls. I'm too old to dodge the stag and hen parties now so I avoid it late evening. I still have a great fondness for the whole area though. Blackpool could be amazing again with proper investment and management in the town not just the promenade and tourist traps. The tower, the zoo, the sandcastle, Stanley Park etc it has lots to offer. Surely some of those monies can be ploughed into the hidden streets. Theres some brilliant architecture around. Art deco hotels lapsing into decay like aging old dames. Beautiful buildings in need of love and care. Its just a shame. Blackpool deserves a boost.
Glaswegian, had many trips to Blackpool as a boy growing up in the 70s, the place was buzzing, all along the promenade was packed with holiday makers from all over the UK and you could stroll into the pleasure beach for nothing and pick your rides, the whole place was alive but now with cheap holidays to the sun its actually a lot cheaper to go abroad but has not just affected Blackpool but every seaside town, now they are just a wasteland for drifters , alkies and junkies.
That cheap pub just goes to show that if you charge less, you get more customers. Now if every retail shop/pub/restaurant etc adopted the same common sense, this country could start getting back on its feet. But instead greed has taken over. Great video Wendall 👍
Dirt cheap pubs have a lot of customers, but you get a lot of ruffians. You’re far less likely to get glassed in a pub that charges £7 per pint. I’ll only take my Mrs into expensive pubs just because I know it’s going to be safer, cleaner and a nicer environment.
They were awarded 40 million for a new college campus there, so that will definitely help! There will also be a new Sands Hotel and Spa, with the new entertainment museum on the first floor.
One thing is for sure, it's not just money the deprived areas need. It's a deeper socio-economic, systemic problem, the solution to which is unbelievably complex. Generations have been left to rot after the death of UK industry and, I'd wager, the Government would prefer if those people just died out. But they didn't, and the communities held together by meaningful employment continued to procreate, each successive generation brought into a world with ever dwindling opportunities. It's absolutely no wonder drink and drugs fill this void and anyone who looks down their nose and judges has either absolutely no idea how this has all happened or simply doesn't care (or both). Documenting this is important but hugely depressing.
Note, hardly any local accents. Everyone only blames the council or government, but never takes responsibility for their own behaviour. There's poverty in many countries, you can still be broke and be a respectful person without money.
I get sick of it. I left the UK nearly 20 years ago, but I still follow local groups on FB. All I ever see is whinging ,moaning, racism, and it is Never Their fault .I f you don't like something, get off your arse and do something about it? If a place is S*,it is because the people who live there allow it to be. And If the councils /Government do Nothing They voted them in? You getwhat you vote for. And you get out what you put in.
How is it the residents fault? If they aren't the landlord or HMO owners. They probably pay enough council tax so expect the town to be looked after better than it is. Other seaside towns are better kept. Councils are the one with the tax payers money and local plans not the residents. I'm not talking about druggies and criminals but I don't see how it's the average residents fault. Walk any town like UA-camrs do and you'll only meet those who aren't at work. Blackpool has a lot of people who moved there to escape somewhere else. Sadly it's not worked out for all of them. I don't hear local accents in my town centre either but most are normal people, shopping, students or working.. Its 2024. I'm not in favour of many of the changes to the UK in my 40 odd years but not all of us can afford to escape so make the best of it..
@@thathurt A ragged trousered philanthropist. For a start Councils get money from Central Government. They have been starving them which is why so many are going bankrupt .Secondly, People vote for the council, People vote for their MPs. So if they screw up, the People have only Themselves to blame .Getting it yet? And as for 'Other seaside towns do OK' they are mostly the Pretty ones, where wealthy 2nd home owners have forced local people Out. I hate Blackpool, but its decline is down to the voters.
@@thathurt because many residents chose to live like bad soap characters. Plenty of poverty and hardship in the world,you can still be a respectful person without money.
Blackpool deserves a chance and the local council should make more of an effort beyond the promenade, it has offered much to many over the years as a holiday destination and entertainment venue but there is much more to it with those who live and work there all year round and contribute to keeping it going and I wish it and its lovely people well for the future. Thanks to Steve and Wendall for another great tour.
I think the same, its a 7hr drive for me so that puts a stop to any regular trips, but we still load the car up every couple of years and make the trip with the kids. As you said, its down to earth, the people are nice, food and drink is cheap. Kids love the rides, the water park is one of the best in the uk. Its only 1hr to manchester/liverpool etc for other days out whilst in the area. Generally we always have a great week 👍 Im from a seaside town in dorset and blackpool seafront reminds me of back home 30yr ago when weymouth was still good
what a brilliant video, subscribed, i couldn't believe the price to get into the Pleasure Beach wow. Used to love coming to Blackpool with my family in the 80s and it was brilliant , it had such a great atmosphere but yeah then we started going to Spain cos of the square deals but it was never as much fun as Blackpool. Great video 👍
Black Pool looks like it has a lot of potential. The city council needs to set up a meeting with the citizens with ideas. Fire them, actually and get in some Independent parties.
There's loads of regeneration happening. Of course it's never quick enough but covid and cost of living haven't helped and haven't helped the poor either. It's on the up as a whole and it will take time to undo decades of mistakes and deprivation etc, but a corner has been turned.
@@MrJj86uk I think “a charming and quaint English historical” area is better than “industrial modern” regeneration. I’m only thinking of the sea shore area for tourist attractions, small business and community gatherings. I don’t want to deal with ugly modern buildings that should be farther away and for other uses, profitable business and modern progress. I’m sure that is needed, too, but tourist attractions should look like nostalgic paintings that you hang above the sofa. I think people in that shoreline area have fantastic memories and ideas and it would be great to implement them and work with willing city council and it would be great use of the money. Establishment parties seem to be set in their ways and far from the people. Smaller new political parties would be a nice local community change to use tax payer money wisely. It’s about preserving heritage and memories for future generations.
@@MrJj86uk - Regeneration. Lol. You'd need to spend at least a couple of billion to put Blackpool right. I'm not joking. The decline is decades of cheap, foreign packaged holidays that's eviscerated the local economy coupled with a concomitant lack of investment, terrible local and national Govt policy and few opportunities. I personally don't see it turning a corner and I'm there fairly frequently.
@Jimbo8012 It does need a lot and is having a lot of investment. Maybe not the billions but significant amounts to make a difference. The things happening will do that but yes ideally with far more cash you could make a difference sooner. I'd say I know a bit about it being from there. It'll always have elements of deprivation but can be improved massively and is beginning to be. 20 million visitors a year is very very good, it's the most popular destination in the UK. Not bad for a 'finished town' as some people say. It gets far more than most places and has tons of attractions. Tens of millions of investment, visual improvements and economic. Not as fast as we'd all want but it's happening. Some benefits will be fairly quick but others will take many years.
