Touring Britain's Capital Of Seaside Poverty & Decline 🇬🇧

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#blackpool #brokenbritain #decline #poverty #homelessness #deprivation #britain #streetinterview #uk #england
Welcome to Blackpool, Britain’s capital of seaside poverty and decline. A faded yet once grand resort town on the North West coast of England, it can be fair to say Blackpool has seen much better days. The advent of cheap foreign holidays and changing tourist trends have played a significant part in the decline. The town is now a shadow of its former self… behind the still popular but dated seafront promenade lie seemingly endless streets of decaying and crumbling guesthouses. The buildings that used to accommodate millions of happy tourists now lie either in abandoned ruins or have been converted into cheap houses for multiple occupancy. Behind their sad facades live thousands of struggling residents who live in some of the most deprived wards in England. Many residents struggle with addiction and social problems. Those that fulfil more functioning roles in society are forced to live with the depressing reality of life in this struggling town. Homelessness is rife, as are seedy massage parlours and prostitution. Yet, there is a cautious optimism in Blackpool these days… government investment in new businesses, educational institutions and new office developments are ongoing in the town centre. Is there any hope for famous old Blackpool, or is it too late?
A huge thanks to Stephen @AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool for his excellent tour. I couldn’t have made this video without his help. He is Blackpool’s number 1 KZbinr and you can check out his channel here / @awalkonthewildsidebla...
The English Indices of Deprivation 2019 can be read online here assets.publishing.service.gov...
*You can directly support my work at www.buymeacoffee.com/WendallE... *

[@WendallExplores]

Stay refreshed and energised - DRINK HOLY - the NO BULL***T alternative! Visit uk.weareholy.com/wendall and use code WENDALL5 for £5 discount on your first order (min. spend £14.99) or code WENDALL for 10% off (best option for bigger orders!)

[@M88ULV]

Looks tasty af

[@WendallExplores]

Great drinks mate, I'm hooked! @@M88ULV

[@Skaterbun]

I had a look at the ingredients, unfortunately inulin (the top ingredient) gives me really bloating and gas!

[@dalebaker5030]

when's the great yarmouth video out.@@WendallExplores

[@tobyjackman3212]

I enjoy an Earl Grey

[@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool]

Glad to be a part of your video pal 👍

[@WendallExplores]

Thanks for the expert tour mate

[@ryandunbar6507]

Love Ur videos Steve but I think being part of this was a mistake

[@suemcconnachie3371]

​@@ryandunbar6507 I agree Ryan..

[@jammadee4786]

@@WendallExplorespersonally I think it was your tour guide who planted those two upside down cars on the beach 😂😂😮

[@TheRogueDM]

Nice to see a Manx fleece!

[@6079SmithW]

That pub mate, 1.80 a pint! Put a proper smile on my face like it was the '90s again. Imagine going in there with 20 quid. You'd be leathered.

[@LoganPlayzGaming]

I was in that pub 2 weeks ago, The Hardwick, Got a pint and a glass of wine and it was just over a fiver 😅😅

[@ianwhitehead691]

£1:77 a pint in Witherspoons for Ruddles bitter.

[@user-lx1lu8qr7e]

Unreal, I live in Brighton which seems to be the only seaside town to have escaped the decline, it's really rare to find a pint under a fiver here.

[@rickstar101]

'leathered' oh man 😆love that

[@bearcubd3900]

90,s Special Pill & A Pint 😋

[@quokkapirquish6825]

14:03 “drink and drugs have infected the place”. - whilst holding his can of beer and having no teeth. Brilliant

[@Anon1370]

🤣😂

[@stewartcohen-jones2949]

I noticed that too , but in fairness I think ( couldn’t quite make it out) he did say “ we’ve taken over town”

[@MrJj86uk]

That guy looks part of the problem, didn't sound like he was from Blackpool either, which is typical of the issue of imported poverty in the central area.

[@garyhillman4993]

He s born n bred in Blackpool

[@Mat-kr1nf]

He certainly did. It’s the spitting image of Morecambe police station, and not dissimilar to Lancaster either!

[@SaltyMcBoatFace]

14:11 this bloke is exactly right , one street back in blackpool shows you what the place is really like , buildings that look like the signage hasn't been changed in 30 years & look like their paint-phobic , the place absolutley survives on keeping the seafront looking tidy & peoples memories of how it used to be , such a shame the nations favorite seaside resort ended up like this

[@MrJj86uk]

Except that's a bit of a misconception. Yes those parts exist and is the worst part of the town with many of the problem people imported or drawn in by the bright lights etc, sadly it's on show to millions unlike many towns bad areas. Yet further back in many residential areas, where no tourists go but people live, it's perfectly fine and makes up far more of the town. There's tons of good things in Blackpool, and yes some bad but you don't judge the whole town off the problem areas. There's a massive amount of investment happening in many areas. It has it's issues but similar problems to many seaside towns, yet far more going for it than most.

[@eelponna3145]

@@MrJj86ukif you could transport yourself back 40yrs I’d guarantee that you would not find a single street on the level of the hundreds of dystopian streets you’ll find scattered in and around Blackpool today. The businesses and people that are existing on a thread - again this level of deprivation simply did not exist 40 or even just 20yrs ago. It sounds like you’re in denial of this - or maybe you’re just being optimistic? Being blind to the facts is hardly going to help resolve things is it?

