The competition is fierce for the coveted original styling trophy, alongside the colour technical gong. There are demonstrations live, with the latest hair styles and make up colours and applications taken straight from the catwalk and into the high street.

A hairdressing feast

You can find everything trade here, with the latest hair dryers; straightening tongs; curlers; lash curlers; colour palettes; dyes; scissors and nail polish; the list is endless. There is a wide range of expert advice available also, so if you have a pressing beauty or hair question you need answered, this is one of the best places in the world to get that advice.

Now there is such a thing as celebrity in the hairdressing world and if you visit the Blackpool Hairdressing Championships 2012 you might be able to see Sinead Kelly and Andrew Barton, who are famous for styling the famous. The Blackpool event has given many hairdressers the start they needed, and introduced them to the contacts in this competitive world, where you are only as good as your last cut.

Categories for the competitiors on offer include the coveted Ladies Avant Garde, asking for an artistic interpretation of hair; Best Aged make-up, asking competitors to create a theatrical effect; Afro Carribean styling; styling shop mannequins and mythological creatures; creating nail art cocktails; progressive and freestyle men’s hair and that is just for the hairdressing trainees.

In the “World Skills” event for the more experienced hairdressers and beauty artists, there are categories for weddings and events, catwalk, shop store mannequin models, photographic, and freestyle creative sections.

The international competition draws a fine selection of UK hairdressers together to compete against their peers. The Blackpool Hairdressing Championships 2012 will be held between March 11 – 14^th next year, and is a colourful and lively event not to be missed.

The unique thing about Carnesky’s Ghost Train, is the carnival performance within it. It is not what you expect of a ghost train, where you would normally observe paper maiche ghouls appearing out of the walls. Marisa Carnesky, the producer of the Ghost Train, is an experienced theatrical performer and producer.

Live action

Carnesky’s Ghost Train is haunted by performance artists dressed like the most scariest Halloween-type costumes you will ever see, dripping with menace and fake theatre blood. The story that you follow is frightening, and by the end of the ten minute ride you are thoroughly scared and run out screaming.

So infamous is this attraction, that two English musicians, Paloma Faith and Professor Green, have filmed singles on the site of the Carnesky’s Ghost Train. For Paloma Faith it was a homecoming experience, as she was part of the original performance cast in 2004.

The attraction was not always based in Blackpool, and began in Brick Lane, East London, and was a lot smaller in scale. Marisa Carnesky was then invited to take the show to the Brit Awards and later on to Glastonbury. Attracting Arts Council funding, due to the performance aspects, the attraction became more successful and larger, so the Carnesky Ghost Train needed a more stable home base.

The positive responses from visitors to the train led Marisa to explore setting up in Blackpool, where the Carnesky’s Ghost Train has found its home since 2008. It is a successful attraction because the attention to detail, artwork, performance and theatrical dimensions, including sensory experiences and illusion techniques, combine to leave you breathless.

This combination of fairground, acrobatics, creepy animatronics and conceptual art will have you impressed and as one most unique rides in Blackpool, Carnesky’s Ghost Train is an experience not to be missed.

The highlight of the program is the annual Carnival Ball, which is of course, fancy dress. This year’s theme is burlesque, and is sure to bring out the creative and naughty alike. The fancy dress extends to the streets for the duration of the festival, with street performers on every corner. The Showzam Blackpool festival is designed to showcase the craft of pleasure industry entertainment, carnival magic and circus activities. There is something for everyone, and it is great fun for all the family.

History

Blackpool’s tourism agency, visitBlackpool, co-ordinates the festival, which brings together the talented theatrical community in all its forms in an event designed to showcase the best of their talents. Held each year on February half term, there are many fun activities for children and the not-so-young to enjoy and do.

The show attracted over 25,000 visitors last year, with many parents feeding back to the organisers their appreciation of the free entry and free activities that were on offer. Originally, Showzam Blackpool was a cultural project, Admission all Classes, that was so successful the organisers decided to expand the brief.