Visited Blacky every couple of years since being a toddler and will be going this year for the Lytham music festival . Been in the Ardwick a few times, used to go in the pleasure beach but stopped when you had to pay. Your video is a true reflexion .
I used to like walking around the pleasure beach for free but then go on a ride or two. I dont want to buy a book of tickets. It's more like a fun fair than a theme park.
I don’t know why they keep saying that away from the front is shit. Even the front is a shithole. If you think that police stations bad you should have seen the high rise flats they knocked down in 2000s.
Excellent video Wendle really does show the depressing side of Blackpool at it’s worst. It’s just awful to see the deprivation and the homelessness on the streets. The state of some of the buildings is shocking. Parts of Blackpool are now receiving redevelopment and look superb especially around the North Station and new Holiday Inn areas. Other parts are in dire need or redevelopment Central Drive areas especially. Incidentally you couldn’t have been shown around Blackpool by a better guy, I’m one of Wildside Stephen’s channel members and moderators, fantastic guy. Cheap pint at The Ardwick I’ll remember that next time I’m in Blackpool.
Wendall. Would you please consider doing Portsmouth and Southsea at some point on your travels as I would love to see what you think of our great City by the Sea. Many thanks.
Similar story on the Isle of Wight - loads of empty and burnt out hotels - some have been empty for years where developers have bought them and deliberately left them to rot. They want to build flats but the council won't let them. After a few years they mysteriously catch fire and just lay derelict. It's a disgrace.
Never been to Blackpool and i doubt i ever will, but the state of the UK in parts of course is shocking. The GovT needs to do what they are there for .Take care and provide for the nation.
Take care and provide for the nation? Its like a queue, they pay off and give contracts to those that got them in power, then the City gets bonuses and their lot when Tories in, then International companies get some good deals to keep their companies employing Brits, then the core voting base get some care, then international power and policies,then maybe a dogfight for few quid for public services and migration and childcare. Then leave it up to the councils to handle the rest... Care for the nation, not since 2008.
@@JoolsUK Don't give up. Many actions by recent governments of both parties amount to the serious crime of treason - the deliberate and calculated destruction of a country. In coming months you will see this play out. It will be an interesting time as we watch politicians paying for what they have done.
Heartbreaking. So many towns in your videos Wendall like this gone beyond the point of no return. Hard to see things turning out well. Poor old Britain.
Stephen should know and should had said that the Police station is going to be demolished it’s common knowledge to make way for a new mega entertainment complex!!!
In the late fifties and early sixties, our family went to Blackpool every year at Wakes week and stayed in the same seafront small hotel. We played on the beach, went on the piers, walked the prom, and had a picnics and boat rides at Peaseholm Park and of course ,the Pleasue beach. Then there was the magical Tower ballroom with Reginald Dixon along with his Wurlitzer appearing from beneath the floor. Yes, Blackpool in those days was just a fantastic place to have your holiday and millions families did just that. In a way, Those days are gone forever
This and your other videos show just how bad things are in this country and you should be applauded for your work. Years of neglect have led to some parts of the UK left with no hope for the future. It's a shame we can't play a montage of your videos in the House of Commons so politicians can see just how far our country has sunk on their watch. The tragedy is, in each of the places you've visited there are good, decent people doing their best and their voices never get heard.
I was up there last week with my grandson, we had a great time on the beach playing, guess the waves (runners or stoppers) lol. I do remember visiting with mum and dad and it's obviously changed a lot. I found the people were friendly. There is a lot of unfortunate people who obviously have problems. It's a shame the way the council has let the place get to the state it's in. Another great report Wendell and Steve is a brilliant ambassador for Blackpool. I, for one, will keep visiting
For me personally, going to Blackpool as a kid main reason why i love going here was for the Doctor Who Exhibition late 70s to mid 80s and later start 2000s but during the times wasn't there especially defore 2004 return to TV. Has been going down hill for me still visit especially past few years alot down side of Blackpool houses, shops boared up and buildings deterring over the years sadly and puts people coming to Blackpool plus weather doesn't help to compare to Benidorm etc.
Went there in a bus trip in the 80s. Me and a mate missed the bus home and ended up sleeping in a police car in the police carpark overnight. Class time
Really interesting video this Wendall. I wrote my masters dissertation on the decline of Blackpool 10 years ago and it would seem nothing has changed! Apart from the obvious (the rise of international package holidays), seaside towns are often in isolated locations with poor transport links. Their economies haven’t evolved and still depend on the 19th/20th century model of tourism. The problem with this is that most people who visit nowadays are usually day trippers and those on lower income households with limited spending power. The tourism model also operates on a seasonal basis of just six months per year. All of this coupled with a 180 degree area of land (the other half being the sea) results in the problems you witness. So what’s to be done? In its simplest form, the government and local councils need to attract significant inward investment into the areas and move away from tourism as their primary economic function. This should in turn bring about much needed regeneration. Without that important economic activity, these places will never get out of the spiral of decline. The same goes for so many other seaside towns around the country.
I moved away from Blackpool in 2005 - the tyrannical council, Policing, wardens and pseudo-authorities got too much My business supplied about 30 places in in/around the area, and there were some *SIGHTS* to be seen in the early morning hours ! Unemployment, drink & drugs has also ruined the place - staff turnover was ridiculous . . . . . one lad came for a job interview for a driving job, with an open can of beer in his hand - i kid you not And the town centre is now all betting-shops, vape shops, tattooists, Turkish barbers, charity shops, vacant places and dirty takeaways - Local don't even go there
Ha ha ha ha, strangely No 😆 . . . . & not just ANY beer either, but that one in in a brown can that's extra strong (is it called 'strong, or special brew' ???) That said, the enthusiastic new driver who DID get the job, ended up putting my lovely new Iveco Turbo daily (still being paid for on finance) into a ditch down a country road, when trying to squeeze past another vehicle . . . . . then 2 couple of weeks after that put petrol in by mistake, and damaged the engine - Aaaaargh Sigh - Glad that expensive & stressful 'Era' of my life is past, that's for sure
The whole of the UK is rundown, I can show you places in Norwich that are just as bad, if you are ever this way take a look at Anglia Square and Magdalen Street….
My grandfather used to take us, his 5 grandchildren, to Blackpool for the lights being turned on. That was in the late 60s and early 70s and it was a fun, in fact exciting, place to go to in those days.
