I Love Blackpool
Blackpool is sometimes described as being world-famous. That may be true within the worlds of ballroom dancing, rollercoaster enthusiasm and tram nerds, but my experience is that anyone from outside the UK needs an explanation when you mention Blackpool. Nobody from the UK needs that explanation, with Blackpool week firmly in the Strictly Come Dancing calendar and the silhouette of a metal lattice tower more likely identified as "Blackpool" than "Paris". Blackpool is a long way from London. Given I grew up not that far away, it still feels seems a local resort to me but even had the train from Euston not meandered through Birmingham and Wolverhampton on its way north, it's still a hefty old journey from where I live now. Three hours after we set pulled out of the platform, we took the turn off the mainline at Preston and headed for the coast. When I caught my first glimpse of the tower from the window of the train, I couldn't help the skip of excitemen