We called for it when it was announced, and useless Helen France has duly delivered. Yes, the bidding has begun for a “world class” operator to take control of Blackpool Tower – should the council acquire it. But apparently not the Winter Gardens.
Seems a bit bizarre, although the Tower needs less attention and I believe it makes a profit already so companies might be interested. Peter Callow came out with some of his usual garbage:
“We will want suitably qualified companies with a proven track record because these facilities are priceless.”
Erm, they’re not. You sold them for 1p and, umm, isn’t £40million the price you want to pay now?
Anyway, it has been suggested by some commenters on the original story on the Gasjet (I’d link it but 90% of them have been deleted as per usual) that this is a smokescreen for one of the Callows’ big cronies to take it over, namely Amanda Thompson. I don’t think that would be the worst idea if she were to grasp the reins as a result of a fair contest….
I’d personally like a world class operator for the council as well!
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I don’t see what the big fuss about Amanda Thompson is. People are still kicking off about this £5 charge, I have no problem with it. I went to the Pleasure Beach last May and it was fantastic I paid £25 for a wristband and enjoyed a full day. You only have to pay £5 if your not going on the rides and personally I think its quite reasonable. At Alton Towers and other parks spectators would have to pay the full gate price just to get in the park whether their riding or not. I agree the Tower is a very popular attraction as it stands. A survey once named the Tower as one of the ‘most disappointing attractions’ which I think was just anti-Blackpool snobbery as usual. I have been to the Tower many times and its a great place with plenty on offer. The one that really needs attention is the Winter Gardens desperately in need of some modernisation. I back the excellent suggestion by Sheepdog (I wish they would come on here they have some excellent views) of a Printworks-esque attraction.
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You can’t really compare Alton Towers with the Pleasure Beach.
It’s about a billion times better, and with Tesco vouchers you only end up paying about £18 quid each to get in.
Food prices in there are reasonable too.
I like the idea of an indoor bars/restaurants mecca but equally there are plenty of people that want to see it turned back into a leading entertainment venue.
It would have been nice to see what ideas the council had for it. Hopefully it’s not just a “lick of paint”.
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Same here I would like to see the Winter Gardens either as a Printworks type complex or a leading entertainment venue but like you say it better not just get a lick of paint I want to see something radical and exciting. A Printworks complex would perfectly complement the proposed snowdome on Central Station and if I had my way I would level Foxhall and build a big arena like the MEN/Echo which could even host conferences, a stand alone conference centre would be a white elephant I feel.
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It’s be pointless to build a conference centre there because it wouldn’t be big enough or modern enough. And the land is – to use a Gasjet phrase – ring-fenced for this £35million from the Government and so nothing will happen there until that cash is either secured or lost.
We do need conference facilities, there’s no doubt about that, but to complement it we need proper rail links and stuff. That’s the trouble with the current bunch, they seem to think that you can toss a few million here and there and suddenly people will come.
St. Johns Square isnt going to attract people. Birley Street isn’t. The new promenade isn’t. The wedding chapel isn’t. The ski dome might, but would they stay over? An arena with someone decent on every other week would be a huge, all year round lift to local business. And one could be planted on any number of sites in the Talbot Gateway area.
That they’re still persisting with this £280million, or is it £250million or maybe £220million or £200million project that is the Talbot Gateway tells us all in no uncertain terms that they have not got a clue what the town needs.
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I am fastly losing my confidence in Talbot Gateway. When I first heard about it I thought great a proper radical redevelopment yet now it is getting scaled back more and more. Now Talbot Rd bus station and Wilkinsons are surviving and getting a lick of paint and the main feature is new council offices. People from Preston were coming on the Gazette attacking us for objecting to Shitebarn and going ahead with TG, if they actually bothered to check their facts for once they would see there is a world of difference between the two. I agree we need better rail links most importantly a Blackpool-London link but I am fundamentally against a stand alone conference centre as I feel it could be a white elephant there’s no guarantee the parties will even return and what do the people of Blackpool really gain from a conference centre. I would gain a lot more from Blackpool being able to host my favourite big bands and this would attract visitors from across the North West. A conference centre should only be built as part of a multi-use complex like the Liverpool Echo arena which also houses the BT Convention Centre.
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Keeping the bus station which has come to symbolise the decay in Blackpool is a retrograde step,its sums up everything in fact.
The tatbot gateway is mainly about new council offices and little else.