[@MrJj86uk]

@eelponna3145 Of course not and deprivation is there but it's not, as the post claimed, the real Blackpool at all. The real Blackpool is also where people live in normal residential areas that tourists don't see and being born and raised in Blackpool I know all about it. The central area does obviously get the coverage but people think the whole town is like that, it isnt. People only judge as the worst area is in a place where millions of visitors pass through. As said there's a lot happening to improve many things including these inner areas to have better streets and better housing, better life chances etc, less people having to move away for work etc meaning less problem people from elsewhere imported, which has been the real issue in the central area.

[@Jimbo8012]

@@MrJj86uk - Blackpool is a fucking shit hole mate. There are pockets that are nice (roads around Stanley Park etc) but it's largely a dump. @eelponna3145 is right. The place is unrecognisable from even 30 years ago. Had my car serviced at Halford's Autocentre recently and walked from there past Notarianni's and on to the front. The scale of the deprivation shocked me. Litter and shit everywhere. Roads and pavements full of potholes. Boarded up houses. Every shop was gambling/slots, cash converters and run down cafes. Just an eviscerated, miserable economy with lots of bedraggled people who'd just given up. Even the front is a mess. It's what decades of cheap, foreign packaged holidays, chronic under investment, terrible Govt policy and lack of opportunity does over time.

[@bubba842]

Just one example of the many sea side resorts in Britain that are crumbling.

[@AdjustableSquelch]

In a 1993 episode of Rab C Nesbitt, Jamesy Cotter says "This is Blackpool. Las Vegas for scum"

[@ibrstellar1080]

The decline across the Country has been going on since the 1970's.

[@greenaum]

Blackpool was nice round about then!

[@PlasticGirl65]

Coming from Jamesy that says a lot 😂

[@AdjustableSquelch]

@@PlasticGirl65 :D

[@123bwlch]

Met 2 girls catching a train to Blackpool, they said it's " Right dodgey" (whatever that means!)

[@tangerinebabe1]

I live in Blackpool. The council are ONLY interested in tourism and generating conferences and visitors. The locals are forgotten. Poverty is high. There is nothing for the local kids, everything is geared up for kids that DONT live here. Crime is high. Drug and alcohol addiction is a huge problem. Suicide is one of the highest in the country. Its grim for alot of people living in Blackpool.

[@Fenrires]

Community outreach and mutual aid become the only way of getting help in situations like this, where the council and government refuse to help. Very sad.

[@brantnuttall]

but at least we have rainbow crossings now

[@joeo]

You cant get tourism if the place is a shithole

[@Jeremycorbynl]

Makes me laugh when people say there’s nothing for kids. There’s 50 different attractions, a zoo, theme park, the sea, a beach, parks. There’s more than majority of the country in Blackpool. Seasonal jobs for college and uni folks. ( Yes I know this is also an issue) Try growing up in a forgotten city like Stoke where there was a cinema and bowling.

[@kieranmclaughlin8920]

Yeah, very sad, indeed. I used to live there. Free enterprise, though, isn't it? Capitalism and Conservative government. Why the poor, working class people of Blackpool most often vote Conservative is totally beyond my thinking. Perhaps due to the party conference nonsense... hey... they wouldn't do that deliberately though, would they...? 🤔

[@MattGamesYT]

Whoa what, £50 for an adult on the day for blackpool pleasure beach? That's literally insane.

[@WendallExplores]

Mental I agree

[@colinevans39]

Greed 😤

[@juliet7703]

I don't suppose the disabled get in on disabled rate?🤔

[@eelponna3145]

Imagine if it was £25 - it might actually encourage people to visit and spend more money there!

[@forbiddenracer2056]

What’s worse if you just want to take the kids and you don’t want to go on any rides you still have to pay the full price, which is one of reasons never go anymore.

[@jonnykates]

Appreciate you mate. You are highlighting how those who struggle the most live. It's not a dump on Britain; you're exposing the dirty corners that most people refuse to look at.

[@Akstergrind]

Stephen’s absolutely right, Blackpool WAS a brilliant place to grow up, and we didn’t notice it going downhill back then. It only really became evident to me when I moved away and came back for a visit…it seemed to be worse each time I returned, until a few years ago when I got back to see it as it is now. North Shore streets that used to be bustling and busy with jaunty B&Bs are now just bedsitland with murders being committed by addicts (Carshalton Road). And, for a place with so few green spaces, there doesn’t seem to be any great desire to keep them maintained; no real pride from residents who’re happy to fly-tip or churn up the grass with illegal motorbikes. It’s like the Wild (north) West here, and only getting worse. I really wish I’d never come back this last time because my memories of a once great town have been ruined by what it’s become.

[@basylpeterjones]

How then does Blackpool, and English and Welsh resorts as a whole, have record tourism?