Invested millions? Apart from the promenade, where's the investment? It's a sh*thole, simple as that and if you can't call that out then maybe you're part of the problem.
I agree ..I've been to Blackpool..the people who behave bad ..do not come from Blackpool..full of stag and hen party's, he seems to make videos on the obvious.
Another great and informative video mate.. It's so so sad, the amount of deprecation across our country is awful.. Thank you for documenting this important issue.
If you think Britian is a shithole, get your passport and go and see the world. I'm currently writing this from the Philippines, a genuinely deprived country 🤡.
21:09 to be fair though this entire area is being transformed massively over the next few years. They have already just about finished the new carpark that you can see in the background at 20:59
We do not have destroyed old cars on the beach thankyou very much ! That car was the result of a thick guy who had parked his car on the beach. So get your facts right .
My God, I’ve so many happy memories of family holidays at Blackpool in the 70’s/80’s. It was a magical place - The lights, toy shops, tower, Pleasure Beach, arcades - just amazing. But now, it’s so rundown. Loads of hotels and guest houses, not just closed or boarded up but derelict. The entire place needs a wash and that includes the Pleasure Beach.
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Looks tasty af
Great drinks mate, I'm hooked! @@M88ULV
I had a look at the ingredients, unfortunately inulin (the top ingredient) gives me really bloating and gas!
when's the great yarmouth video out.@@WendallExplores
I enjoy an Earl Grey
Glad to be a part of your video pal 👍
Thanks for the expert tour mate
Love Ur videos Steve but I think being part of this was a mistake
@@Ryandunbar1996
I agree Ryan..
@@WendallExplorespersonally I think it was your tour guide who planted those two upside down cars on the beach 😂😂😮
Nice to see a Manx fleece!
That pub mate, 1.80 a pint! Put a proper smile on my face like it was the '90s again. Imagine going in there with 20 quid. You'd be leathered.
£1:77 a pint in Witherspoons for Ruddles bitter.
'leathered' oh man 😆love that
90,s Special Pill & A Pint 😋
What you avin Frank? Giss a pint and a coupla E, s. What u lookin at? Fuck off Bo Selecta. Oh the nineties loved it. @@WeSombreGhosts
£7 in London
14:11 this bloke is exactly right , one street back in blackpool shows you what the place is really like , buildings that look like the signage hasn't been changed in 30 years & look like their paint-phobic , the place absolutley survives on keeping the seafront looking tidy & peoples memories of how it used to be , such a shame the nations favorite seaside resort ended up like this
Except that's a bit of a misconception. Yes those parts exist and is the worst part of the town with many of the problem people imported or drawn in by the bright lights etc, sadly it's on show to millions unlike many towns bad areas. Yet further back in many residential areas, where no tourists go but people live, it's perfectly fine and makes up far more of the town. There's tons of good things in Blackpool, and yes some bad but you don't judge the whole town off the problem areas.
There's a massive amount of investment happening in many areas.
It has it's issues but similar problems to many seaside towns, yet far more going for it than most.
@@MrJj86ukif you could transport yourself back 40yrs I’d guarantee that you would not find a single street on the level of the hundreds of dystopian streets you’ll find scattered in and around Blackpool today. The businesses and people that are existing on a thread - again this level of deprivation simply did not exist 40 or even just 20yrs ago. It sounds like you’re in denial of this - or maybe you’re just being optimistic? Being blind to the facts is hardly going to help resolve things is it?
@eelponna3145 Of course not and deprivation is there but it's not, as the post claimed, the real Blackpool at all. The real Blackpool is also where people live in normal residential areas that tourists don't see and being born and raised in Blackpool I know all about it.
The central area does obviously get the coverage but people think the whole town is like that, it isnt. People only judge as the worst area is in a place where millions of visitors pass through. As said there's a lot happening to improve many things including these inner areas to have better streets and better housing, better life chances etc, less people having to move away for work etc meaning less problem people from elsewhere imported, which has been the real issue in the central area.
@@MrJj86uk - Blackpool is a fucking shit hole mate. There are pockets that are nice (roads around Stanley Park etc) but it's largely a dump.
@eelponna3145 is right. The place is unrecognisable from even 30 years ago. Had my car serviced at Halford's Autocentre recently and walked from there past Notarianni's and on to the front. The scale of the deprivation shocked me. Litter and shit everywhere. Roads and pavements full of potholes. Boarded up houses. Every shop was gambling/slots, cash converters and run down cafes. Just an eviscerated, miserable economy with lots of bedraggled people who'd just given up.
Even the front is a mess. It's what decades of cheap, foreign packaged holidays, chronic under investment, terrible Govt policy and lack of opportunity does over time.
Just one example of the many sea side resorts in Britain that are crumbling.
14:03 “drink and drugs have infected the place”. - whilst holding his can of beer and having no teeth. Brilliant
🤣😂
I noticed that too , but in fairness I think ( couldn’t quite make it out) he did say “ we’ve taken over town”
That guy looks part of the problem, didn't sound like he was from Blackpool either, which is typical of the issue of imported poverty in the central area.
He s born n bred in Blackpool
He certainly did. It’s the spitting image of Morecambe police station, and not dissimilar to Lancaster either!
Appreciate you mate. You are highlighting how those who struggle the most live. It's not a dump on Britain; you're exposing the dirty corners that most people refuse to look at.
In a 1993 episode of Rab C Nesbitt, Jamesy Cotter says "This is Blackpool. Las Vegas for scum"
The decline across the Country has been going on since the 1970's.
Blackpool was nice round about then!
Coming from Jamesy that says a lot 😂
@@PlasticGirl65 :D
Met 2 girls catching a train to Blackpool, they said it's " Right dodgey" (whatever that means!)
Seeing that car saddened me. It spoils so many happy memories for me.
I last stayed in Blackpool for a few days in 2006. I was down for the Grand National at Aintree. Even then I noticed its decline. Things hadn’t changed since I was there over twenty years before that.
Whoa what, £50 for an adult on the day for blackpool pleasure beach? That's literally insane.
Mental I agree
Greed 😤
I don't suppose the disabled get in on disabled rate?🤔
Imagine if it was £25 - it might actually encourage people to visit and spend more money there!
What’s worse if you just want to take the kids and you don’t want to go on any rides you still have to pay the full price, which is one of reasons never go anymore.
