Beautiful sunsets, attractions and entertainment are all you need for your perfect summer vacation — and it’s everything Blackpool in the 50s offered to its hundreds of tourists.

The 1950s were the heydays of Blackpool: it’s not surprising how much footage is still available from those days. Pictures and amateur films show youngsters enjoying the Pleasure Beach, playing volleyball and taking long strolls on the golden sand. Blackpool in the 50s was the perfect summer destination. Here, we take a look at what the coastal town offered back in the days.

Looking Back as Blackpool In The 50s

 By Nathanemmison [CC BY-SA 4.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons

Blackpool 50s The Tower

Blackpool was full of life and joy in the 50s: tourists from all over the Country were flocking to the beach resort. Pictures of those days can be seen capturing the smiling faces of people enjoying the sunshine. Standing tall behind them, the Blackpool Tower is the Eiffel Tower of the Lancashire coast. Built in 1894, the Blackpool Tower was one of the main attractions in the 50s: from the top you could — and still can — see the piers and the central station. At the bottom, tourists found entertainment by visiting the aquarium or the circus.

 Keith Edkins / The Golden Mile, 1998

Blackpool 50s Golden Mile

The Golden Mile of Blackpool was completed before the 1900s, extending from North Pier, to the Central Pier and finally to the South Pier. In the 50s, it was the central area for tourism: holidaymakers could enjoy rides on donkeys, beauty competitions, ice creams and fortune tellers. Footage of the busy streets are available to watch thanks to amateur films, showing people dancing and enjoying the sunset from the Golden Mile.

Blackpool 50s… Nowhere Boy

Although all of the Beatles have a long history with Blackpool, one in particular was often seen in the town during his youth. John Lennon spent many summers in Blackpool in the 50s, as the 2009 film Nowhere Boy shows. The biographical drama about John Lennon’s adolescence was filmed in Blackpool, recreating the magic of that decade. Lennon visited the town after deciding to get to know his mother Julia, from whom he was separated in his childhood. The town’s rock’n’roll scene was inspirational to Lennon’s music.

 By Mark S Jobling, [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Blackpool 50s The Tramway

Footage of Blackpool in the 50s also show the astounding tramway system that characterised the coastal town. The trams are seen passing an Odeon cinema, and moving up and down busy streets. Blackpool’s tramway system is fascinating to this day, as many cars are kept in different museums across the Country and even in the States. Back in the 50s, people could see the variety of the tramway fleet moving through the town: from the double-deckers Balloon Cars to the Electric Railcoach. The distinguished colour for most of the tramway coaches was green and cream livery, and in 2012 the Brush Railcoach car number 607 was restored to its original colour.

 By Metronome magazine (ebaycover) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Blackpool 50s Hollywoodian Scenes

Before the arrival of the television, Blackpool in the 50s was home to many artists: from music legends to comedians and entertainers. A record of Frank Sinatra singing live at the Blackpool Opera House in 1953 is still available for purchase, with the orchestra conducted by Billy Ternant.

Life in Blackpool was full of excitement as stars and dancers populated the resort. The Savoy Café was where all the celebrities would have coffee and the theatres were home to the night-life of the town. Summer shows were packed with both audiences and workers, gifting everyone of amazing performances. Leslie Heyes and Val Doonican amongst the famous names on the posters.

 By Tony Hisgett (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

Blackpool 50s Grand Theatre

During the summer holidays, tourists would always count on The Grand Theatre to show incredible performances. Through the 50s, the theatre had names such as Danny Ross, Freddie Frinton, Sid James and Hylda Baker appearing during their summer seasons. Comedy was attracting people despite the rise of television.

In November 2017, Marty Wilde performed at The Grand Theatre with Mike Berry, Eden Kane and Mark Wynter, recreating the magic of Blackpool in the 50s. His tour was called Solid Gold Rock’n’Roll Tour and aimed to capture the rock’n’roll music scene of those days.

Blackpool in the 50s was definitely not a relaxing destination for holidaymakers, but an exciting one instead. The town was all about entertainment: no risk of getting bored here. Britons could choose between spending the evening watching a comedy show, heading towards a nightclub or strolling down the pier. Pictures of those days reveal happier, simpler times when Blackpool was the life of Lancashire.

Discover More

Why stop here? Learn about Blackpool in the 60s when that time period was an exciting time for visiting Blackpool. The town attracted the best of the entertainment industry: comedians, musicians and artists were all performing in Blackpool. Tourists could count on never being bored!

Blackpool in the 1950s

Blackpool in the 1960s

Blackpool in the 1970s

Blackpool in the 1980s

Blackpool in the 1990s

Blackpool Grand

Take a look at what’s on at Blackpool Grand Theatre this Autumn / Winter 20/21

Blackpool Grand set out a COVID-Community Communication Programme (CCCP) during the Coronavirus pandemic. Our aims were simple, to CONNECT, COMFORT and UPLIFT. We would Connect people by offering tutorials on communication tools like Zoom and conduct community face-to-face meetings (book readings, youth groups and more). Comfort through stories of heritage, memories and storytelling, and to Uplift visitors spirits through laughter and exercise. Please do enjoy and if you can afford to donate please do.

The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it’s possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice around COVID-19, visit the World Health Organisation. If you’re in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Header Image: © Copyright P L Chadwick and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.