[@Snillomator]

Blackpool attracts the lowest of the lows. I saw another comment say Las Vegas for scum, as someone who has worked in the tourism industry here (hotels/bars/restaurants you name it) I'd definitely say that's an accurate description. Not saying everyone that lives or visits here is scum. However it has definitely got worse over the years and continues to do so. There are okay and decent areas if people look around hard enough such as the area around Stanley Park/Marton Mere. These places just become bigger targets for the scummy thieves though. (It's not coincidence the largest green space in the town is one of the nicer areas to live in Blackpool). I use to think staying here and trying to be a decent resident was the best thing to do, same for others but it's got the point where it feels that hopeless that I too have to decide eventually to leave it behind. It's a never ending snowball effect. The horrible looking areas make the locals feel like crap which also drives out business (because who wants to go to areas with run down buildings or who even wants to open their business there), then the locals turn to crime/drugs due to less opportunity which then makes more business close down. It all just keeps snowballing on to make the town even worse over time. @@basylpeterjones

[@garethcollins3678]

That blue Peugeot MOT,d till December this year weird

[@ouroborosirvington]

Don't panic I know a man that will give it a fresh one. Oh no wait... he's declined.

[@staffordandy]

And only 72000 miles on the clock! What a waste.

[@gaz4276]

I wonder if "We Buy Any Car" are interested in the 2 beach buggy's

[@adzy166]

“Hello, is that Chops Garage?”

[@ftw1540]

Was used by economic migrants as a boat, more substantial than a dingy...

[@albin2232]

Blackpool was our Las Vegas, when I was growing up in the 60's. Now it's our Trinity Test Site.

[@ianjames5150]

Thanks for coming to Blackpool and chucking a can of pop into the sea.. that’s just what we need 👍

[@pooooornopigeon]

He picked it up after.

[@Cttt36]

I was just going to comment this! 😂

[@stephenj5432]

agree

[@stephenj5432]

@@pooooornopigeon did he? what would have happened if it rolled into the sea? disgusting behaviour

[@pooooornopigeon]

@@stephenj5432 He said in the comments he picked it up so you are being childish.

[@user-jt4bv9xt1p]

Seeing that car saddened me. It spoils so many happy memories for me. I last stayed in Blackpool for a few days in 2006. I was down for the Grand National at Aintree. Even then I noticed its decline. Things hadn’t changed since I was there over twenty years before that.

[@lemdixon01]

Just go further up the coast to Bispham or Cleveleys, inland to Poulton or down to Lytham and you'll be fine.

[@lifetruthseeking5808]

A town that was popular in the 60s and 70s but the cheap holidays abroad changed that and it became just about the poorest town in Britain

[@thesatisfiedcustomer4869]

Popular from Victorian times

[@G4RY1159]

@@pjl8119 Agree, they ''THINK'' a few new Hotels will fix things. Could be wrong BUT I doubt it, all three piers are a state now, people just don't look. Back Streets are also a mess, years ago you'd never see a single empty / void shop, everything was filled and the place was buzzing. Hate saying it as I have a lot of history with the place, but it's a rundown toilet now, why spend money AND time in a rundown toilet.

[@P.G.Wodelouse]

@pjl8119 i live near blackpool most days you can hardly move during the summer season and xmas, blackpool is not dead

[@G4RY1159]

@@P.G.Wodelouse Mostly day trips, or weekends at a push. It will always attract certain people, but it's been in steep decline for years. All 3 piers are a mess, all £ Out, none invested back In. Real shame but many other places are the same.

[@lifetruthseeking5808]

@@P.G.Wodelouse I know it is still thriving in the summer and there is lots to do but it probably had even more in the past. still needs a lot of work to make it more attractive. The pleasure beach theme park is amazing and one of my favourite theme parks and I like the tower but there is work to make it. I would say the same for Margate, Great Yarmouth or Scarborough and many other seaside towns. They need more money spent on them so they could be more thriving. That is why seaside towns are among the most deprived because they rely on tourists. I would say they need something else aswell to bring money in🤷‍♂️

[@MIKEHUNT-iy7my]

I go to Blackpool every August for Rebellion Punk Festival , great locals they deserve better , seems council get paid for shipping in addicts from Liverpool and Manchester and housing them in crappy hotels etc

[@irnbru22]

Also people just out of jail also mate. Loads of them get put up in hotels.

[@robogamer5384]

The iconic blackpool tower one third of the size of the Eifull tower,but a victorian masterpiece that will never be replicated.stunning brick arches and a work of art,and the tower ballroom is a must to see with its beautiful architecture. The victorian builders new how to build in them days.

[@Snillomator]

Certainly better than the horrible looking concrete/metal jungles that are taking over every where.

[@tylerjg1234]

Should give Luton a visit. Generally voted as the worst town in the UK, would be good to see what you think.

[@brianboyle2681]

Has one of the best old style football stadiums left in the UK.

[@cultfiction3865]

I doubt anywhere in the south would be as bad as some northern towns. My brother lived for a while in Medway in Kent which the locals considered rough. But to him it seemed fine cos he’d experienced worse

[@iguiste23]

@@cultfiction3865 You would be surprised. There are some awful, dirty towns down south on the decline. Especially with the crime rates and knife crime.