Stephen’s absolutely right, Blackpool WAS a brilliant place to grow up, and we didn’t notice it going downhill back then. It only really became evident to me when I moved away and came back for a visit…it seemed to be worse each time I returned, until a few years ago when I got back to see it as it is now. North Shore streets that used to be bustling and busy with jaunty B&Bs are now just bedsitland with murders being committed by addicts (Carshalton Road). And, for a place with so few green spaces, there doesn’t seem to be any great desire to keep them maintained; no real pride from residents who’re happy to fly-tip or churn up the grass with illegal motorbikes. It’s like the Wild (north) West here, and only getting worse. I really wish I’d never come back this last time because my memories of a once great town have been ruined by what it’s become.
How then does Blackpool, and English and Welsh resorts as a whole, have record tourism?
Blackpool attracts the lowest of the lows. I saw another comment say Las Vegas for scum, as someone who has worked in the tourism industry here (hotels/bars/restaurants you name it) I'd definitely say that's an accurate description. Not saying everyone that lives or visits here is scum. However it has definitely got worse over the years and continues to do so. There are okay and decent areas if people look around hard enough such as the area around Stanley Park/Marton Mere. These places just become bigger targets for the scummy thieves though. (It's not coincidence the largest green space in the town is one of the nicer areas to live in Blackpool). I use to think staying here and trying to be a decent resident was the best thing to do, same for others but it's got the point where it feels that hopeless that I too have to decide eventually to leave it behind. It's a never ending snowball effect. The horrible looking areas make the locals feel like crap which also drives out business (because who wants to go to areas with run down buildings or who even wants to open their business there), then the locals turn to crime/drugs due to less opportunity which then makes more business close down. It all just keeps snowballing on to make the town even worse over time. @@basylpeterjones
That blue Peugeot MOT,d till December this year weird
Don't panic I know a man that will give it a fresh one. Oh no wait... he's declined.
And only 72000 miles on the clock! What a waste.
I wonder if "We Buy Any Car" are interested in the 2 beach buggy's
“Hello, is that Chops Garage?”
Was used by economic migrants as a boat, more substantial than a dingy...
Blackpool has been used as a social dumping ground , as there are/were many boarding houses to move people too from other parts of the UK
A town that was popular in the 60s and 70s but the cheap holidays abroad changed that and it became just about the poorest town in Britain
Popular from Victorian times
@@pjl8119 Agree, they ''THINK'' a few new Hotels will fix things.
Could be wrong BUT I doubt it, all three piers are a state now, people just don't look.
Back Streets are also a mess, years ago you'd never see a single empty / void shop, everything was filled and the place was buzzing.
Hate saying it as I have a lot of history with the place, but it's a rundown toilet now, why spend money AND time in a rundown toilet.
@pjl8119 i live near blackpool most days you can hardly move during the summer season and xmas, blackpool is not dead
@@P.G.Wodelouse Mostly day trips, or weekends at a push.
It will always attract certain people, but it's been in steep decline for years.
All 3 piers are a mess, all £ Out, none invested back In.
Real shame but many other places are the same.
@@P.G.Wodelouse I know it is still thriving in the summer and there is lots to do but it probably had even more in the past. still needs a lot of work to make it more attractive. The pleasure beach theme park is amazing and one of my favourite theme parks and I like the tower but there is work to make it. I would say the same for Margate, Great Yarmouth or Scarborough and many other seaside towns. They need more money spent on them so they could be more thriving. That is why seaside towns are among the most deprived because they rely on tourists. I would say they need something else aswell to bring money in🤷♂️
The iconic blackpool tower one third of the size of the Eifull tower,but a victorian masterpiece that will never be replicated.stunning brick arches and a work of art,and the tower ballroom is a must to see with its beautiful architecture. The victorian builders new how to build in them days.
Certainly better than the horrible looking concrete/metal jungles that are taking over every where.
The Tower is actually half the height of the Eiffel. The Eiffel doesn’t have a fabulous circus ring built in its base, an amazing ballroom, a Dungeon experience, roof gardens, kids play zone, bars and cafes.
The man outside the pub summed it up by correctly saying the council allocation of money is all for the front and for the visitors,the outskirts is forgotten about similar to the way Liverpool city council operates.
I go to Blackpool every August for Rebellion Punk Festival , great locals they deserve better , seems council get paid for shipping in addicts from Liverpool and Manchester and housing them in crappy hotels etc
Also people just out of jail also mate. Loads of them get put up in hotels.
I live in Blackpool. The council are ONLY interested in tourism and generating conferences and visitors. The locals are forgotten. Poverty is high. There is nothing for the local kids, everything is geared up for kids that DONT live here. Crime is high. Drug and alcohol addiction is a huge problem. Suicide is one of the highest in the country. Its grim for alot of people living in Blackpool.
Community outreach and mutual aid become the only way of getting help in situations like this, where the council and government refuse to help. Very sad.
but at least we have rainbow crossings now
You cant get tourism if the place is a shithole
Makes me laugh when people say there’s nothing for kids. There’s 50 different attractions, a zoo, theme park, the sea, a beach, parks. There’s more than majority of the country in Blackpool. Seasonal jobs for college and uni folks. ( Yes I know this is also an issue)
Try growing up in a forgotten city like Stoke where there was a cinema and bowling.
Yeah, very sad, indeed. I used to live there. Free enterprise, though, isn't it?
Capitalism and Conservative government. Why the poor, working class people of Blackpool most often vote Conservative is totally beyond my thinking. Perhaps due to the party conference nonsense... hey... they wouldn't do that deliberately though, would they...? 🤔
A walk on the wild side meets Wendall brilliant to see you working together, loved Blackpool in the 80s and 90s but was drawn to Devon and Cornwall since had some brilliant holidays down there.
16:03 "Arrive as a customer, leave as friend " Great quote.
I enjoy your vids a lot. Cheers from the Netherlands
I was fortunate to visit Blackpool for a couple of days in 1990 while spending a month long holiday in England. It was during the illuminations and it was fabulous. It was like stepping back in time. Went dancing at an amazing ballroom which had people from 15 to 85. It is a great memory. Thanks Blackpool.
Wicked video mate. I am subscriber to Stephen’s channel and it’s clear to see the council are concentrated on tourist revenue. As many elaborated to seaside towns are very much in decline right now and I often go around back streets to see struggles when visiting. On a positive UTS 🤞🔴⚪️
I’m 74, live in central England and considered moving to the seaside…the magical places of my younger years. After watching your uploads, there’s no way I would want to choose any of these places. What on earth has happened to my country! All those charming coastal resorts, the east coast, the Isle of Wight…all gone downhill. Thank you for warning me!
I called in for a coffee and a bacon butty at The Pitsop on Easter Saturday, it was excellent and I chatted with the lady on the video. Her heart is fully into supporting the local community, well done !
