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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder if blackpool is as bad as they say?

226 replies

Chefpig · 02/02/2026 08:37

I'm hoping to plan a short break somewhere and blackpool is cheap. Is it as bad as people say though?

OP posts:
Disturbia81 · 02/02/2026 21:25

glassof · 02/02/2026 19:32

Completely used to it! It's a town full of deprivation, with a great community spirit. So much money is put into the town. I know this thread was about the tourist side but for the locals, we have the biggest increase of children being school ready, best improving numbers for breastfeeding, vaccination uptake, and improved outcomes for children. I work for a lottery funded 10 year project, and it's been bloody hard but the town is doing so much better. People see it as a forgotten seaside town but it's really doing so much better

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That’s great to hear. As a tourist I loved it. Very clean, lovely beach, so much to do, great places to eat. It’s so funny how differently people can see things.

ruethewhirl · 02/02/2026 22:07

glassof · 02/02/2026 19:32

Completely used to it! It's a town full of deprivation, with a great community spirit. So much money is put into the town. I know this thread was about the tourist side but for the locals, we have the biggest increase of children being school ready, best improving numbers for breastfeeding, vaccination uptake, and improved outcomes for children. I work for a lottery funded 10 year project, and it's been bloody hard but the town is doing so much better. People see it as a forgotten seaside town but it's really doing so much better

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As a former resident of the area I'm really pleased to read this! It's been saddening to see the difficulties the town has been going through.

Grammarnut · 02/02/2026 22:31

Pasta4Dinner · 02/02/2026 18:45

It seems like such had forward planning in favour of short term gain. I absolutely think there is a market for it. But yes like someone said it’s too big now.
Ive never been, we went to Great Yarmouth as kids. I remember a colleague going nearly 30 years ago on a family stag do and there were people having sex in the car park in the middle of the day, that kinda sealed my view I’d never go.

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I've never seen sex in a carpark in all the years I have been in Blackpool. However, I have seen drunks late at night - mainly hen and stag do's. The week-end to avoid at all costs is the Young Farmers, they are hooligans apparently (I avoid this week-end) and cause damage and disturbance. Punks, dancers, pigion fanciers all ok. One can see shows at the Grand at far lower prices than London and this includes the RSC (saw a production of The Constant Wife 2 weeks ago - very good), as well as international ballet companies etc. The fireworks in September are wonderful and pull huge crowds.

Slightyamusedandsilly · 02/02/2026 22:52

Starlight1979 · 02/02/2026 09:07

The beaches are gorgeous.

Are you sure you were in Blackpool?!?!

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Not my photograph, but definitely what I saw.

To wonder if blackpool is as bad as they say?
ShowMeTheSea · 02/02/2026 22:54

Mommo · 02/02/2026 19:24

But you don’t have to go anywhere do you? And staying at home would be a far wiser option. I don’t want my child to see drug dealers, people publicly self harming and people having sex in a car park. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable.

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I've literally never seen any of that and I've been quite a lot. If this thread's anything to go by I must go around with my eyes closed 😁

JohnofWessex · 02/02/2026 23:53

They dont run the vintage trams in regular service any more and the SS Manxman no longer sails from Fleetwood (Or Llandudno) to Douglas

Its the land that taste forgot

narcASD · 03/02/2026 00:05

Went last year with my kids, had such great memories of it and was so disappointed, run down, no places to eat other than burger, pizza, kebab shops, I'm far from posh but really wouldn't go back there.

Floatlikeafeather2 · 03/02/2026 00:09

LividArse · 02/02/2026 08:40

Yes, it’s very tatty, run down.

The area is very poor. And at this time of year it will be FREEZING. Like, uncomfortably cold along the sea front.

St Anne’s down the way is a bit more salubrious.

It might be more salubrious but it's just as cold at this time of year!

tiredlazydoesntmatter · 03/02/2026 00:13

Mommo · 02/02/2026 15:47

It’s worse than people say. It really is eye opening. It’s the sort of place every A level geography class should go to for a field trip of unban deprivation. The deprivation is really visual. We stayed in one of the better hotels. There were still people in the breakfast buffet in their PJs. WTF! I have never seen the likes of it. 🤮

My ex partner was an A level teacher for Geography in a very comfortable middle class area in SE over 30 years ago.
He arranged a field trip to Blackpool for the children to understand how other people live!

RedToothBrush · 03/02/2026 00:15

Chefpig · 02/02/2026 08:37

I'm hoping to plan a short break somewhere and blackpool is cheap. Is it as bad as people say though?

Worse!