[@adammaloney2356]

​@@cultfiction3865 jaywick is in Essex

[@spursp2321]

​@cultficgtion3865 go tilbury and ull change your mind

[@JCB33three]

What a good idea that Cafe owner has 👌 what an inspiration! So heart warming to see that kind of thing these days. Keep up the good work Wendall 🙌

[@bobbobby9798]

Note, hardly any local accents. Everyone only blames the council or government, but never takes responsibility for their own behaviour. There's poverty in many countries, you can still be broke and be a respectful person without money.

[@davidbarnes241]

@bobbobby9798 Spot on👍

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

I get sick of it. I left the UK nearly 20 years ago, but I still follow local groups on FB. All I ever see is whinging ,moaning, racism, and it is Never Their fault .I f you don't like something, get off your arse and do something about it? If a place is S*,it is because the people who live there allow it to be. And If the councils /Government do Nothing They voted them in? You getwhat you vote for. And you get out what you put in.

[@thathurt]

How is it the residents fault? If they aren't the landlord or HMO owners. They probably pay enough council tax so expect the town to be looked after better than it is. Other seaside towns are better kept. Councils are the one with the tax payers money and local plans not the residents. I'm not talking about druggies and criminals but I don't see how it's the average residents fault. Walk any town like KZbinrs do and you'll only meet those who aren't at work. Blackpool has a lot of people who moved there to escape somewhere else. Sadly it's not worked out for all of them. I don't hear local accents in my town centre either but most are normal people, shopping, students or working.. Its 2024. I'm not in favour of many of the changes to the UK in my 40 odd years but not all of us can afford to escape so make the best of it..

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

​@@thathurt A ragged trousered philanthropist. For a start Councils get money from Central Government. They have been starving them which is why so many are going bankrupt .Secondly, People vote for the council, People vote for their MPs. So if they screw up, the People have only Themselves to blame .Getting it yet? And as for 'Other seaside towns do OK' they are mostly the Pretty ones, where wealthy 2nd home owners have forced local people Out. I hate Blackpool, but its decline is down to the voters.

[@bobbobby9798]

@@thathurt because many residents chose to live like bad soap characters. Plenty of poverty and hardship in the world,you can still be a respectful person without money.

[@nickshields7258]

The man outside the pub summed it up by correctly saying the council allocation of money is all for the front and for the visitors,the outskirts is forgotten about similar to the way Liverpool city council operates.

[@gagiman7273]

What a depressing place

[@youssef.sarhan]

It's simple. Back in the day, people went to seaside towns for vacations, but then flight became popular and then they started going to Spain, etc. So the tourism in these seaside towns declined and so their whole economy disappeared.

[@annabelleattwood]

Gosh, it is nice that you have shown this to host. People don't know what reality is. Watching from uk 🎉

[@davec6250]

That cheap pub just goes to show that if you charge less, you get more customers. Now if every retail shop/pub/restaurant etc adopted the same common sense, this country could start getting back on its feet. But instead greed has taken over. Great video Wendall 👍

[@freespirit3818]

Hope that cafe does well. That lass is all heart God bless her ❤

[@78vintages]

Go to Blackpool every year, I love it and so do my kids. We go for long weekends. Peak season and staying close to the front is a cracking little holiday.

[@wba9652]

You call England a holiday? Jesus you must be extremely small minded or insane.

[@baron5747]

Sorry to hear that.

[@puma55792]

A walk on the wild side meets Wendall brilliant to see you working together, loved Blackpool in the 80s and 90s but was drawn to Devon and Cornwall since had some brilliant holidays down there.

[@theabandonedhunter3604]

Wicked video mate. I am subscriber to Stephen’s channel and it’s clear to see the council are concentrated on tourist revenue. As many elaborated to seaside towns are very much in decline right now and I often go around back streets to see struggles when visiting. On a positive UTS 🤞🔴⚪️

[@jackwatsonepic626]

I had already subscribed to Stephen. (Walk on the wild side) When he did a vlog with Lee, the mackmaster. And Jane from fylde coast. And you wendall when you did the jaywick vlog..🇬🇧

[@deeannh17]

Black Pool looks like it has a lot of potential. The city council needs to set up a meeting with the citizens with ideas. Fire them, actually and get in some Independent parties.

[@MrJj86uk]

There's loads of regeneration happening. Of course it's never quick enough but covid and cost of living haven't helped and haven't helped the poor either. It's on the up as a whole and it will take time to undo decades of mistakes and deprivation etc, but a corner has been turned.

[@deeannh17]

@@MrJj86uk I think “a charming and quaint English historical” area is better than “industrial modern” regeneration. I’m only thinking of the sea shore area for tourist attractions, small business and community gatherings. I don’t want to deal with ugly modern buildings that should be farther away and for other uses, profitable business and modern progress. I’m sure that is needed, too, but tourist attractions should look like nostalgic paintings that you hang above the sofa. I think people in that shoreline area have fantastic memories and ideas and it would be great to implement them and work with willing city council and it would be great use of the money. Establishment parties seem to be set in their ways and far from the people. Smaller new political parties would be a nice local community change to use tax payer money wisely. It’s about preserving heritage and memories for future generations.