Lovely lady I wish her best with her business
Hope that cafe does well. That lass is all heart God bless her ❤
I had already subscribed to Stephen. (Walk on the wild side) When he did a vlog with Lee, the mackmaster.
And Jane from fylde coast. And you wendall when you did the jaywick vlog..🇬🇧
Go to Blackpool every year, I love it and so do my kids. We go for long weekends. Peak season and staying close to the front is a cracking little holiday.
You call England a holiday? Jesus you must be extremely small minded or insane.
Sorry to hear that.
The Pay It Forward
was an awesome idea.
wishing that womans
business great success.
Should give Luton a visit. Generally voted as the worst town in the UK, would be good to see what you think.
Has one of the best old style football stadiums left in the UK.
I doubt anywhere in the south would be as bad as some northern towns. My brother lived for a while in Medway in Kent which the locals considered rough. But to him it seemed fine cos he’d experienced worse
@@cultfiction3865 You would be surprised. There are some awful, dirty towns down south on the decline. Especially with the crime rates and knife crime.
@@cultfiction3865 jaywick is in Essex
@cultficgtion3865 go tilbury and ull change your mind
I am glad you showed the beautiful street at 26:54. If only the council would do the same for the "less tourist'y areas" of Blackpool.
TY from a Dane
EXCELLENT VID !!!
Yes been following Steve's channel some time, which is brilliant.
It's a sad state of affairs right across the Uk , as we know.
I emigrated 15 years ago when I saw this coming.
Yes xmas & other high days are hard , but my quality of life is good.
Why does he only interview forgotten people with drink and drug problems? The videos are a lie - Seaside tourism is doing fine.
Great video. I’ve watched a fair bit of Walk on the Wild Side and enjoy that too. Visited Blackpool nearly every year in January for the racing pigeon show from 1995 to 2019 and the change has been very obvious.
Visited a few years back on a sunny day with the family during the summer and really enjoyed it! But that was only really visiting the touristy spots and the promenade.
Just go further up the coast to Bispham or Cleveleys, inland to Poulton or down to Lytham and you'll be fine.
Drive 5 minutes up the rd either way and it’s lovely…. I live in Blackpool opposite the magnificent Stanley Park and it’s gorgeous.. Drive 10 minutes down to Lytham St Annes and it’s a totally different world, extremely middle-class multimillion pound houses with a totally different aspect to it culturally wise drive the opposite way and head towards Fleet again it’s beautiful totally different but Blackpool is an entity on its own. It’s a very fun town. It has some fantastic people in it. Unfortunately the people you have interviewed at the outsiders who have come into the town and they have bought a lot of their problems with them, but they are not a true representation of Blackpool . And yes we have a problems but we are FOOKING FUN …
Very well said. The knockers should visit Stanley Park and its environs . Most of them could only dream of living in those stunning houses , and the park is one of the best in the UK. I live in the Cotswolds but always enjoy my annual trip to the impressive Imperial Hotel. I doubt the commentators have a great deal of large budget/business experience…I could be wrong ?….but regeneration requires investment : investment requires money obtained from the maximisation of the core business , hence improving the tourist areas so that more money becomes available for improvements elsewhere. Most of the old buildings/ hotels that are not listed are way beyond financial viability given building regulations ( especially around South Shore) and will ultimately be removed in my opinion. That gives the ability to make open green spaces until more economic use of the land arises ( like the old Derby Baths site that needs landscaping ). That’s the way the world works , like it or not.
By 'Fleet' you presumably mean Fleetwood. 'Beautiful' isn't the first word that comes to mind. A dying fishing industry and an aging population. It has similar problems to Blackpool. And you're right: for all of Blackpool's problems - and it has many - it's given many of us some of the best nights out of our lives. Terrific, unpretentious fun.
Yeah. It's really a 'town centre problem'. And this can be seen across the UK.
I was in Stanley Park about 2 years ago for the first time in 20 years, the state the park has become is a disgrace.
Blackpool was our Las Vegas, when I was growing up in the 60's. Now it's our Trinity Test Site.
This is ace. I follow you both. Great seeing you work together. Blackpool has been going downhill for years, sadly
Blackpool, went there once in November 1997, with my new girlfriend. Out of season, run down, nothing open and stayed in an awful B & B. Surprised it didn't split us up, but been together ever since, some 27 years later lol. Not been back to Blackpool though! Never Again!
What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger 💪
There are some lovely b&b's, you need to know which ones.
I've been to Blackpool. I remember it rained & my clothes were soaked so I did some laundry at my cousin's house in Manchester. Good times. Greetings from Colorado, USA.
Gosh, it is nice that you have shown this to host. People don't know what reality is. Watching from uk 🎉
Wendall great move walking around Blackpool with Stephen like you he has a good in depth factual U tube channel you could not of picked a better guy to jointly produce this one.
Stephen is a superstar mate. Great guy and super knowledgeable. I look forward to filming with him more🤞
What put it in perspective for me was that I used to work in Blackpool in the 70s and commute daily from Lancaster. I think that brought it home to me that there were plenty of jobs there then for local people and we were filling a gap when there was more jobs than people, specially in the summer/illuminations time. I just worked in a shop. It was also a buzzing place to go for a day or night out. Trains were packed at rush hour with people coming in to work. It is sad what has happened to our coastal towns.
It is a sad sight
do you still live in Lancaster> I am from there
@@Keep_Focus_UK Not now, I've been in cornwall for 30 odd years. Still remember all the pubs lol, great city. Still looked pretty good last time I passed through.
@@Keep_Focus_UK
I live in Lancaster.
@@ChristosChristophi-er7wi I recognise your name, did your parents own the chip shop near the market many years ago?
I’ve just started watching your videos and I’m finding them absolutely brilliant I’ve got a firsthand experience of living rough on the streets , I left the The Army after doing 12 years Service two tours of Iraq three tours of Afghanistan to come home to become homeless living on the streets of Blackpool, Shrewsbury ,Litchfield ,Nuneaton, Birmingham and Coventry so I can totally understand where you’re coming from I’m so glad you’re shining a light on this massive problem that the UK has. I’m now two years clean from crack and heroin and alcohol and you have inspired me to start my own UA-cam channel subject being poverty and homelessness and drug abuse keep up the good work.
Why is it after being in the army you got involved in drugs and drinking?
Thanks for coming to Blackpool and chucking a can of pop into the sea.. that’s just what we need 👍
He picked it up after.
I was just going to comment this! 😂
agree
@@pooooornopigeon did he? what would have happened if it rolled into the sea? disgusting behaviour
@@SJKeates He said in the comments he picked it up so you are being childish.
