Tag: 2023

Frasers Comes to Blackpool

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On 22 November 2023, the highly anticipated Frasers store officially opened its doors, occupying over 100,000 square feet in Blackpool’s Houndshill Shopping Centre. This innovative retail destination unites popular brands such as Frasers, Flannels, Sports Direct, Game, and Evans Cycles, creating a vibrant shopping experience under one roof. The opening marks a major milestone in Blackpool Council’s efforts to rejuvenate the town centre. Since taking ownership of Houndshill in 2019, the council has worked tirelessly to boost the town’s recovery from the pandemic and transform the shopping centre into a cornerstone of its regeneration strategy. Part of Blackpool’s £2 billion… Read more »

Blackpool Ambulance Hub

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The new NWAS Blackpool Ambulance Hub in South Shore officially opened on Tuesday, 14 March 2023. Designed by Bluesky Architects, the state-of-the-art facility embraces a low-carbon approach aligned with the UK government’s net-zero strategy. The three-storey station hub features a double-height ‘make ready’ bay for rapid refuelling and restocking, significantly enhancing response times and operational efficiency. The facility also includes ample parking, offices, refreshment areas, training and meeting rooms, as well as locker and changing areas. In collaboration with the client and supply chain, efforts were focused on minimizing the building’s carbon footprint. This involved optimizing the envelope construction for… Read more »

Blackpool Amusements

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Blackpool’s newest family entertainment centre offers fun for all ages, spread across two floors in the iconic former Woolworth’s building, located right next to Blackpool Tower. The vibrant, selfie-friendly décor sets the scene for a great time, while the impressive prize shop and spacious café on the second floor—offering stunning views of the promenade—make it the perfect spot for both excitement and relaxation. Unlike traditional arcades, this modern venue is designed with families in mind. Crown Leisure has transformed the space into a bright, welcoming entertainment hub that caters to everyone. This new arcade replaces the former Golden Mile Amusements,… Read more »

Blackpool Taco Bell

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Taco Bell has opened its first location in Lancashire with a new drive-thru restaurant in Blackpool. The popular US fast-food chain began serving customers on Rigby Road, near the Central Drive junction, on Thursday, 22 June 2023. This vibrant new eatery offers its signature Mexican-inspired dishes, including tacos and quesadillas, every day from 10:30 am to 11 pm. The two-storey restaurant seats up to 52 guests in its spacious upstairs dining area, while the ground floor features digital self-order kiosks and a reserved table for disabled customers. Taco Bell also plans to introduce a delivery service across Blackpool. The menu… Read more »

Fylde Coast Radio Digital

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They pride themselves on being a “live” radio station, dedicated to keeping listeners informed about all the exciting events and developments in and around Blackpool and the Fylde Coast. Their playlist spans the ages, bringing listeners the best music from past decades to today’s latest chart toppers. To ensure listeners never miss out on local events, concerts, theatre shows, breaking news, traffic updates, travel information, and much more, the radio station encourage people to download their smartphone app, in effect putting the radio station right in people’s pockets. Long time residents or a first time visitors will find that Fylde Coast Radio… Read more »

Meet The Funders Event

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The first Meet the Funders event was held at the The Fifth Floor, Blackpool Tower’s iconic new venue on Wednesday 27 September 2023. The event was very well attended and open to individuals and organisations from across the Fylde Coast. Blackpool-based artists, arts organisations, community organisations, registered charities, community groups, community interest companies (ClCs), non-profit limited companies by guarantee, social enterprises, churches, community-led charities and not-for-profit organisations were all encouraged to attend. More than 200 delegates from the VCFSE sector gathered at the iconic Blackpool Tower for a series of presentations by some largest grant funding bodies, regionally and nationally. The… Read more »

Young Blackpool Filmmaker Ryan J. Smith Achieves Worldwide Movie Releases

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The Skint Film Company, founded in 2019, is the film production vehicle of filmmaker Ryan J. Smith.Skint was formed to handle all aspects of production and delivers high quality films for theatrical and streaming distribution. Its recent productions TALKING TO GHOSTS and LOTTERY are available on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Tubi, Plex and more – putting them in position to undertake more commercial projects with bigger studio and financing partners. Previous productions include the documentary feature RED LIGHT SOLO and the short films BRIGHT EYES and THE BULL AND THE BEAR. Ryan works closely with friends Adam Bentley (visual effects), Alisdair… Read more »

The Return of Music Legend Graham Nash

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Graham William Nash OBE, the renowned musician and legendary songwriter, took the stage as the headliner at the British Country Music Festival, held from 1 to 3 September 2023. The event marked his return to his birthplace of Blackpool, where he performed at the Winter Gardens. Born on 2 February 1942 at the Kimberly Hotel in South Shore, Blackpool, Nash’s early years were shaped by his mother’s evacuation from Salford due to World War II. The hotel, once a place of significance, had fallen into disrepair and gained a poor reputation over the years, eventually leading to its closure by… Read more »

Spitfire Tribute at Gynn Roundabout

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Spitfire Island was one of the exciting new features of the Blackpool Illuminations 2023, which started on 1 September and ran every night until 1 January 2024. The installation was the result of a collaboration between the Blackpool Illuminations team and the renowned designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. This year, the focus was on a tribute to the iconic Spitfire aircraft, with three full-scale replica Spitfires taking centre stage in a revamped display at Gynn Roundabout in the northern part of Blackpool. The collaboration also included Airfix, the famous model kit company, who sponsored the feature. It was a landmark moment as… Read more »