[@Jimbo8012]

@@MrJj86uk - Regeneration. Lol. You'd need to spend at least a couple of billion to put Blackpool right. I'm not joking. The decline is decades of cheap, foreign packaged holidays that's eviscerated the local economy coupled with a concomitant lack of investment, terrible local and national Govt policy and few opportunities. I personally don't see it turning a corner and I'm there fairly frequently.

[@abc-ye2ec]

Why bother? they are milking the residents for tax and still blaming Thatcher....

[@MrJj86uk]

@Jimbo8012 It does need a lot and is having a lot of investment. Maybe not the billions but significant amounts to make a difference. The things happening will do that but yes ideally with far more cash you could make a difference sooner. I'd say I know a bit about it being from there. It'll always have elements of deprivation but can be improved massively and is beginning to be. 20 million visitors a year is very very good, it's the most popular destination in the UK. Not bad for a 'finished town' as some people say. It gets far more than most places and has tons of attractions. Tens of millions of investment, visual improvements and economic. Not as fast as we'd all want but it's happening. Some benefits will be fairly quick but others will take many years.

[@rickastley7490]

16:03 "Arrive as a customer, leave as friend " Great quote. I enjoy your vids a lot. Cheers from the Netherlands

[@davesawyer]

Blackpool, went there once in November 1997, with my new girlfriend. Out of season, run down, nothing open and stayed in an awful B & B. Surprised it didn't split us up, but been together ever since, some 27 years later lol. Not been back to Blackpool though! Never Again!

[@WendallExplores]

What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger 💪

[@pooooornopigeon]

There are some lovely b&b's, you need to know which ones.

[@finanzferdinand9874]

Steven plays at the local chess club, owns a drone and listens to Ringo Starr albums

[@Ste2023]

he thinks blackpool was Malibu

[@paulleach3612]

@@Ste2023 GTA Blackpool...

[@gypsymanme]

I was fortunate to visit Blackpool for a couple of days in 1990 while spending a month long holiday in England. It was during the illuminations and it was fabulous. It was like stepping back in time. Went dancing at an amazing ballroom which had people from 15 to 85. It is a great memory. Thanks Blackpool.

[@asa1973100]

Drive 5 minutes up the rd either way and it’s lovely…. I live in Blackpool opposite the magnificent Stanley Park and it’s gorgeous.. Drive 10 minutes down to Lytham St Annes and it’s a totally different world, extremely middle-class multimillion pound houses with a totally different aspect to it culturally wise drive the opposite way and head towards Fleet again it’s beautiful totally different but Blackpool is an entity on its own. It’s a very fun town. It has some fantastic people in it. Unfortunately the people you have interviewed at the outsiders who have come into the town and they have bought a lot of their problems with them, but they are not a true representation of Blackpool . And yes we have a problems but we are FOOKING FUN …

[@calderdale6795]

Very well said. The knockers should visit Stanley Park and its environs . Most of them could only dream of living in those stunning houses , and the park is one of the best in the UK. I live in the Cotswolds but always enjoy my annual trip to the impressive Imperial Hotel. I doubt the commentators have a great deal of large budget/business experience…I could be wrong ?….but regeneration requires investment : investment requires money obtained from the maximisation of the core business , hence improving the tourist areas so that more money becomes available for improvements elsewhere. Most of the old buildings/ hotels that are not listed are way beyond financial viability given building regulations ( especially around South Shore) and will ultimately be removed in my opinion. That gives the ability to make open green spaces until more economic use of the land arises ( like the old Derby Baths site that needs landscaping ). That’s the way the world works , like it or not.

[@jasongray4517]

By 'Fleet' you presumably mean Fleetwood. 'Beautiful' isn't the first word that comes to mind. A dying fishing industry and an aging population. It has similar problems to Blackpool. And you're right: for all of Blackpool's problems - and it has many - it's given many of us some of the best nights out of our lives. Terrific, unpretentious fun.

[@christuffer]

Yeah. It's really a 'town centre problem'. And this can be seen across the UK.

[@mickbenton8196]

Went there in a bus trip in the 80s. Me and a mate missed the bus home and ended up sleeping in a police car in the police carpark overnight. Class time

[@clairelivefreeordie2551]

You sound like fun

[@colinwatson8688]

Wendall great move walking around Blackpool with Stephen like you he has a good in depth factual U tube channel you could not of picked a better guy to jointly produce this one.

[@WendallExplores]

Stephen is a superstar mate. Great guy and super knowledgeable. I look forward to filming with him more🤞

[@HerbertDuckshort]

I took my then 10 year old daughter to Blackpool for a day trip one Saturday in 2012 to show her where her old Dad used to have fun as a kid. We arrived about 10.00 am but after only an hour I'd had enough of the drunken hen parties, stag parties and crackheads. I paid a fortune for us to go in the Tower to get away from it all. It was a shabby, smelly, seedy crap hole. At lunchtime we got back into the car and went home. Never been back, never will go back.