Now in its 5^th year, Showzam aims to show the world that Blackpool is the entertainment capital of the UK, and is a heavyweight contender for international recognition too. The buzz around the festival is huge, as performers and artists come together to provide unique acts, interactive things to do with the crowds, and also cater for tourists visiting from all around the globe.

Visitors have described their experience of Showzam Blackpool as ‘mesmerising’; ‘out of this world’, with the Pleasure Beach backstage costume tours proving so popular in 2010, staff had to run three times as many tours to keep the queue moving. An experience not to be found anywhere in the world, the fun and lively entertainment of Showzam Blackpool is something not to be missed if you are visiting in February half term time.

Hope you are staying in a nice hotel, if you haven’t got tickets, because this sensation needs to be viewed on a 3D TV. Alternately, you could go along, and watch the dancing live, and view the 3D effects from the 80ft high screens provided at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom for the event.

Big plans for Strictly

Strictly Come Dancing has a big year planned, and wants to broadcast the biggest live dance-floor event ever by using Wembley Stadium and housing 6,500 fans to watch all of the action. The broadcast alone, on November 19^th, 2011, is expected to attract more viewers than ever in the programs history. The BBC are quietly hoping to smash viewing records.

This is all leading up to showcasing the BBC HD Channel’s presentation of Strictly Come Dancing Blackpool in 3D. While conversations with Bruce Forsythe allude to his worry that his chin might pop out and hit someone, I’d be more worried that Tess Daly’s plumped up lips might launch a kiss straight into your lounge-room.

Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom is the original home to Strictly Come Dancing, and it is a perfect backdrop for the 3D extravaganza, as Wembley and London Studios might be bigger, but Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom has the glamour factor. And glamour, my friends, is what ballroom is all about.

The final, the champions, the crown of Strictly Come Dancing, will be decided during this 3D broadcast, and the judges will have a tough time choosing the winning pair.

As for my money, it is on Holly Valance to win. I’ve been studying her early form and although she is a taller dancer, which makes it harder for a male partner to manoeuvre her, I think she has the grace and poise to go on to win. Some people are just natural dancers, and I am sure she will be in the final. Place your bets now! Strictly Come Dancing Blackpool will be the dance event of this year.

The event covers Classical, Modern and Latin dance, with emphasis on sequence dancing styles, originality, costume, colour and form. The application of the sequence style to modern ballroom is an example of the impact of this Blackpool competition on the dance world, as this is an innovative twist. Sequence dance is historically older than modern ballroom and involves preset patterns of movement, while the modern dance prides itself on original interpretations of ballroom presets.

For this reason, the Blackpool Sequence Dance Festival is the most famous annual competition for sequence and attracts high quality entrants. Sequence dances were invented circa 1800 and retained their popularity, unchanged, until the early 20^th century. Subsequently, sequence dancing has become a competitive sport, fitting for a social past-time with a long history.

The dance festival has attracted celebrity entrants. Cheryl Cole is a former famous entrant to the championships, before she was famous. Jonathon Crossley, who is a former World Champion for Amateur Ballroom, and his partner, Kylie Jones have won many competitions. Kylie took part in the first series of Strictly Come Dancing and was partnered with comedian Jason Wood.

While most entrants are from the UK the Blackpool Sequence Dance Festival does attract international competitors. It is one of the first competitions on the dance calendar which leads up to the British National Championship and is a good festival to talent spot and watch new routines and sequence dances on trial.

Ballroom is a close knit community, and the social aspect is very important. If you take your place in the crowd you will overhear discussions about fake tans, hair extensions, costumes and sewing, and whether the shoes a dancer is wearing are new or used. Ballroom watchers are seriously into their sport and watch the dancers as steadily as horse-punters study racehorse form sheets.

The Blackpool Sequence Dance Festival is an atmospheric and visual event, with an intensity and pace that is not to be missed.

But that’s not all. There is a variety of music displays with famous soul artist such as Andy Davies and Terry Jones performing, Pat Reddy and Chris O’Donnell and Rod Allsworth and Jimmy Scriv. Traditionally for the older generation, there is so much variety on offer, including interpretations by younger soul DJs, Soul Sam and Jay Cee spring to mind, that are sure to enthuse and inspire younger attendees to the event.