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Exactly, why is it Blackpool always has to settle for second best. Preston gets a whole new town centre (although hopefully their oversized project will be knocked on the head) and we get a supermarket, council offices/civic buildings and a lick of paint for two eyesore buildings that are way past their sell-by date.
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TB, I thought the Preston project had fallen through?
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As good as which isn’t good enough for me. It is still alive it is just stuck in the mud; the sole developer has pulled out leaving Lend Lease a developer with a known track record for running away from projects at the first sign of difficulty, there are fierce and valid objections to it forcing a public enquiry and hopefully Preston Bus Station will get Grade II listed which would finish it off altogether. At the moment the Garden Knome and his cronies are still ‘confident’ it is happening. I really hope it falls through because it benefits Preston and nowhere else. We already have 2 perfectly good regional centres and they are proper cities called Manchester and Liverpool we already have a 3rd city of the North West- Salford. We don’t need another one. Preston should regenerate to serve its own population not destroying every other town.
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I stand corrected, fingers crossed, one place that is regenerating and is on the top 5 worst cities list, is WOLVERHAMPTON.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=370169&page=15
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Never been to Wolverhampton but sounds like a decent enough place and regenerates within its own means. It doesn’t have this ’3rd city of the Midlands’ egotrip like Preston saying we need to compete with Birmingham and Sollihull. It is proud of what it is and works on its strengths.
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Yes TB, thats true altough it is the 3rd city of that area after Coventry and Brum.
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Fair point but was I was getting at is how Preston is on this egotrip where they think their honourary ‘city’ status suddenly puts them up there with Manchester and Liverpool and they think building a load of fancy shops people in Preston won’t even shop in makes them a city. I was in Manchester the other day and believe me there is a lot lot more to it than expensive shops. Its about character, heritage, culture, tourism etc. Preston is just a clone town how they even got city status is beyond me.
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Its typical of Lonely Planet though really with one of those silly ‘worst places’ lists. Notice how the ‘best’ places are always boring (I’m not a country person) ‘idllyic’ rural villages in the Home Counties where even a stockbroker can barely afford a garden shed because of the overpriced houses or swanky London postcodes with celebrities as your next door neighbours. It is clear they have never even been to half the places they slag off with their biased narrow-minded character assassination of towns and cities. Notice how most of the comments they make are based on stereotypes and hear’say rather than facts.
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TB where is Preston? lol,it must be a village.
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Lol, I think its a small village between Lancaster and Manchester just where you join the M6 can’t see any reason why anyone would go there, there is nothing there but a bus station that the local garden knome wants to demolish for no good reason.
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Blackpool should deport all its scum and wall them up in that bus station, lol
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I’d personally like a world class operator for the council as well!
Made my comment for me!
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We havent got a legoland standard operator for the council, lol, let alone “world class”.
BTW Phil, a letter has been sent to counterbalance, cheers.
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I have worked for the last 10 years with companies which have moved into disused buildings and have changed their function, so I have picked up on one or two things that work. Winter Gardens is something that could work well for Blackpool if handled right. For a start lets look at things that shouldn’t happen.
1 No cinema complex for two reasons the first is obvious for the size of the town there is a good cinema at the old dog track so to put another in the WG would mean this would close. Secondly no leading company are going to put an IMAX in Blackpool at present so let’s stop dreaming about it.
2 We shouldn’t cram it with bars and night clubs Blackpool has enough of them at present more wouldn’t improve Blackpool or encourage more people to come.
3 For the first five years (at least) we shouldn’t worry about breaking even it should be considered as a lost making venture for at least that long. After all the council should use the opportunity to draw people into Blackpool.
So what should we do well how about this.
1 there are no small to medium size venues small bands can fill (therefore play) in North of England at present. So as there is a gap in the market Blackpool should fill it 800-1000 hall for up and coming bands to play.
2 A comedy club in the WG would be wonderful Blackpool doesn’t have one.
3 We also should look for something for the family laser quest or something of that ilk springs to mind.
4 A small conference facility I am not talking something to beat Manchester and woo the political parties back. There is a need for small conference facilities in this country.
5 A Gym and by this a mean a very good one that can be used to host gymnastics events or indoor athletics or even cycling.
Now why do I think the WG should be used this way is simply the WG should be used to draw people into Blackpool to give it a reputation (a good one). Small bands have a strong following and if Blackpool gets a reputation of booking them more bands would come and hopefully it would be some kind of snowball effect leading to bigger acts coming. The same with the comedy club and if it is successful the comedians may even used the small band venue to host their own gigs. This would only happen if the infrastructure is there and you employ the RIGHT PERSON TO MANAGE THEM. You would want someone who knows the culture and has contacts in it.