[@drumstick74]

I am glad you showed the beautiful street at 26:54. If only the council would do the same for the "less tourist'y areas" of Blackpool. TY from a Dane

[@sue5488]

This is ace. I follow you both. Great seeing you work together. Blackpool has been going downhill for years, sadly

[@moonshinepz]

What put it in perspective for me was that I used to work in Blackpool in the 70s and commute daily from Lancaster. I think that brought it home to me that there were plenty of jobs there then for local people and we were filling a gap when there was more jobs than people, specially in the summer/illuminations time. I just worked in a shop. It was also a buzzing place to go for a day or night out. Trains were packed at rush hour with people coming in to work. It is sad what has happened to our coastal towns.

[@WendallExplores]

It is a sad sight

[@Keep_Focus_UK]

do you still live in Lancaster> I am from there

[@moonshinepz]

@@Keep_Focus_UK Not now, I've been in cornwall for 30 odd years. Still remember all the pubs lol, great city. Still looked pretty good last time I passed through.

[@ChristosChristophi-er7wi]

​@@Keep_Focus_UK I live in Lancaster.

[@Keep_Focus_UK]

@@ChristosChristophi-er7wi I recognise your name, did your parents own the chip shop near the market many years ago?

[@RealYourNightmare1193]

EXCELLENT VID !!! Yes been following Steve's channel some time, which is brilliant. It's a sad state of affairs right across the Uk , as we know. I emigrated 15 years ago when I saw this coming. Yes xmas & other high days are hard , but my quality of life is good.

[@basylpeterjones]

Why does he only interview forgotten people with drink and drug problems? The videos are a lie - Seaside tourism is doing fine.

[@VloggingALife]

❤ love it 😍 great job guys . Give me a shout in summer ☀️

[@Granty_lad55]

I don’t know why they keep saying that away from the front is shit. Even the front is a shithole. If you think that police stations bad you should have seen the high rise flats they knocked down in 2000s.

[@Stephen0988]

Very illuminating about Blackpool.

[@Sr19769p]

😂

[@johnghent5946]

Great video. I’ve watched a fair bit of Walk on the Wild Side and enjoy that too. Visited Blackpool nearly every year in January for the racing pigeon show from 1995 to 2019 and the change has been very obvious. Visited a few years back on a sunny day with the family during the summer and really enjoyed it! But that was only really visiting the touristy spots and the promenade.

[@philliplum3845]

Another great and informative video mate.. It's so so sad, the amount of deprecation across our country is awful.. Thank you for documenting this important issue.

[@KimBowker]

Been waiting for this video! I follow A walk on the wild side and looked you up after watching Stephen's video and ive became hooked on your chanel!

[@WendallExplores]

Thanks for coming over 🙏

[@golic7123]

I moved away from Blackpool in 2005 - the tyrannical council, Policing, wardens and pseudo-authorities got too much My business supplied about 30 places in in/around the area, and there were some *SIGHTS* to be seen in the early morning hours ! Unemployment, drink & drugs has also ruined the place - staff turnover was ridiculous . . . . . one lad came for a job interview for a driving job, with an open can of beer in his hand - i kid you not And the town centre is now all betting-shops, vape shops, tattooists, Turkish barbers, charity shops, vacant places and dirty takeaways - Local don't even go there

[@pooooornopigeon]

Did he get the job ? 😂😂😂😂😂

[@golic7123]

Ha ha ha ha, strangely No 😆 . . . . & not just ANY beer either, but that one in in a brown can that's extra strong (is it called 'strong, or special brew' ???) That said, the enthusiastic new driver who DID get the job, ended up putting my lovely new Iveco Turbo daily (still being paid for on finance) into a ditch down a country road, when trying to squeeze past another vehicle . . . . . then 2 couple of weeks after that put petrol in by mistake, and damaged the engine - Aaaaargh Sigh - Glad that expensive & stressful 'Era' of my life is past, that's for sure

[@pooooornopigeon]

@@golic7123 Yes it's not as easy running a business as people think.

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

Turkish barbers deserve some love

[@basher5013]

Blackpool has been used as a social dumping ground , as there are/were many boarding houses to move people too from other parts of the UK

[@ajayjackson7727]

what a brilliant video, subscribed, i couldn't believe the price to get into the Pleasure Beach wow. Used to love coming to Blackpool with my family in the 80s and it was brilliant , it had such a great atmosphere but yeah then we started going to Spain cos of the square deals but it was never as much fun as Blackpool. Great video 👍

[@michaelfairclough6039]

Blackpool still a magic place .Reminds of Margate

[@mikefordhamvideos]

This and your other videos show just how bad things are in this country and you should be applauded for your work. Years of neglect have led to some parts of the UK left with no hope for the future. It's a shame we can't play a montage of your videos in the House of Commons so politicians can see just how far our country has sunk on their watch. The tragedy is, in each of the places you've visited there are good, decent people doing their best and their voices never get heard.

[@MbisonBalrog]

Im so glad you got together with A Walk on the Wild Side.