A feast of music

With tickets allowing you to sample all areas of the Blackpool Tower and Winter Gardens complex, there is a lot of entertainment that all of the family can enjoy. The World Northern Soul Dancing Championship is worth considering, the dancing reminds me of a combination of break-dancing with jazz and motown mixed in. Northern soul fans say a dancers heart must be connected to their feet, and there are a lot of knee drops, leg splits and spins in this dance style.

Many songs herald from the 60s Rhythm and Blues groups like The Valentinos, Eddie Parker, Jimmy Raye and The Del Larks, which for anyone not involved in this niche music movement, will not be familiar names. What is familiar is the beat. It is music that you can move to, and by the looks of the audience, it seems no one is immune to the need to move while listening to it.

High energy is everywhere and it is an atmosphere reminiscent of the 60s, with peace and shades of Woodstock type outfits floating past the busy, low lit corridors. Most of the competitiors are in their late teens and early twenties, no doubt because the ability to jump and slide on your knees, like a footballer does when scoring a goal, is a talent that we all know only stretches to a certain age.

Worthy of a look-see the Blackpool Soul Weekender is really a celebration of the independent music artists, and the dancers, DJs and clubs that keep the soul alive, across the world.

A variety of entertainment will be on offer, including the heats featuring all of the magicians, lectures on the organisation and construction of magic, shows by famous and established magicians, and of course, the ‘Diagon Alley’ of magic sellers and stands will be there for you to visit.

FISM magicians

The FISM formed in 1948 and currently represents over 50,000 magicians world-wide and has a membership of 80 magical societies. It aims to foster a community of magicians and enhance, promote and develop the Art of Magic, by creating an exchange of information and services between magical communities.

The championships themselves are judged according to several criteria. The act must be creative with artistic vision, there are marks for references to historical magic, and well researched pieces. There is a lot of theory and philosophy behind the art of magic, so clever references to these are awarded, much like clever postmodernisms in literature.

Comedy Magic usually involves a great deal of audience participation and a theme that creates humourous moments.  Well known practitioners include Steve Spill and Eric Masters. Mentalism magic sees the magician attempting to read the mind of his viewers, and this art has a long history, with many claiming psychic abilities as real.  

Stage Illusions are large scale magic tricks performed a distance away and may use large props or animals and assistants. Most popular on television, stage magic has found itself there in this century showing, for example, a woman being sawn in half. David Copperfield is the most well known Stage practitioner alive today.

Other categories include; Parlour Magic, Close-up Cards, Micro-magic, Invention and Manipulation.

The competition peaks at the Grand Prix announcement where one magician is selected across all categories to receive this accolade. In Beijing in 2009 results were a tie and the winners were Shawn Farquhar from Canada in the Close-Up category and Soma from Hungary in the Stage Illusion category. The World Championship of Magic is sure to be a fantastic event to attend in 2012 in Blackpool.

Performing for the summer season from July 4^th to September 8^th, 2012, it is wise to book early for this sell out show.  The Pleasure Beach Arena has a long history with ice skating shows, having first hosted one in 1937.Due to this long association with the sport, the show attracts the cream of international talent and has won many awards.

Talented skaters

In 2010 ITV filmed Dancing on Ice with Hot Ice performer Katie Stainsby who danced with Vanilla Ice, the rapper. Six times Australian Ice Skating Champion Trent Nelson Bond is a Hot Ice favourite alongside International Ice Skating Gold Medallist, Anna Lioveria.

The show won the accolade of “Best Show” in Las Vegas for the Big E Awards ceremony. This is a nod to the stylised costumes, amazing choreography and show-business glamour that the Hot Ice Show brings to skating.

The sets for the Hot Ice Show include a dangerous looking combination for their “Fire” themed routine, which includes fireworks, pyrotechnic displays, alongside speed dancing with incredible spins and twirls and the notorious “head banger spin”.

