Bi-Polar Blackpool
The Love-Hate Affair with Britain’s Marmite Seaside Town
Ah, Blackpool. The jewel of the northwest. The Vegas of Britain. The only place where you can win a goldfish in a bag, eat chips on the beach in gale-force winds, and finish the day sobbing over a burnt sausage roll. It’s my childhood holiday destination and, somehow, my grown-up photographic obsession.
Why? Because Blackpool has two personalities. In the summer, it’s all candy floss, neon lights, and donkeys wearing hats. Families frolic on the beach, hen parties stagger down the promenade, and the piers are alive with the sound of slot machines devouring pocket money. It’s kitsch, chaotic, and quintessentially British. It’s a sensation.
But in winter? Oh boy. Blackpool in winter is a dystopian nightmare. The donkeys are gone (hopefully to somewhere nicer), and the beach transforms into a wasteland of cigarette butts, soggy chips, and seagulls plotting world domination. The Golden Mile feels more like a Sad Mile. And the rats—dear God, the rats. They look like they own the place, and frankly, they probably do.
Photographing Blackpool is like dating someone with a terrible personality but amazing cheekbones. You know you shouldn’t love it, but you can’t stop staring. I’ll wander down the desolate winter promenade, snapping photos of abandoned ice cream vans and faded posters of half-forgotten cabaret stars. It’s grim. It’s filthy. It’s art darling.
And then summer rolls around, and suddenly Blackpool becomes Instagrammable again. Families eating Mr. Whippy in the rain (because of course, it’s raining), brides-to-be dressed as inflatable penises, and the iconic Blackpool Tower glowing in all its gaudy glory. It’s a feast for the eyes, even if your nose is overwhelmed by the scent of fried food and cheap lager.
So here’s to you, Blackpool: the town I love to hate and hate to love. You’re a bipolar beauty, a mess and a muse. You’ve ruined my childhood memories and made me a better photographer. And for that, I’ll keep coming back—camera in hand, nose held firmly shut.
P.S. To the rat I saw dragging a Greggs pasty across the tram tracks last week: You’re the real deal
So come along for the ride - a visua lphotographic social documentary on The Jewel of the North
Blackpool Dune Grass sculptures and Blackpool Tower with rare blue skies - photography Dave Wall
Blackpool Tower with Coral Island Parrot set with rare blue skies - photography Dave Wall
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Mirrorball sculpture Blackpool - photography Dave Wall
Humorous shop sign - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Irony - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Only in Bi-Polar Blackpool - - photography by Dave Wall
Boarded but Painted - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Love me some Neon - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Winter Shutters - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
The Big Wheel at sunset - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Mirrorball sculpture at sunset - Blackpool - photography Dave Wall
Murmuration of Starlings off The North Pier Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
The Big One Rollercoaster in the morning fog - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Winter is Coming - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Time to make a call Mr Pigeon - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Abandoned Sofa - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Flying Solo - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Rusty Bench - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
More Irony - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Under The Pleasure Beach - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Abandoned Americana (The irony isn't lost on me) - Pier Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Inspired - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Infamous Sheep - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Ticket Office - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
It says OPEN - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Classy AF - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Disjointed - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Tram Cables - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Weathered Mugshots - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
The "other side" of Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
The bit that nobody sees - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Decades of Decay - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Dounuts Bonny Street Market (now demolished) - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Old Skool Rave - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Victorian Shelter - drug users den - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Dodgems wrapped for Winter - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Nothing to say - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Entrance to Blackpool Civil Courts (very appealing) - now demolished - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
"Low Life" - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Entrance to Blackpool Civil Courts - now demolished - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Greggs Austerity - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Bedsit Land - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Paint it Pink - Make it Pretty - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Salt and Vinegar - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
Couldn't agree more - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
No Vacancies - Bi-Polar Blackpool - photography by Dave Wall
circa 1975
Thanks Mum
school photo haircut
obviously cut with a potato