Holidayed a lot in Crystal Road 60,70,80s .Last time I was in Blackpool was 1998 I think. We visited the Pleasure Beach so much. Loved some of the rides and also used the many Bars scattered around. Great memories.
I am from the US and I was in Blackpool in the late 70's early 80's and I loved it. It def has changed through the years.
I just spent a few days there and saw many of the major sights. Was very pleasant and couldn't fault it. If you go looking for bad stuff though you'll inevitable find it, and that applies to most places.
That cafe with "pay forward" is a fantastic idea. I'm going to B/pool in summer and I will definitely go there to give support.
I still love going to Blackpool. We visit the cat cafe every time which is well worth going to. My parents live in Cleveleys so we visit regularly and despite the decline in the back streets its still a great place to go, the illuminations still draw people, piers and arcades are always busy in summer. The beach isn't usually littered with cars though.
Cleveleys is not exactly the life and soul of the party. Know it well. Aging population, deathly at night, a high street which is dying on its backside, and motability scooters galore. Never seen so many charity shops.
@@jasongray4517 it is definitely but its also peaceful and pleasant. Its close to Fleetwood beach and Blackpool. The estuary Park is beautiful. It has a bowling alley, cinema,parks and arcades. For such a small area Thornton and Cleveleys have a lot to do for young families and there's much less crime and dereliction. Scooter rage is the biggest hazard 🤣
@thewickedpixie63 To be fair, they've spent some money on the promenade, which is lovely. It's peaceful, clean and safe. It's also, to be frank, rather boring. Poulton-le-Fylde, however, is a lovely market town and a cracking night out.
@@jasongray4517 i guess it depends what you are after. Like you said all of Cleveleys is tucked in bed by 10 pm 😆. Its nice for a little family time. Less chaos than Blackpool, bit cheaper and safer. Whereas Blackpool has the bars ,booze and brawls. I'm too old to dodge the stag and hen parties now so I avoid it late evening. I still have a great fondness for the whole area though. Blackpool could be amazing again with proper investment and management in the town not just the promenade and tourist traps. The tower, the zoo, the sandcastle, Stanley Park etc it has lots to offer. Surely some of those monies can be ploughed into the hidden streets. Theres some brilliant architecture around. Art deco hotels lapsing into decay like aging old dames. Beautiful buildings in need of love and care. Its just a shame. Blackpool deserves a boost.
Been waiting for this video! I follow A walk on the wild side and looked you up after watching Stephen's video and ive became hooked on your chanel!
Thanks for coming over 🙏
Glaswegian, had many trips to Blackpool as a boy growing up in the 70s, the place was buzzing, all along the promenade was packed with holiday makers from all over the UK and you could stroll into the pleasure beach for nothing and pick your rides, the whole place was alive but now with cheap holidays to the sun its actually a lot cheaper to go abroad but has not just affected Blackpool but every seaside town, now they are just a wasteland for drifters , alkies and junkies.
That cheap pub just goes to show that if you charge less, you get more customers. Now if every retail shop/pub/restaurant etc adopted the same common sense, this country could start getting back on its feet. But instead greed has taken over. Great video Wendall 👍
Dirt cheap pubs have a lot of customers, but you get a lot of ruffians. You’re far less likely to get glassed in a pub that charges £7 per pint. I’ll only take my Mrs into expensive pubs just because I know it’s going to be safer, cleaner and a nicer environment.
They were awarded 40 million for a new college campus there, so that will definitely help! There will also be a new Sands Hotel and Spa, with the new entertainment museum on the first floor.
Blackpool still a magic place .Reminds of Margate
Rhyl and Western Super Mare should definitely be on your list, Wendell. New subscriber here and loving the vids.
One thing is for sure, it's not just money the deprived areas need. It's a deeper socio-economic, systemic problem, the solution to which is unbelievably complex. Generations have been left to rot after the death of UK industry and, I'd wager, the Government would prefer if those people just died out. But they didn't, and the communities held together by meaningful employment continued to procreate, each successive generation brought into a world with ever dwindling opportunities.
It's absolutely no wonder drink and drugs fill this void and anyone who looks down their nose and judges has either absolutely no idea how this has all happened or simply doesn't care (or both).
Documenting this is important but hugely depressing.
And Stephen can teach you some photography tips Wendall. He's a great guy. Lots of love from Canada.
Great bloke
Note, hardly any local accents.
Everyone only blames the council or government, but never takes responsibility for their own behaviour.
There's poverty in many countries, you can still be broke and be a respectful person without money.
@bobbobby9798
Spot on👍
I get sick of it. I left the UK nearly 20 years ago, but I still follow local groups on FB. All I ever see is whinging ,moaning, racism, and it is Never Their fault .I f you don't like something, get off your arse and do something about it? If a place is S*,it is because the people who live there allow it to be. And If the councils /Government do Nothing They voted them in? You getwhat you vote for. And you get out what you put in.
How is it the residents fault? If they aren't the landlord or HMO owners. They probably pay enough council tax so expect the town to be looked after better than it is. Other seaside towns are better kept. Councils are the one with the tax payers money and local plans not the residents. I'm not talking about druggies and criminals but I don't see how it's the average residents fault. Walk any town like UA-camrs do and you'll only meet those who aren't at work. Blackpool has a lot of people who moved there to escape somewhere else. Sadly it's not worked out for all of them. I don't hear local accents in my town centre either but most are normal people, shopping, students or working.. Its 2024. I'm not in favour of many of the changes to the UK in my 40 odd years but not all of us can afford to escape so make the best of it..
@@thathurt A ragged trousered philanthropist. For a start Councils get money from Central Government. They have been starving them which is why so many are going bankrupt .Secondly, People vote for the council, People vote for their MPs. So if they screw up, the People have only Themselves to blame .Getting it yet? And as for 'Other seaside towns do OK' they are mostly the Pretty ones, where wealthy 2nd home owners have forced local people Out. I hate Blackpool, but its decline is down to the voters.
@@thathurt because many residents chose to live like bad soap characters.
Plenty of poverty and hardship in the world,you can still be a respectful person without money.
Blackpool deserves a chance and the local council should make more of an effort beyond the promenade, it has offered much to many over the years as a holiday destination and entertainment venue but there is much more to it with those who live and work there all year round and contribute to keeping it going and I wish it and its lovely people well for the future. Thanks to Steve and Wendall for another great tour.
