Husband isn't happy I have booked a weekend in Blackpool...

[ringsingling]

Next weekend he said he fancied going away in the UK for two nights.
I asked him where he fancied and he's words were "I don't care ,just a nice break with you "
We haven't been away since July when we went to Cyprus so thought a little trip was a nice idea.
I looked at Edinburgh and hotels were so overpriced
Found a b&b in Blackpool for £130 for two nights with breakfast.
Reviews said it was nice.
Obviously it's a no frills b&b but I don't care.

I used to go to Blackpool every year with my mum and she passed away when I was 13 (now I'm 30) and honestly it was the place with all my happy memories.
I know the back is run down now but I thought it would be nice.
I found a couple of nice bars -bloom bar and beach club or beach bar.

Anyway told husband and he isn't happy
He said he didn't mind ...then I book and he's miserable

Is it that bad now ?
I just thought a couple of cheesy days
Maybe do madam tuzaards,the tower etc
I just want to go to remember my mum too,walk past the hotel we used to stay at.
It's still open

Or he could have done the legwork and shown the OP.

Love it! Old school seaside shit chic!

Seriously though, I wouldn't be impressed either. Although DP has just booked a long weekend away for my birthday in a few months. Hopefully I'm not going to Blackpool too 😂

I was born and grew up there 40 years ago. It was a fantastic seaside resort and great for all the family then, and I have some great memories. But I went back there 5 years ago with DP and it is an absolute shit hole.

Drunks puking up in the street at 10am, brawling and arguing all day long. Dirty grim pubs, so much boarded up. It really is horrific.

Oh give over everyone. Blackpool is what you make of it. Try the spyglass bar and white tower restaurant. Blackpool tower it’s great, afternoon tea in the ballroom is nice, and if it’s nice weather sit on the beach. You can also get a train into lytham for many more nice bars and restaurants. People that say it’s a shot hole either can’t afford the better bars/hotels or are raging snobs.

I was there a couple of weekends ago, just for about 90 minutes on a Friday night. First time visiting. You'd have to pay me to go back. The pier by the tower was nice. The prom side was OK...

But the walk from the train station was lairy as all hell. We saw one bar we might have gone in on the prom walkway side. Friends spent the weekend there and hated it. And yes they did go on a tram.

I felt intimidated, it was run down, open drug dealing....boarded up places, sick everywhere, people fighting.

But on the other hand there were people there on a night out obviously having a whale of a time....

I lived in Blackpool until I was 28, still work there now, so all you folks calling it a dump and a shithole please be kind. (It's an absolute dive, full of druggies and drunks)
But head to Lytham or StAnnes if he hates it, only a few miles away and really nice.

Dh was being tricky, but I'd still have said "I've decided on Blackpool" before booking it, especially as it is probably not at all what most people would choose for a nice weekend away with a partner, more a boozy weekend with mates or a fish and chips / amusements with the DCs type break.

I would defo pull my face if I suggested a couple days away and my partner chose bloody blackpool 😂

Selfish of you to book Blackpool with your DH because of memories of your mum. Book a nicer place & go to Blackpool on your own.

I would question how well DH actually knew me if he suggested it

I'm wondering if this is a rare example of weaponised incompetence by a female actually 😂.

If so, go OP! Have a great time, wallow in your memories, ignore your DH's moans and suggest he takes the lead on the next trip.

Extra points if the accommodation is non-refundable.

Yep agree with PP that Blackpool is a complete shithole. I'd refuse to go if DH had booked a room honestly. Luckily DH hates it more than me.

I think it’s more like malicious compliance! Serves the DH right for being so non-committal 😂

@Sinisterdexter this one? 🙈

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgjv02z24z6o

Hmm... I never went as a child, so I don't know what it used to be like. We've been a couple of times recently, including last year, and it just seemed to be very run down and deprived.
I didn't get a good feeling walking around. I saw this couple who looked like drug addicts with a screaming toddler in a pushchair. The mum was repeatedly punching the dad in the face! It wasn't a one off. There were lots of similar scenes of deprivation that made me feel quite depressed.
Is Lytham St Anne's an option? It's the classier neighbour of Blackpool. We've stayed there a few times and it feels quite pleasant and safe. You can drive to Blackpool in about 15 minutes (if you want to go for old times sake).

I really hate Blackpool sorry - but he did say he didn't mind so he can't complain, I'm sure you'll have fun when you're there

In your scenario , if I genuinely wasn’t bothered where we went, I would still expect my DH to confirm with me before pressing the “book “ button. To then find out Im going somewhere a bit grim, that would compound my pissed off-ness if I hadn’t been given the chance to say “ No , what the hell are you thinking!?”

Me, DP and DD went to Blackpool for a few days last year, DP wanted to go as she'd gone a lot as a child. We made the most of it, I love Rollercoasters so enjoyed the Pleasure Beach, and DP and DD enjoyed afternoon tea at the ballroom.

Aside from the it really is the most dreary depressing place though. It's just so run down and deprived. I suggested it because I knew DP wanted to go back there, but I'm glad it was only a small part of a longer holiday. I can't imagine I'd had been particularly chuffed if I'd had it sprung on me as a surprise!

On the plus side, it did mean I got to go "I recognise that restaurant!" when I saw the god awful Reform party rap video a few months ago.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8xqzjq

Blackpool is vile! Yuck

We had some Australian friends who went to Blackpool because they’d heard great things about the illuminations. Honestly , they were pale imitations of themselves when they got back!

I grew up there. The sunset is nice. The fresh breeze is nice. I miss both of those things daily.
However, despite its best efforts over the years, any big road going east is the best thing about Blackpool

He's put you in a crappy situation because of his disinterest so to now get pissy about where you've chosen is unfair.

But, that aside, I can understand him not wanting to go to Blackpool in late September. It's not even the height of summer so it will be pretty dreary in a basic b&b.

There's a compromise between super expensive Edinburgh and Blackpool.

I get you want to revisit places you'd been with your mum but that's your memories and not his so I can understand him not wanting to base the weekend around that.

Ultimately though, this is a lesson that he needs to be more involved in planning stuff!

Has Blackpool gone downhill over the years? Dh once surprised me and the dses with a trip to Blackpool - he booked a hotel and a babysitter, so he and I could go out in the evening. We took the boys to the Pleasure Beach during the day, and rode on the trams, and then he and I had a meal in the hotel and went back to the Pleasure beach on our own.

It didn't strike me as run down or a dump - it wasn't a sophisticated destination, but I didn't expect it to be - it was kitsch and fun, and we all had a good time. But that was some decades ago (all the boys are grown up now, and one is a dad himself), so I can only assume that Blackpool has gone downhill since then.

I do think that, if, like @ringsingling's dh, you can't be bothered to engage with the choosing and planning part of a holiday, you don't get to pull faces or sulk if you don't like what the other person chooses. He didn't even have to be fully involved in the planning - he could have given outlines of what he'd like and dislike. Though maybe she should have said "I've found the Bide A Wee guesthouse in Blackpool - do you fancy that?"

Blackpool is what it is you can wonder down back streets looking for boarded up houses going out of your way to make it a shit experience or Stick to the front
go to Lytham for a wonder round even Weatherspoon the velvet coaster opposite the sandcastle on prom is lovely
there’s shows on at the winter gardens and grand theatre also there’s viva show bar that’s a seated venue that’s ok

wouldn’t bother with Freeport’s or whatever it’s called now

Jesus, as a person who grew up there NEVER go to the back streets. ALWAYS stay on the front. Maybe go to the main shops in town but NEVER go anywhere where there isn't a lot of people.