After watching the visually stunning duets and group movements of the ice skaters, you can avail yourself of the Pleasure Beach ice rink, which is open all year, and practice your moves. Most show tickets attract a free Pleasure Beach day pass, so you can visit all of the attractions there on the same day, making this outing good value for money.

The Hot Ice Show can only be described as a skating extravaganza. It is created by a Blackpool company owned by Amanda Thompson, who is also the Managing Director of Pleasure Beach Resort and managed and choreographed by Stage-works Worldwide Productions. It is one of the top ice shows in the world, and your chance to see current and former Olympic ice stars and dancers in action. If you have never seen ice skating up close, I recommend you visit the Hot Ice Show when in Blackpool.

If you have never attended a darts match before, and think you might like to experience something new, this is definitely the event to go for.  Held on the 21^st to finals Sunday on the 29^th of July 2012, you will need to get your tickets in advance, for this sell-out event. It’s broadcast on Sky!

Atmosphere

The darts crowd is a fun crowd, but also a serious one. Everyone near the action sits on circular tables, and some sit in rows with smaller tables, and there is lots of rounds of drinks circulating and people dressed in team regalia and colours. It is a family event for many, and one of the few sports where players’ supporters, family and children can attend and be up close to the action that their loved one is competing in.

Ironically, this intimacy is what makes watching the World Matchplay Darts so thrilling. You can feel the tension of the supporters with each throw of an arrow, or busted ping of a fletchling as it hurtles to the floor. Total silence is required during throws and sometimes during whole legs, and as scores are displayed and the outcomes get tighter and closer, you will barely want to breathe for the excitement.

Suddenly the crowd will burst into cheers of applause and support for a perfect check out or a top score, and the MC will call out ‘180’ to claps and cheers. In between matches there are glamour girls in skimpy shorts guiding players to and from the podium, to the tunes of rock and rollers past. It is as if the sport of darts is a vintage car and the radio is stuck on 70s tracks and values. But this is no bad thing, it is all fun.

The World Matchplay Darts Blackpool 2012 championship is second only to the World Championships; the standard is high, the play intense and the atmosphere electric. Definitely worth ‘checking out’.

Past Prime Minister Gordon Brown initiated the plans for a Veterans’ Day celebration so that the contribution of the armed forces to the national security would never be forgotten, and would be remembered.  The last Saturday in June was chosen as Armed Forces Day, to honour the link with the investiture of the first Victoria Cross that was awarded in Hyde Park in 1857.

Blackpool’s National Veterans’ Week

Each Armed Forces Day is held in a different UK location, and in 2008 Blackpool hosted the event, which was attended by the Duchess of Cornwall, “Camilla” and decorated military officers. Henry Allingham, who was at the time the oldest surviving World War I veteran, was also at the event, held at the Blackpool Cenotaph heritage building.

Each event is used to give out medals of honour and badges to the armed forces, and this took place in the Tower Ballroom. There was a Veteran’s parade and a display of abseiling down the Blackpool Tower. Other highlights included the Red Devils parachute team display at night and a firework display over the North Pier.

Next years Blackpool Armed Forces and Veterans’ Week looks to be packed with events including a special illumination on the Blackpool Cenotaph each evening as a dedication of images to those brave men and women who have fought for this nation. 

During the week long celebrations, Blackpool host a special 1940s tea-room experience in the Tower Ballroom, with a an Afternoon Tea Dance; the Saturday Night Big Band Dance in the deluxe surroundings of the ballroom; the Sunday morning service followed by the golf challenge for all service persons and the Veteran’s and Armed Forces parade. The free Music for Heroes concert will again be on, with the special This is Music Night: Friday Night BBC2 live broadcast in honour of the Veterans and Armed Forces.

Choosing to celebrate Armed Forces Day for longer than a day;  Blackpool Armed Forces and Veteran’s Week embodies the spirit of the place, where people feel that proper tribute needs to be paid to those who’ve risked their lives for the peace and security of Britain.