Still love Blackpool , aweome down to earth place full of character . Admittedly its in a time warp but its wholesome and super nice locals ❤
Blackpoo
I think the same, its a 7hr drive for me so that puts a stop to any regular trips, but we still load the car up every couple of years and make the trip with the kids. As you said, its down to earth, the people are nice, food and drink is cheap. Kids love the rides, the water park is one of the best in the uk. Its only 1hr to manchester/liverpool etc for other days out whilst in the area. Generally we always have a great week 👍
Im from a seaside town in dorset and blackpool seafront reminds me of back home 30yr ago when weymouth was still good
what a brilliant video, subscribed, i couldn't believe the price to get into the Pleasure Beach wow. Used to love coming to Blackpool with my family in the 80s and it was brilliant , it had such a great atmosphere but yeah then we started going to Spain cos of the square deals but it was never as much fun as Blackpool. Great video 👍
Black Pool looks like it has a lot of potential. The city council needs to set up a meeting with the citizens with ideas. Fire them, actually and get in some Independent parties.
There's loads of regeneration happening. Of course it's never quick enough but covid and cost of living haven't helped and haven't helped the poor either. It's on the up as a whole and it will take time to undo decades of mistakes and deprivation etc, but a corner has been turned.
@@MrJj86uk I think “a charming and quaint English historical” area is better than “industrial modern” regeneration. I’m only thinking of the sea shore area for tourist attractions, small business and community gatherings. I don’t want to deal with ugly modern buildings that should be farther away and for other uses, profitable business and modern progress. I’m sure that is needed, too, but tourist attractions should look like nostalgic paintings that you hang above the sofa. I think people in that shoreline area have fantastic memories and ideas and it would be great to implement them and work with willing city council and it would be great use of the money. Establishment parties seem to be set in their ways and far from the people. Smaller new political parties would be a nice local community change to use tax payer money wisely. It’s about preserving heritage and memories for future generations.
@@MrJj86uk - Regeneration. Lol. You'd need to spend at least a couple of billion to put Blackpool right. I'm not joking.
The decline is decades of cheap, foreign packaged holidays that's eviscerated the local economy coupled with a concomitant lack of investment, terrible local and national Govt policy and few opportunities.
I personally don't see it turning a corner and I'm there fairly frequently.
Why bother? they are milking the residents for tax and still blaming Thatcher....
@Jimbo8012 It does need a lot and is having a lot of investment. Maybe not the billions but significant amounts to make a difference.
The things happening will do that but yes ideally with far more cash you could make a difference sooner.
I'd say I know a bit about it being from there. It'll always have elements of deprivation but can be improved massively and is beginning to be.
20 million visitors a year is very very good, it's the most popular destination in the UK. Not bad for a 'finished town' as some people say. It gets far more than most places and has tons of attractions.
Tens of millions of investment, visual improvements and economic. Not as fast as we'd all want but it's happening. Some benefits will be fairly quick but others will take many years.
Visited Blacky every couple of years since being a toddler and will be going this year for the Lytham music festival . Been in the Ardwick a few times, used to go in the pleasure beach but stopped when you had to pay. Your video is a true reflexion .
lol evil Ardwick
I used to like walking around the pleasure beach for free but then go on a ride or two. I dont want to buy a book of tickets. It's more like a fun fair than a theme park.
As a kid with not much pocket money, you could just wonder around with a candy floss watching and dreaming.
They were driven onto the beach from the south.
And they were then cut off by the tides as both cars were road taxed and mot
I don’t know why they keep saying that away from the front is shit. Even the front is a shithole. If you think that police stations bad you should have seen the high rise flats they knocked down in 2000s.
That's Craig Cardwell outside the tattoo shop!
He's an absolutely amazing tatto artist! Check out his work!
I went to Blackpool in August, and you couldn't see the pavement because of people on the front street (promenade).😂🇬🇧
Im so glad you got together with A Walk on the Wild Side.
Great Vid...love the idea in the cafe of paying for someone's breakfast..🇬🇧🇬🇧✌✌
£6?
Excellent video Wendle really does show the depressing side of Blackpool at it’s worst. It’s just awful to see the deprivation and the homelessness on the streets. The state of some of the buildings is shocking. Parts of Blackpool are now receiving redevelopment and look superb especially around the North Station and new Holiday Inn areas. Other parts are in dire need or redevelopment Central Drive areas especially. Incidentally you couldn’t have been shown around Blackpool by a better guy, I’m one of Wildside Stephen’s channel members and moderators, fantastic guy. Cheap pint at The Ardwick I’ll remember that next time I’m in Blackpool.
Stephen is a diamond mate, I hope to work with him again in the summer. Thanks for watching.
Wendall. Would you please consider doing Portsmouth and Southsea at some point on your travels as I would love to see what you think of our great City by the Sea. Many thanks.
Sure will mate
And Eastleigh
I worked near Portsmouth earlier this year and visited a couple times it was aight but the beach was rubbish
Dont bother coming back then.@@Richard-ec8xy
Similar story on the Isle of Wight - loads of empty and burnt out hotels - some have been empty for years where developers have bought them and deliberately left them to rot. They want to build flats but the council won't let them. After a few years they mysteriously catch fire and just lay derelict. It's a disgrace.
❤ love it 😍 great job guys . Give me a shout in summer ☀️
Come to Liverpool Wendell mate you'll love it got everything here rough areas, posh areas, a lot going on
Never been to Blackpool and i doubt i ever will, but the state of the UK in parts of course is shocking. The GovT needs to do what they are there for .Take care and provide for the nation.
Want to see shocking...come to LA. USA.
Or Detroit from some of the videos I have seen!@@margaretthatcher6828
Take care and provide for the nation? Its like a queue, they pay off and give contracts to those that got them in power, then the City gets bonuses and their lot when Tories in, then International companies get some good deals to keep their companies employing Brits, then the core voting base get some care, then international power and policies,then maybe a dogfight for few quid for public services and migration and childcare. Then leave it up to the councils to handle the rest...
Care for the nation, not since 2008.
@@JoolsUK
Don't give up. Many actions by recent governments of both parties amount to the serious crime of treason - the deliberate and calculated destruction of a country. In coming months you will see this play out. It will be an interesting time as we watch politicians paying for what they have done.
Heartbreaking. So many towns in your videos Wendall like this gone beyond the point of no return. Hard to see things turning out well. Poor old Britain.
People say I’m choosing the worst places to film, but as you can see there is a vast choice of broken towns. Maybe it’s a widespread problem 🤔
Stephen should know and should had said that the Police station is going to be demolished it’s common knowledge to make way for a new mega entertainment complex!!!
