As you exit the Blackpool Tower main entrance, there is a stunning newspaper print style exhibit, known as the Comedy Carpet. You can literally, read all about it, as famous catchphrases used by comedians, Blackpool based, at some point in their lives, are plastered across the pavement.

Gordon Young and the Why Not company

The Comedy Carpet Blackpool was the brainchild of urban designer Gordon Young. It seems a brilliant idea, to celebrate the comedy that Blackpool comedians, and regional stars, have brought to the world, by permanent sculpture, in the form of eye-catching newsprint. “In’t it grand when yer daft???”

Some of the famous phrases will be familiar to many, including “Lovely jubbly”; “loadsamoney”; and “Suit you Sir!” Walking over the Comedy Carpet of catch-phrases, is like walking back in time, to many of your favourite sitcoms. It is worth reflecting on how most great comedy stars, start off doing stand up in front of live audiences. If all TV stars from music video, film and reality could say the same, perhaps we would find more enduring artists from these genres?

That’s the great thing about Blackpool, in the words of Ken Webster, comedy hypnotist, and regular performer at The Pleasure Beach Resort; “Where else is there in this country to perform, except Blackpool?” Blackpool is the patron-saint town of the performance arts, and it is fitting that this Comedy Carpet goes some way, to remembering the contribution of this town, to Britain’s greatest talent.

You see, the best comedians, at Blackpool, get their laughs from a real audience. An autocue, with pre-programmed laughter, where your TV producer thinks the reaction will be, doesn’t work in the long run, to develop the artist. A great comedy talent needs to laugh and fail, live, and learn what works, what is on trend, and what is not. Only then, are they ready to write TV sitcoms. Perhaps that is why there is a lack of good comedy writing on BBC today.

You only need to look at the array of wonderful 20^th century talent, underneath your feet, at the Comedy Carpet Blackpool, to perhaps consider attending more live comedy performances, and supporting the art form.

The final touches have now been largely completed to Parade 5, and the Comedy artwork project, the Tower Festival area and wedding chapel and the tourist information centre, and public realm works at Waterloo Headlands and St Chads.

New attractions along Blackpool Promenade

Designed by Gordon Young and his company, Why Not associates; the Comedy Carpet artwork project paints and sculptures famous catchphrases from comedians that put Blackpool on the map. Tower Festival headland has long been home to comedy performers, and many have gone on to achieve international fame.

The construction of a 20,000 seat venue for outdoor entertainment, sits at the very apex of the Tower Headland, so that Blackpool can accommodate large events, and compete for this business in the northern region.

On Parade 5, the local tramway is a major feature, and with the investment in public works  the Tower Headland is now linked with the wider area. Construction of sea-saws, outdoor play parks, and unique public artworks, see this area transformed into an extension of the Blackpool Promenade, and create a lovely walk between the seaside attractions and the Blackpool Tower.

Not to leave out the keen skateboarding community of Blackpool, the Waterloo Headland has been transformed into a skateboarding park, complete with a variety of jumps and rails. There is also a specially designed BMX area, for practise jumps, pits and competitions. A large adventure playground has been built, for younger children up to teenagers, which now looks a great place for the kids to burn off some energy.

The Las Vegas style wedding venue on the Tower Headland has top environmental credentials and a modern design, in keeping with the sleek look of the promenade. Inside you can find a tourist information bureau, with everything that is on and around Blackpool to do.

The Blackpool Promenade has had a complete facelift, with gorgeous plants and landscaping alongside a railed and paved walkway, all along the sea-side resort shore. The Blackpool Promenade now feels a bit like Spanish and Portugal resort towns, and has made the most of its sea-side location. Make The Blackpool Promenade your first stop.

Inspire and challenge

Glam Rocks:

Some exhibits come alive at night, and these three giant pebbles created by Peter Freeman, light up inside with hundreds of fibre optic lights inside, creating a sparkling, multi-coloured interior. Blackpool’s new Las Vegas style wedding chapel combines with the town’s yearly love affair with the Illumination light display in this sculpture.

Desire:

This reminds me of sweetheart necklaces where one person wears half of the heart. This imposing sculpture makes the most of the sea views when you look through the ever so slightly unmatched hearts, no doubt meant to represent the confusion that comes with desire.

