To think Blackpool might be best left in my memories?

[Lovethissweater]

About 20 years ago I went to Blackpool as a teenager.

We spent a few days there and did the Sandcastle waterpark, the Tower and circus, the Pleasure beach, Madame Tussaud's, we rode the trams and went in the arcades. It was tacky but fun and I don't remember it being that rough or run down, but I probably wouldn't have noticed as a teenager.

Every now and then I think "I bet my kids would love Blackpool", they'd love the tower and the waterpark, then I google the place and read how everyone says it's an utter dive and run down, really rough and full of drinks and addicts and I think perhaps it's better I leave Blackpool as a nice memory in the past!

I really want to take my boys just to go up the tower to the glass bottom bit. That's pretty much it though, probably not worth the 4 hour round trip!

My memories of blackpool sticks of rock and the lights and pleasure beach are all good fun but even as a kid it felt "dirty". No one at school bragged about going there unless it was to go on the pepsi max - which was worth it as a teen!

I'm taking my boys to Reighton Sands this year. I loved the Entire Yorkshire East Coast as a kid, had tons of adventures and really want similar memories for them.

We went a lot of kids and I have great memories of being on the Pepsi max with my hands in the air, hearing my mum shouting at me to grab a hold of the handlebars and wo betide me when I got off. We would go see the illuminations, have fish and chips on the beach and ice cream. I have not been back since my teens and am not keen to stay there simply because it has more of a reputation for being a stag or hen do type place than family oriented.I would probably do a day trip from Manchester.

I remember going every other year growing up. However the last few times made me think it was a dump. Run down, dirty and scruffy looking people put me off bringing my kids there.

Since being a small child when my DPs took me and DB, I've loved it and have taken my DC every year since they were born to see the lights. It's always been a tradition and I've got such fond memories - DH hates it but has always come along.

However, when we last went in October, I can honestly say it was the first time I've ever felt scared there. I couldn't wait to leave - so much so, we didn't even wait for the lights to switch on, we just got in the car and drove home. I'm not sure we'll be back in a hurry and it makes me feel quite sad to say that!

I love it. We always go just before the English school break up for the summer though, when it's a bit quieter.
Because we aren't keen on drinking and we have younger children, we either stay in the North shore area or we get a caravan at Fleetwood and use the tram.
We always go to the zoo, the circus, the sea life centre and Coronation Rock (the factory still does a free tour I think and we'll do that as well this year). Other than that we also go to Farmer Parr's in Fleetwood and every so often we go to Yorkshire for Diggerland I can take or leave diggers, but the drive is worth it for the scenery).
It's like loads of other places in that you pick and choose the areas that are suitable for you. I've never seen anything upsetting or really seedy, but perhaps that's just coincidence.

It’s fucking hideous, worst place I’ve ever been by a country mile

Unbelievably run down, full of junkies and whole streets (not just doorways) stink of piss.

It’s not a charming but tacky British seaside town, it’s awful.

The pleasure beach is fantastic. Loadsa great rides close together, I rate it over Disneyland Paris where you have to pay loads more and walk miles and queue for hours for so much less. The rest of Blackpool is okay taken with good humour. Stay for one or two nights max in one of the biggest/best hotels (Cliffs, Imperial, that one that's part of the Pleasure Beach) and calibrate expectations (nothing fancy and minimal vitamins) and you'll have the fun you remember. It's really not changed much at all. We've taken the kids (from london, age 8 & 11ish) for a couple of years for a weekend before heading up to the Lakes. It's been fab, taken in the right spirit.

I grew up there, used to teach there and still live a short distance away.

In summer it can be really lovely, the beach is nice now, Stanley Park is gorgeous and the pleasure beach is good for the price, but there is a lot of deprivation. The merlin stuff is overpriced but fun for a one off.

The PP who mentioned about sex offenders is right, and for most of the time I was teaching neither the police or SS seemed to care at all about the plethora of suspected grooming/taking advantage cases we reported, though that was thankfully changing as I left. Generally for visitors I would say the danger is minimal, but I don’t think I’d be able to bring myself to go to Sandcastle.

I never felt particularly unsafe walking even past the drunks and the people begging, you’ll be asked for change a lot but ignoring or saying “no cash mate sorry” was accepted.

I loved Blackpool for a weekend away with the girls as a teen and now at 34 I've taken my kids for the day or a weekend. It's great fun they loved it. So what if it's run down most seaside resorts are. It is what you make it.

I was born in Lytham and grew up within half an hour of Blackpool.

When I was a kid, 40 odd years ago it was brilliant. Good family fun, lots to see and do, and we had regular days out there and in my late teens plenty of weekends away staying in a b and b, usually cheap and cheerful but clean and friendly and safe.

