Description
BLACKPOOL TOWER: A History
Paperback Book. 186 pages. With 16 pages of photos.
Peter Walton has written the full story of the construction of one of Britain’s most recognisable landmarks. When Blackpool Tower was being built, many people said it would be a failure. Originally estimated at £150,000, it ended up costing twice that much and John Bickerstaffe nearly went bust building this unique attraction. Once the Tower was open, his company made a profit every year, becoming the dominant entertainment group in Blackpool. It acquired the Palace, the Winter Gardens and the Opera House. By the 1930s it was running ballrooms, cinemas, live theatre and the famous Tower Circus. The Bickerstaffe brothers were key figures in Blackpool life. This is a story of the Victorian entrepreneurship that created Blackpool’s most iconic building, and led to Blackpool becoming the acclaimed pinnacle of British seaside entertainment.