They Shoot Horses, Don’t they?:

Horace McCoy’s novel which inspires the title of this exhibit is an interesting choice for Blackpool’s promenade. The novel, written in the Great Depression, has the tone and style that rings true with today’s economically depressed generation. The exhibit itself, is a giant size circular mirrorball sculpture, to represent Blackpool’s relationship with ballroom dancing. Gloria, the character who is shot in the story, is so obsessed with winning a ballroom dancing competition, that she compromises all morality to achieve her goal, including convincing a good man to murder her, as if she were a lame horse.

High Tide Organ:

Imagery of the grand musical instrument being washed away in Blackpool’s unpredictable tides springs to mind with this exhibit. The creators, Liam Curtis and John Gooding have constructed an organ that makes music to the tune of the rushing sea at high tide. This combines Blackpool’s swinging tides with the town’s passion for musicals and music performance.

Life as a Circus:

A bronze sculpture of various circus performers reminds Sir Peter Blake of the Charlie Brown series special, Life is a Circus. In this episode, Snoopy runs away to be in the circus, much to the chagrin of his owner Charlie Brown. Blake’s apt sculpture describes the great adventures ordinary people can have if they visit Blackpool, which prides itself on being a world-class capital of carnival craft and circus performances.

These are just some of the enormous scale sculptural works of art on display along the beach-side for the Grand Promenade Show.

Blackpool Wedding Chapel

The Blackpool Wedding Chapel is situated right on the sea, with extensive views of the resort, and includes in its three storeys a ceremonial “I do” hall, and registrars office. Modelled on similar venues in Las Vegas, couples will be able to get married quickly and then go up to enjoy the rooftop terrace and restaurant.

The design of the structure incorporates lots of natural light, with detail made to include larger windows in order to flood the structure with sunshine, and allow stunning views over the shoreline of Blackpool and the Tower Festival Headland area. Modern and sleek, the decor is a combination of a gold and white exterior, and interior minimalist sleek lines representative of early cubism architecture.

Of course no wedding venue in Blackpool would be complete without some reference to show-business. Thematically, the venue is known as “Viva Vegas” and celebrates Elvis Presley Las Vegas style wedding themes to coincide with the 25^th Elvis anniversary.

The chapel building also incorporates a tourism information centre and a beach cafe. The centre is hoping to attract people who started their romance on holiday, and want to celebrate their wedding in a similar way. The designers have thoughtfully considered the environment in their new building, making it as eco and energy friendly as possible.

Open Air Events

As the headland sits across from the famous Blackpool Tower, the plans to complete a 20,000 capacity open air events venue are well underway. With construction due for completion in 2011, we should see this coming together very shortly.  As part of enhancing the area, there are plans for an art installation called the ‘Comedy Carpet’ which will feature catchphrases and other paraphernalia sketched along walkways to the new venue and wedding chapel area.

So if you are thinking of planning a wedding in Vegas, you may want to keep an eye on the Tower Festival Headland project, as the brand new wedding chapel is bound to add some glitz and glam to the Blackpool Promenade for 2012.

Blackpool town takes Christmas, and light displays very seriously, and always has, being one of the first two places in England to have embraced the new technology of electricity all the way back in 1879. For 2011, those Victorians who first saw a light display worth £5,000, which was an astonishing amount for that time and age, would need to wear sunglasses to block out the dazzling brightness that is the hallmark of Blackpool Christmas Lights today.

St Johns Switch on 2011

The place to see the lights switched on this year is at St Johns Evangelist on Church Street, just across from The Winter Gardens. The time and day to be there is 2pm on Saturday the 19^th of November. There is no admission charge and the festivities are due to go until 5pm and include the guest celebrity, usually a famous singer or group, and in previous years has included Atomic Kitten, Joe McElderry winner of X Factor, and 2012 is sure to be just as special.

St Johns will be decorated with a 40-ft high Christmas tree and Talbot Square home to a myriad display of lights and baubles. Be sure to check out the display in the Debenhams concourse level in the Houndshill Shopping Centre, as they always do a very large snow themed display, and you can also find Santa’s grotto there if you want to take the family to see it.

In the streets you will find street theatre stilt walkers in Fancy Christmas Dress, popular TV cartoon characters such as Pingu and friends, and in 2010 Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen had his Christmas inspired sculptures displayed outdoors, with a major light design part of the switch on by Joe McElderry.

2011 is sure to be just as exciting, although it will be hard to beat last year when Prince William dropped by after the announcement of his engagement which added a large dollop of glamour to the event. In every street and especially along the promenade, as part of the Blackpool Christmas Lights you will see trees lit up and festive cheer everywhere you go.