[@davidjones4130]

Still love Blackpool , aweome down to earth place full of character . Admittedly its in a time warp but its wholesome and super nice locals ❤

[@dan-star]

Blackpoo

[@benjaminbuckley2077]

I think the same, its a 7hr drive for me so that puts a stop to any regular trips, but we still load the car up every couple of years and make the trip with the kids. As you said, its down to earth, the people are nice, food and drink is cheap. Kids love the rides, the water park is one of the best in the uk. Its only 1hr to manchester/liverpool etc for other days out whilst in the area. Generally we always have a great week 👍 Im from a seaside town in dorset and blackpool seafront reminds me of back home 30yr ago when weymouth was still good

[@lemdixon01]

I used to like walking around the pleasure beach for free but then go on a ride or two. I dont want to buy a book of tickets. It's more like a fun fair than a theme park.

[@jacquelinegibson7420]

As a kid with not much pocket money, you could just wonder around with a candy floss watching and dreaming.

[@Chenzo-sb6zu]

Thanks for this, so interesting. I have many happy memories of Blackpool from childhood days. So sad that it's so run down off the sea front.

[@crazycrentax]

The last really busy lights we had was in 1980, Maggie literally closed down most of the industry in the north so that was more or less the end of the wakes weeks, I can still remember when people used to most of their Xmas shopping in the lights, now businesses in Blackpool can hardly afford to pay for employees because so little money is spent here anymore by Holiday makers.

[@JanetHill-ft7rk]

We do not have destroyed old cars on the beach thankyou very much ! That car was the result of a thick guy who had parked his car on the beach. So get your facts right .

[@irnbru22]

Be quiet it was joyriden and got rallied on the beach. Ive heard about how the kids was posting it all on their socials on the night.

[@markmay4954]

Wendall. Would you please consider doing Portsmouth and Southsea at some point on your travels as I would love to see what you think of our great City by the Sea. Many thanks.

[@WendallExplores]

Sure will mate

[@Muppetgivers]

And Eastleigh

[@Richard-ec8xy]

I worked near Portsmouth earlier this year and visited a couple times it was aight but the beach was rubbish

[@markmay4954]

Dont bother coming back then.@@Richard-ec8xy

[@garywright4233]

Holidayed a lot in Crystal Road 60,70,80s .Last time I was in Blackpool was 1998 I think. We visited the Pleasure Beach so much. Loved some of the rides and also used the many Bars scattered around. Great memories.

[@roderickspode6657]

Heartbreaking. So many towns in your videos Wendall like this gone beyond the point of no return. Hard to see things turning out well. Poor old Britain.

[@WendallExplores]

People say I’m choosing the worst places to film, but as you can see there is a vast choice of broken towns. Maybe it’s a widespread problem 🤔

[@Tom_Roberts]

That cafe with "pay forward" is a fantastic idea. I'm going to B/pool in summer and I will definitely go there to give support.

[@bob23301]

Blackpool voted tory, so they have the town they deserve.

[@jackwatsonepic626]

I went to Blackpool in August, and you couldn't see the pavement because of people on the front street (promenade).😂🇬🇧

[@derrickgreen9020]

I’m 74, live in central England and considered moving to the seaside…the magical places of my younger years. After watching your uploads, there’s no way I would want to choose any of these places. What on earth has happened to my country! All those charming coastal resorts, the east coast, the Isle of Wight…all gone downhill. Thank you for warning me!

[@richardsingh5827]

Is the Peugeot still available 😂😂

[@nevillej9408]

The whole of the UK is rundown, I can show you places in Norwich that are just as bad, if you are ever this way take a look at Anglia Square and Magdalen Street….

[@Ste2023]

Managed Decline came to You hey 🥴

[@leepering4440]

Great video Wendall i noticed your weston video is gone i wanted to show my missis the old boy who spoke his mind

[@msaldrum]

If you’re in the North West you should visit Wigan and Leigh. I’m from Leigh, would gladly show you around, town centre is a very interesting place 😂 and is known for having too many charity shops 😂😂

[@sbaby-kg8hn]

Wigan is a rot hole

[@wanderer299a]

Try Nelson if you want terminal decline

[@em6577]

Awww I love leigh... love the people..my auntie used to live in leigh before she emigrated...loved the market and a cafe called the picador.... nice memories

[@msaldrum]

@@sbaby-kg8hn yep, can't argue with that haha

[@laticsprem]

​​@@sbaby-kg8hnAnd whereabouts in Wigan do you live to make such a claim?

[@stuartmckelvie446]

Excellent vlog. Blackpool sums up this country at utter shit hole.

[@WendallExplores]

It ain’t getting better overall mate

[@stuartmckelvie446]

@@WendallExplores so frustrating being born & bred here and watching everything turn to shit. The state of our roads dodging the pot holes. Scandalous

[@user-hw2tk7dh6w]

Absolutely 💯 per cent 😢

[@SamRoberts-ng3pu]

If you think Britian is a shithole, get your passport and go and see the world. I'm currently writing this from the Philippines, a genuinely deprived country 🤡.

[@JanetHill-ft7rk]

He just slags the town off... Blackpool has invested millions . All those drunks arnt even local people you can tell from the accents.

[@K-Bizzle]

Invested millions? Apart from the promenade, where's the investment? It's a sh*thole, simple as that and if you can't call that out then maybe you're part of the problem.

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

I mean the bookies don't exactly care who has the gambling addictions as long as the house gets its edge

[@jacq0071]

I agree ..I've been to Blackpool..the people who behave bad ..do not come from Blackpool..full of stag and hen party's, he seems to make videos on the obvious.