@21:00 that police station is the same design as the one in Skelmersdale. Although ours was refurbished last year
I think what people also forget how many local people were employed by TVR ENGINEERING back in the day that helped the area. Keep up the good vids
Not that many
In the late fifties and early sixties, our family went to Blackpool every year at Wakes week and stayed in the same seafront small hotel. We played on the beach, went on the piers, walked the prom, and had a picnics and boat rides at Peaseholm Park and of course ,the Pleasue beach. Then there was the magical Tower ballroom with Reginald Dixon along with his Wurlitzer appearing from beneath the floor. Yes, Blackpool in those days was just a fantastic place to have your holiday and millions families did just that. In a way, Those days are gone forever
This and your other videos show just how bad things are in this country and you should be applauded for your work. Years of neglect have led to some parts of the UK left with no hope for the future. It's a shame we can't play a montage of your videos in the House of Commons so politicians can see just how far our country has sunk on their watch. The tragedy is, in each of the places you've visited there are good, decent people doing their best and their voices never get heard.
I was up there last week with my grandson, we had a great time on the beach playing, guess the waves (runners or stoppers) lol. I do remember visiting with mum and dad and it's obviously changed a lot. I found the people were friendly. There is a lot of unfortunate people who obviously have problems. It's a shame the way the council has let the place get to the state it's in. Another great report Wendell and Steve is a brilliant ambassador for Blackpool. I, for one, will keep visiting
Welcome to tory Britain 🇬🇧
For me personally, going to Blackpool as a kid main reason why i love going here was for the Doctor Who Exhibition late 70s to mid 80s and later start 2000s but during the times wasn't there especially defore 2004 return to TV. Has been going down hill for me still visit especially past few years alot down side of Blackpool houses, shops boared up and buildings deterring over the years sadly and puts people coming to Blackpool plus weather doesn't help to compare to Benidorm etc.
Things will never change if this government keeps spending our taxes on other things and not its own citizens 🇬🇧🏴
Had some great times there back in the 70s and 80s and it makes me feel so sad to see it how it's declined over the years...
Went there in a bus trip in the 80s. Me and a mate missed the bus home and ended up sleeping in a police car in the police carpark overnight. Class time
You sound like fun
Really interesting video this Wendall. I wrote my masters dissertation on the decline of Blackpool 10 years ago and it would seem nothing has changed!
Apart from the obvious (the rise of international package holidays), seaside towns are often in isolated locations with poor transport links. Their economies haven’t evolved and still depend on the 19th/20th century model of tourism. The problem with this is that most people who visit nowadays are usually day trippers and those on lower income households with limited spending power. The tourism model also operates on a seasonal basis of just six months per year. All of this coupled with a 180 degree area of land (the other half being the sea) results in the problems you witness.
So what’s to be done? In its simplest form, the government and local councils need to attract significant inward investment into the areas and move away from tourism as their primary economic function. This should in turn bring about much needed regeneration. Without that important economic activity, these places will never get out of the spiral of decline. The same goes for so many other seaside towns around the country.
I moved away from Blackpool in 2005 - the tyrannical council, Policing, wardens and pseudo-authorities got too much
My business supplied about 30 places in in/around the area, and there were some *SIGHTS* to be seen in the early morning hours !
Unemployment, drink & drugs has also ruined the place - staff turnover was ridiculous . . . . . one lad came for a job interview for a driving job, with an open can of beer in his hand - i kid you not
And the town centre is now all betting-shops, vape shops, tattooists, Turkish barbers, charity shops, vacant places and dirty takeaways - Local don't even go there
Did he get the job ? 😂😂😂😂😂
Ha ha ha ha, strangely No 😆 . . . . & not just ANY beer either, but that one in in a brown can that's extra strong (is it called 'strong, or special brew' ???)
That said, the enthusiastic new driver who DID get the job, ended up putting my lovely new Iveco Turbo daily (still being paid for on finance) into a ditch down a country road, when trying to squeeze past another vehicle . . . . . then 2 couple of weeks after that put petrol in by mistake, and damaged the engine - Aaaaargh
Sigh - Glad that expensive & stressful 'Era' of my life is past, that's for sure
@@golic7123 Yes it's not as easy running a business as people think.
Turkish barbers deserve some love
Is the Peugeot still available 😂😂
The beautiful places get lots of attention. You are bearing witness to people's struggle and you're right, that's important.
The whole of the UK is rundown, I can show you places in Norwich that are just as bad, if you are ever this way take a look at Anglia Square and Magdalen Street….
Managed Decline came to You hey 🥴
My grandfather used to take us, his 5 grandchildren, to Blackpool for the lights being turned on. That was in the late 60s and early 70s and it was a fun, in fact exciting, place to go to in those days.
He just slags the town off... Blackpool has invested millions . All those drunks arnt even local people you can tell from the accents.
Invested millions? Apart from the promenade, where's the investment?
It's a sh*thole, simple as that and if you can't call that out then maybe you're part of the problem.
I mean the bookies don't exactly care who has the gambling addictions as long as the house gets its edge
I agree ..I've been to Blackpool..the people who behave bad ..do not come from Blackpool..full of stag and hen party's, he seems to make videos on the obvious.
Incredible! Anthony Burgess' Clockwork Orange comes to mind. Did you happen to see a Durango 95 on its roof?
What a depressing place
Another great and informative video mate.. It's so so sad, the amount of deprecation across our country is awful.. Thank you for documenting this important issue.
Excellent vlog. Blackpool sums up this country at utter shit hole.
It ain’t getting better overall mate
@@WendallExplores so frustrating being born & bred here and watching everything turn to shit. The state of our roads dodging the pot holes. Scandalous
Absolutely 💯 per cent 😢
If you think Britian is a shithole, get your passport and go and see the world. I'm currently writing this from the Philippines, a genuinely deprived country 🤡.
21:09 to be fair though this entire area is being transformed massively over the next few years. They have already just about finished the new carpark that you can see in the background at 20:59
We do not have destroyed old cars on the beach thankyou very much ! That car was the result of a thick guy who had parked his car on the beach. So get your facts right .
Be quiet it was joyriden and got rallied on the beach. Ive heard about how the kids was posting it all on their socials on the night.
Or perhaps a thick woman Janet.
My God, I’ve so many happy memories of family holidays at Blackpool in the 70’s/80’s. It was a magical place - The lights, toy shops, tower, Pleasure Beach, arcades - just amazing. But now, it’s so rundown. Loads of hotels and guest houses, not just closed or boarded up but derelict. The entire place needs a wash and that includes the Pleasure Beach.