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Henry Banks, who came to be known as the ‘father of Blackpool’, was responsible for much of the major development that occurred, particularly up to the 1830s. Banks built the resort’s first holiday cottages; and his son-in-law, Dr John Cocker, built the first assembly rooms here in 1837. This development came to be known as the Victoria Promenade, which comprised the assembly rooms and also the shop units below. Most of the construction is still standing today, located at the intersection of Victoria and Bank Hey streets. Additional development by 1897 included the various piers and attractions to draw tourists, including: the Grand Theatre, the Tower Ballroom, the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens and the Golden Mile. Over the years, it’s always been the working classes that have been the backbone of Blackpool’s success as a resort. As package holidays to Spain and other sunny destinations started to become popular in the 1970s, Blackpool began to experience a decline in its tourist base. The seaside resort re-invented itself to overcome this however, becoming a destination for day-trippers; and is once again enjoying popularity. | |
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