You can still have a good time there but god it's awful.

ThejustbrothersCarlenaNSoul · 03/02/2026 00:59

Look on you tube ,there's a local guy that walks about filming the streets etc.
It will give you an idea of what you could be getting into.

DallazMajor · 03/02/2026 03:26

Meh it is what it is. Don’t bother at this time of year though it’s depressing AF.

If you go when the season starts stay at South Shore or St Anne’s. There are plenty of buses trams that will take you upto the Tower etc.

Thechaseison71 · 03/02/2026 08:17

narcASD · 03/02/2026 00:05

Went last year with my kids, had such great memories of it and was so disappointed, run down, no places to eat other than burger, pizza, kebab shops, I'm far from posh but really wouldn't go back there.

Had the fish and chips places gone then? That's traditional seaside food

Thechaseison71 · 03/02/2026 08:19

Grammarnut · 02/02/2026 22:31

I've never seen sex in a carpark in all the years I have been in Blackpool. However, I have seen drunks late at night - mainly hen and stag do's. The week-end to avoid at all costs is the Young Farmers, they are hooligans apparently (I avoid this week-end) and cause damage and disturbance. Punks, dancers, pigion fanciers all ok. One can see shows at the Grand at far lower prices than London and this includes the RSC (saw a production of The Constant Wife 2 weeks ago - very good), as well as international ballet companies etc. The fireworks in September are wonderful and pull huge crowds.

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Haha I've seen drunks at night in Tunbridge Wells. Not restricted to Blackpool

thefamous5 · 03/02/2026 08:20

The one and only time ive been, my husband was propositioned by a prostitute before we had even left the car park - in front of me ans my children!

Mommo · 03/02/2026 08:40

Thechaseison71 · 02/02/2026 19:35

What about the kids who live in areas with those issues? Or don't those kids matter?

I've been to Blackpool for illumations. It's not fancy but ok for an overnight stay . Think I stated at a caravan park in Fleetwood when kids were small to take them to see the illuminations

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I like to think most members of the public would still call the police if they saw drug dealing, self harm or sex in broad daylight anywhere. I certainly would be.

Thechaseison71 · 03/02/2026 08:42

Mommo · 03/02/2026 08:40

I like to think most members of the public would still call the police if they saw drug dealing, self harm or sex in broad daylight anywhere. I certainly would be.

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So irrelevant to Blackpool in particular then

Thechaseison71 · 03/02/2026 08:43

thefamous5 · 03/02/2026 08:20

The one and only time ive been, my husband was propositioned by a prostitute before we had even left the car park - in front of me ans my children!

Good job you dont go to Pattaya then lol. I had one of the girls tell me that would look after him , give him a good time and return him safely lol

thefamous5 · 03/02/2026 08:52

Thechaseison71 · 03/02/2026 08:43

Good job you dont go to Pattaya then lol. I had one of the girls tell me that would look after him , give him a good time and return him safely lol

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😆 I was just gobsmacked. I come from a pretty dodgy area so not naive but it absolutely took me aback! My older two are teenagers so they just thought it was quite funny (not the fact that women are resorting to do this, just that their dad was asked in front of them!) But trying to brush off what a 'blowie' was and that daddy absolutely did not want one for £25 to the younger two was slightly awkward!

aWeeCornishPastie · 03/02/2026 08:54

I have never been and reading this thread confirms that I never will

Disturbia81 · 03/02/2026 09:06

Clearly none of the naysayers have been to beautiful York on a weekend in the early hours..

bumphousebump · 03/02/2026 09:26

Disturbia81 · 03/02/2026 09:06

Clearly none of the naysayers have been to beautiful York on a weekend in the early hours..

I agree that most towns and cities are fairly awful approximations of zombie films once you get into the wee hours of a weekend. But in Blackpool it seems to be 24 hours....

Disturbia81 · 03/02/2026 09:31

bumphousebump · 03/02/2026 09:26

I agree that most towns and cities are fairly awful approximations of zombie films once you get into the wee hours of a weekend. But in Blackpool it seems to be 24 hours....

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I was there a week through the day times and didn’t see that at all. Not doubting that others have though. But I would definitely go back.

ByWarmShark · 03/02/2026 09:46

It really isn't as bad as the horrified middle class of mumsnet says. We had a perfectly pleasant, in fact rather lovely, seaside holiday there and saw no horrors. There was some visible poverty but it's no bad thing for kids to understand that not everywhere is Blackheath.

ByWarmShark · 03/02/2026 09:46

The kids want to go back. I'd quite like to go back too.