Tag: Hospitality

Ken Dodd Opens Coral Island

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Ken Dodd made countless trips to Blackpool, entertaining visitors for hours and often treating them to coffee and more fun afterwards. On 26 May 1978, he opened Coral Island, a two-acre entertainment complex on the Gold Mile, accompanied by six of his Diddymen. Later, on 10 October 2011, he was also seen opening the Comedy Carpet on the promenade. The Comedy Carpet, designed by artist Gordon Young, showcases thousands of catchphrases from comedians who have performed in Blackpool over the years. Located prominently on the Blackpool seafront, Coral Island is a large amusement complex offering a variety of attractions, including… Read more »

Raikes Hall Hotel

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Raikes Hall, a grand mansion built by William Boucher in 1760, originally featured an elegant ground floor with three parlours, a servant’s hall, a butcher’s pantry, and a kitchen. The upper two floors included four guest rooms and additional quarters for servants. The estate also boasted gardens, orchards, stables, and various outbuildings. Legend has it that the name Raikes Hall came from the fact that Boucher was in fact involved in wrecking ships and plundering their cargo for profit; a play on ‘wrecker’ became ‘raikes’ – a raike was also a man of low morals and criminality so I will… Read more »