A feast of fun in Blackpool and Preston

Entrance doors to this hallowed place give no hint of the magic that’s about to sweep you away.

As a “big” birthday treat I was set for an afternoon tea in the iconic Tower Ballroom, under the mighty Victorian iron beacon which dominates Blackpool’s skyline.

Tea and cake and cuppas galore were certainly on the agenda – but how often do you walk in to something so wonderful that it leaves you transfixed?

A kaleidoscope of sound, colour and movement hits you the second you enter and are ushered to your table.

For just yards away, a party is in full swing with dozens of beautifully dressed couples dancing the afternoon away, in effortless precision, on a “sprung” wooden floor for which The Tower Ballroom is famous.

A mighty Wurlitzer organ and an organist provided the musical backdrop alongside the dainty sandwiches and cakes.

More of Blackpool, the Tower, its ballroom – and my jaw-dropping surprise later … but this story begins in nearby Preston, a place I’d wanted to visit for years. Two nights here and two by the sea was the break in prospect.

Just 15 miles of rich farmland separates the Golden Jubilee City of Preston from its Golden Mile seaside neighbour.

Blackpool has been much-loved by generations of holidaymakers but Preston, closer to foothills of the Pennines, is often by-passed in the rush to the coast or Lake District.

Preston sits on the tidal River Ribble and its docks, accessible at high water, have a rich and colourful history.

After World War Two, when fruit was in short supply, banana boats crossed from the Caribbean with tons of the chilled and still-green crop. They were unloaded in Preston where steam-heated railway wagons allowed them to ripen on their way to markets across the country.

The docks closed in 1981 and the land is now used for businesses, supermarkets, and a very special preserved railway.

Hop aboard the steam railway

The Ribble Steam Railway, currently set for the Christmas season and trainloads of Santa Specials, is a gem.

Around 40 ex-industrial steam and diesel locos from the 20th and 19th century are loved and cared for in their second life. There’s even one of the aforementioned banana-ripening wagons.

Preston, home to one of the West Coast rail line’s iconic railway stations, has trains for every direction, including neighbouring Blackpool.

Star attraction is the Harris Museum, a cultural jewel, where a full day of pottering through the galleries and exhibitions might well leave you wanting more.

Extra joy of the Harris, in the Flag Market, is that its founder, lawyer Edmund Robert Harris, has forever ensured free entry for all. In 1877 he left Preston Corporation £300,000 as the first step.

Today, 350,000 visitors are drawn here each year – there’ll be more this year as a stunning Wallace and Gromit exhibition is open until January 4.

Today’s museum guardians hope to provide: “an inclusive and welcoming environment where people can come together to experience the richness of arts, culture and knowledge, explore new ideas and connect with a community.”

Preston is alive with shops, malls and restaurants – including the beautifully lit Indian Street food sensation Mowgli – and is western gateway to the natural beauty of the Trough and Forest of Bowland, surely a contender for Britain’s next national park?

Keep smiling (and dancing)

Blackpool provided us many smiles, starting with the unexpected magic of the ballroom afternoon tea.

As the Wurlitzer played and the dancers glided, there was a pause – the host called for a Happy Birthday chorus for yours truly!

I tried to hide behind the cake stand but he was having none of it and called for me to take a bow!

The Strictly Come Dancing team rave about Blackpool – this year the cast and crew arrive tonight for a special show which has been talked of for weeks.

It will be hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s final Blackpool bow too.

There are many attractions under the Tower umbrella, not least a chance to use the SkyRide, which reaches close to the pinnacle at 518 feet.

As most will know there’s so much to see in Blackpool, but until January the annual Illuminations adds an extra sparkle.

Six wonderful promenade miles of a light show attract bumper extra crowds once the warmth of summer has gone.

Showbiz connection

We found time to visit a new exhibition – Showtown, which chronicles Blackpool’s long association with summer shows on the resort’s three piers and the renowned ABC theatre. From Ken Dodd and Cilla Black, to the Fab Four and George Formby, this is an excellent addition.

There was also a history lesson – pictures, posters and cuttings on the evacuation to Blackpool of tens of thousands of people in wartime.

Blackpool thrived in World War Two with its three stations able to receive tens of thousands from bomb-threatened towns and cities. The resort’s army of landladies was able to take them in. Civil servants, many from Government departments in London, were similarly evacuated.

So two Lancashire neighbours provided a wonderful long weekend.

They may be divided by football rivalry – as here in Suffolk and Norfolk – but they are certainly united on the ability to entertain.

Plan your trip

Nigel Pickover stayed in the Barton Manor Hotel, north of Preston on the A6, which proved to be a well-equipped touring base with excellent leisure facilities.

In Blackpool he chose the new Holiday Inn, next to Blackpool North Station with subsidised parking nearby. It also has its own tram link and is close to the promenade and the Golden Mile.