[@andytillman6200]

You’re a top bloke Wendall great content cheers 🍻 I follow Stephen too have done for years keep up the good work 😎

[@ianthomas739]

In the late fifties and early sixties, our family went to Blackpool every year at Wakes week and stayed in the same seafront small hotel. We played on the beach, went on the piers, walked the prom, and had a picnics and boat rides at Peaseholm Park and of course ,the Pleasue beach. Then there was the magical Tower ballroom with Reginald Dixon along with his Wurlitzer appearing from beneath the floor. Yes, Blackpool in those days was just a fantastic place to have your holiday and millions families did just that. In a way, Those days are gone forever

[@rolfbigland5090]

I hope you picked up that can you threw over your shoulder whilst promoting holy juice 😡

[@wanderingturnip]

This is great. Love the colab 👏

[@Skaterbun]

Great video Shaun really enjoyed Looe we know it well! Some nice pasty bakeries. I’m def am thinking of buying that Chefree as my 1st air fryer ! Massive discount when you are watching the pennies! Thank you ! 😊

[@weepair2]

Blackpool is done. It's a sh*thole.

[@MrJj86uk]

20 million visitors a year suggest otherwise...

[@weepair2]

If you don't know what a sh*t-hole looks like , you have been in one way too long.@@MrJj86uk

[@chicagogyrl4846]

They were awarded 40 million for a new college campus there, so that will definitely help! There will also be a new Sands Hotel and Spa, with the new entertainment museum on the first floor.

[@bostonbikebits6539]

Similar story on the Isle of Wight - loads of empty and burnt out hotels - some have been empty for years where developers have bought them and deliberately left them to rot. They want to build flats but the council won't let them. After a few years they mysteriously catch fire and just lay derelict. It's a disgrace.

[@zeezeemalone4035]

I was up there last week with my grandson, we had a great time on the beach playing, guess the waves (runners or stoppers) lol. I do remember visiting with mum and dad and it's obviously changed a lot. I found the people were friendly. There is a lot of unfortunate people who obviously have problems. It's a shame the way the council has let the place get to the state it's in. Another great report Wendell and Steve is a brilliant ambassador for Blackpool. I, for one, will keep visiting

[@chizzler2248]

I am from the US and I was in Blackpool in the late 70's early 80's and I loved it. It def has changed through the years.

[@serenityc2740]

Things will never change if this government keeps spending our taxes on other things and not its own citizens 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@Talesfromthetiller.]

These shorts are very good. I’ve not seen them before and, having been to pretty much every place you have covered, think they are an honest sum’ with at least some balance. Enjoyed watching. 👍

[@markkerry5840]

Brilliant film and Stephen was very interesting, Thank you

[@carl6131]

It used to be family freindly, but now its falling apart. It's a shame cos I have a good memory of it too.

[@shaun4443]

I spent my childhood in the 80's and 90's there! I can't explain how depressing it is to see this! the nostalgia is unreal.

[@GadsdenHomie1776]

I've been to Blackpool. I remember it rained & my clothes were soaked so I did some laundry at my cousin's house in Manchester. Good times. Greetings from Colorado, USA.

[@rhys_ftr]

Thankyou for doing Blackpool bro 💯❤️

[@kylewilliams5761]

I went to Blackpool in 1994. I was told by a local that Bradford was even worse. Then I went too Great Yarmouth. Loved it. !!

[@IvanDrackaliev]

Good done mate! Cheers!

[@CraigTom-so2vt]

another brilliant content mate. me and my family go there every year either for a day out or a couple night stay ❤ blackpool

[@annabolicka4508]

To be fair, the upside down Peugeots aren't Blackpoodlian relics but half of the AAA (Almost Amphibian Army) from the very mildly successful 2021 French invasion.

[@matthewrobins2599]

Super interesting. Another great vid. Nice one.

[@justincharlton1173]

Great Vid...love the idea in the cafe of paying for someone's breakfast..🇬🇧🇬🇧✌✌

[@davidhayes2232]

£6?

[@jacquelinegibson7420]

The beautiful places get lots of attention. You are bearing witness to people's struggle and you're right, that's important.

[@starofdavid9919]

Glaswegian, had many trips to Blackpool as a boy growing up in the 70s, the place was buzzing, all along the promenade was packed with holiday makers from all over the UK and you could stroll into the pleasure beach for nothing and pick your rides, the whole place was alive but now with cheap holidays to the sun its actually a lot cheaper to go abroad but has not just affected Blackpool but every seaside town, now they are just a wasteland for drifters , alkies and junkies.

[@britishmick]

As your interviewees alluded to, it is simply financial constraints that hamper any substantial re-building of dilapidated areas, but nothing can justify the sheet metal clad derelict buildings, these are meant as a temporary solution to deter trespassing, yet they are almost a permanent fixture across the board in poorer areas and it’s easy to remedy, especially how much the council waste, for example, Dudley council have just spent millions on Brierley Hill high street and I sh1t you not that after two years of the road being closed and the subsequent completion the road has the same derelict shops but the pavements are wider and already looking dated!. Not a clue!.