The laser quest idea is something Pool doesn’t have and while that in itself wouldn’t pull people into Pool it would be another attraction that might help.
My last idea would bring kudus to Pool and hopefully (if not national trails) region trails to Pool. This would bring people and press attention and hopeful these people would come back.
In other words a long term view of raising Pools profile and bringing people back to us.
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I thought we already had a comedy club on Talbot Square…
…but seriously, a proper comedy club is a great idea especially now that people are wanting to spend nights out locally rather than fly off to Benidorm and get smashed every night.
There used to be a couple of laser quest venues – I remember going to them when I was 14-15 or so. They failed, though.
I agree there are a lot of bars already but I think the points regarding a Printworks style conversion are that it’d have the quality places that the town currently lacks. Most of the bars in Blackpool are unpleasant and I would not want to go in them.
Perhaps something like the Trocadero would work. Best of both worlds?
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Perhaps slightly off-topic, but Maxine Callow, Empress of Blackpool, needs to make her mind up about what she thinks is good for Blackpool – http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Blackpool-named-New-Year-favourite.5947029.jp?CommentPage=2
She doesn’t want people coming here to drink and revel in a party atmosphere (fair enough – I’m not fond of stag and hen parties myself), but she thinks it’s great news that Blackpool is reported to be a ‘top New Years destination’. What’s it to be? Unless you’re geriatric and make a tradition of booking on to a hotel coach party, the only reason you come to Blackpool for NYE is to get shit-faced.
Interesting to note that she didn’t trumpet Carnesky’s Gravy Train as one of Blackpool’s out-of-season attractions…
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I agree there are a lot of bars already but I think the points regarding a Printworks style conversion are that it’d have the quality places that the town currently lacks. Most of the bars in Blackpool are unpleasant and I would not want to go in them.
I still think we’re putting the horse before the cart with this issue.
I would love to see some decent bars in town, but I realise that those bars would have to get their business from somewhere. That means locals and tourists. I’m not sure that we have a sufficient number of either at the moment to maintain a selection of bars that won’t eventually drop to Dave Daly’s standards.
How does the town move on to improve its offering – most importantly, I would argue – to its residents? I don’t know – I honestly don’t. But I suspect that few other people have the answer, either. The council and ReBlackpool are just standing around, waving their dick in their hands, calling attention to themselves.
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And one last thing…
On the topic of conference and events venues, one place that is quietly getting on with things and earning themselves a reputation is Southport:
http://www.visitsouthport.com/conferences/venues/southport-theatre-and-convention-centre
They managed to score themselves the UKIP conference in 2009, whilst we couldn’t even hang on to the BNP…
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I agree with Phil in that my support for a Printworks style complex is that it could host a wide range of bars, restaurants and other retail/leisure outlets hopefully of a decent quality that Blackpool is currently lacking. I think we cater far too much for the lower end of the market when we should aspire for a better class of visitor and appeal to the more affluent Blackpool/Fylde Coast residents whom I feel are left out at present. I also agree with NQH in saying that many current Blackpool pubs/bars are unpleasant crapholes. We have some fantastic nightclubs and a few hidden gems like the Green Parrot, Toast and the Rose and Crown but too many pubs are like Dave Daly stag and hen drinking dens. Speaking of Dave Daly on a slightly related note; I note how this man constantly gets all high and moral about drinks promotions and cheap drinks. Yet I walked past The Castle yesterday and on the moving message board there was messages about drinks promotions and discount drinks, what a hypocrite.
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He’s that chairman of the landlords association or something isnt he?
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If I remember rightly he has two posts; he is President of the Landlords Association something or other and took the post as Chairman of Pubwatch after Hamish Howitt was (rightly in my view) ousted because of his pro-smoking campaign. But Daly was the one trying to block Wetherspoons getting a licence claiming it will fuel drink-fuelled anti-social behaviour. The Castle with its drink promotions isn’t exactly family-friendly is it?
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I know that he was head of the National Association of Licensed House Managers, which then merged with Unite (yes, the same militant union that wanted to ruin Christmas for thousands of British Airways passengers and put 80% of their colleagues perilously in danger of losing their jobs).
Google him if you have some time on your hands… He’s hilarious!
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I have just this morning recieved an email from Wetherspoons regarding an enquiry I made. It was a very friendly reply stating contrary to what the Gazette said they are still looking at developing the Market St site just no dates have been specified and they are negotiating other sites too.
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