1. The beach … build sandcastles or cool down with a paddle in the sea
2. The Comedy Carpet … browse for an hour or 2 & recall the comedy catch-phrases & jokes which have been captured in granite opposite to the Tower
3. Stanley Park … a wonderful park with sports facilities, a great children’s play area, boating lake, herons, ducks to feed, free music in the bandstand on Sunday afternoons as well as a lovely (but quite pricey) art-deco cafe
4. Walk along the new Prom … enjoy the art features on South prom (the wind organ, the giant glitter ball etc), the piers & the Spanish Steps, the giant blades of grass blowing in the wind near the Tower or the views from the clifftops in the North
5. Grundy Art Gallery … not old & fusty but regularly updated with changing exhibitions
6. The Illuminations – starting the first Friday in September & ending on Sunday 10th November in 2013, the Lights provide the greatest free show on Earth! Look out for the illuminated trams … the rocket, gunship & Fisherman’s Friend!
7. The World Championship Fireworks displays … Fridays in September … countries compete to see who can provide the best firework display & we all win!
8. The Air Show … vulcan bombers, spitfires, wing-walkers, the Red Arrows … grab a seat on the Spanish Steps or on one of the Piers for a comfy vantage point … always a great day
9. Showzam … every February Half-term, variety comes to town… centred on the Winter Gardens there is a host of activities to keep the kids amused during the cold, damp weather
10. The Tower … it’s free to enter now & you can sit on the balconies of the wonderful Victorian Ballroom & watch the dancers below while enjoying music from the Wurlitzer Organ. Bars & restaurants are also accessible for free. (other Tower attractions are fee-paying)
11. Stroll around the newly-refurbished Winter Gardens … the architecture is magnificent & the art-deco Mazzei Cafe inside is a haven of tranquility.
I know that’s 11 things … ah well!
