The Great British Seaside - Blackpool

Ah! The Great British Seaside - as much as I love the hot, sunny beaches you get abroad, I cannot deny how much I adore the traditional seaside resorts in the UK. They really do have a charm all of their own. Visiting the British Seaside brings back wonderful feelings of nostalgia for me and I hope that plenty of visits with my own children will continue our family's love of the seaside in many generations to come. This Summer we travelled 3 hours West to the Seaside resort of Blackpool. We enjoyed lots of seaside-fun that you just don't get to experience anywhere else in the world.

Beach and Donkey Rides

Blackpool has a wonderful sandy beach that goes on for miles and miles - it's a lovely walk along the promenade and there were lots of lifeguards around during our trip which was re-assuring. Our jam packed schedule and tide times meant unfortunately we didn't get the chance to ride a donkey but it is certainly on our list for next Summer.

Amusement Arcades

As you would expect, there were lots of amusement arcades to choose from along the promenade in Blackpool. Our favourite was most definitely Coral Island which is Blackpool's largest free to enter family attraction. We loved the Pirate theme throughout and enjoyed playing 'Pirate eye spy' in the The Buccaneer Family Pub (with a sneaky beer for us) before spending our 2p's in the arcades. I loved how child-friendly everything was with lots of stools and steps for children to easily access the slots. We all had a good laugh together competing in various arcade games before I was declared the winner! 

As well as The Buccaneer Pub, Coral Island is also home to Captain Jacks - a beach themed restaurant which served the best fresh milkshakes and some of the nicest 'ribs and wings' Steve has had in a long time. Kids Eat Free in all Coral Island restaurants all day, every day which is fantastic value for money too (see here for t&c's).

Comedy Carpet

I am pretty sure the Comedy Carpet is fairly unique to Blackpool - connecting the tower, the beach and the promenade, it can be read in all directions close up or from up high. You could spend hours reading all of the classic jokes and sketches from over 1000 comedians. We had a giggle laughing and old jokes and trying to explain them to our children every time we walked past.

Traditional Ice Cream

A trip to the seaside really isn't complete without some traditional ice cream and I love how you can see old and young enjoying this treat whenever you visit the British seaside. We highly recommend a visit to Notarianni's which was our favourite place to stop for a giant Sundae. The business has been in the family for over 70 years and they certainly know how to keep their customer's happy! 

Fish and Chips

Finally, how could we visit the Blackpool Seaside without sampling some fish and chips? We decided to venture into the Harry Ramsden's restaurant that overlooks the sea because I also fancied a glass of wine. This was the first time I have ever eaten in this chain but we were all very impressed - I ordered the small cod and chips which was perfect (especially the chips). The children's meals were equally as good and they were given free ice cream for pudding too. I also hear that Harry Ramsden's pies are pretty special too. 

Will you be enjoying any traditional seaside fun with your family this Summer?