Over the years on infrequent visits I have seen utter decline. My last visit two years ago will be my last.

As others have said, even during the day the streets, pubs, cafes are full of vomiting, fighting, drug addled scumbags. Not something you want to expose your kids to or even see yourself. It doesn't feel safe, it's not family friendly. The streets are full of litter and vomit. It's fucking awful.

YANBU

I was thinking the same thing just this morning. As a child in the 70s Blackpool was the ultimate holiday and not a cheap option. My dad was self employed. Poor years and we'd be in a caravan in a farmer's field in North Wales. Good years and we'd be in Blackpool. I loved it, but I can't imagine wanting to take my kids there now.

I live near blackpool.

It is quite run down and rough but the main attractions are ok eg the pleasure beach, sandcastle etc. If you go a street or two back from the prom it is awful but you’d be unlikely to do that. There are a lot of stag and hen parties in the town centre but the pleasure beach etc are slightly away from the worst. There is sadly a lot of homelessness and addiction.

My advice would be if you do want to go stay in st annes or lytham (which are both lovely) and only go into blackpool to visit the specific main attractions and avoid the centre as much as possible. Stanley park is lovely and the zoo is ok if you are not against them.

St annes is a great place in its own right in the summer with a pier, donkeys on the beach, a splash park and a nice normal park and lytham is really nice.

Waves at Dartmoor as I live in lytham

Me and DS went last year. Did the pleasure beach a skate park the sandcastle and illuminations and it was great

We live less than an hour away.
This year was the first violence I've seen (in a bingo place no less).
We tend to go right at the end of the season normally though and we didn't this time.
Park in Sainsbury's at bispham, eat at the bispham chippy and walk through the tablos. Occasionally down to central pier. Then walk back.
As a kid the pleasure beach was open at night in the illuminations that was great!
Ps sack the big one get on the grand national

I've been twice, once I stayed in Marton Mere Haven park which is basic but great for kids and the other time got exceptionally cheap rooms in the Travelodge next to the pleasure beach.

It had definitely gone downhill the last time I was there a couple of years ago. There were homeless people trying to flog you some kind of dodgy magazine (not the Big Issue) and I was approached in the street and asked for money. I didn't see the hen and stags during the day and never ventured out at night.

You do need to be careful booking accommodation as a lot of places are dives or have hen and stags but there is still some decent family friendly stuff out there.

The attractions are still great, I like the Pleasure Beach, the zoo, walking up the proms and the tower. I would go again for a couple of days but not longer.

I went 4 years ago and enjoyed it. Used to go alot as a kid. Still take your kids and stop listening to other people's opinions.

Google would've said the exact same thing 20 years ago yet you still enjoyed it when you went.

I know people say Lytham and St Anne's are lovely but they're really dull.

I can see Blackpool across the bay from where we live, if it's a clear day. That's as close as I want to get as the couple of times we've been it's not been an enjoyable experience.

Horses for courses though; I know some people love it!

Kids adore it you will see it for its seedy truth but worth it for the kids

The promenade is still your typical seaside front. It's if you venture to inner Blackpopl that it gets quite quite seedy and run down.
My kids absolutely love it there and we do the same as what you described. We stayed last year for 3 nights costing very little and had just as much fun as we would going abroad. They even dared the Blackpool Dungeon which was fab. There was hardly any hen or stag dos and we ate in a cheap but tasty Wetherspoons. I might've spent the majority of money on the fudge I bought each evening to eat back at the B&B. I think you should go. It still retains it's charm for some but I understand why others might not like it.

I LOVE Blackpool! We don't go with kids thoughjust me and hubby! Always go to the circus at least 3 times a yearalways different and use Tesco vouchers -It's amazing some class acts. We stay at a lovely B+B just behind our favourite night out Peek-A-Booze ( 3 nights stay £45) spotless clean rooms, where they have the best drag acts drinks are really cheap and so much fun people watching. Just along from there is Ma Kellys where there is a different act every hour-from 11am to 3am -again cheap drink and good people watching. Yes, there are homeless and begging but not as bad as Liverpool when we went there..So I don't know about taking kids there, but for an adult break away its brilliant. We go up to Fleetwood for lovely fish and chips and
and Cleveleys? just above Blackpool has loads of the best charity shops--all on the flat which is important to me as I'm disabled..

Kid still love it though !

Such a shame, I watched a programme today titled how the Victorians built Britain, based on the origins of Blackpool and how pioneering it was at the time, especially the piers and the tower. I've not been for several years I'm tempted to now visit for the historical aspect, the Imperial Hotel was built for the upper classes in the Victorian times.