History of the tower

Blackpool Tower is undeniably the most famous symbol of the resort. Standing over 518 feet high it dominates the Promenade looming over the Golden Mile like a colossus. It is without doubt the most distinctive seaside building in Britain. The tower can be seen from all over Blackpool and its images are everywhere. It is depicted on ornaments souvenirs, brochures and business cards. Blackpool would be unthinkable without the this grand Victorian monument. It was modelled on the work of Gustav Eiffel who, of course, had the distinction of creating the even more famous Eiffel Tower, and the Blackpool version is a little over half the height of its French counterpart. The actual design was by Charles Tuke and James Maxwell two Manchester architects who also supervised the construction of the building. In 1889 John Bickerstaffe (often described as ‘the father of Blackpool tower’) visited the Great Paris Exhibition during his term as Mayor of Blackpool, and was captivated by the sight of the tower there. It inspired him to create a similar landmark in his home town of Blackpool, and he organised a consortium of local businessmen to finance the project. The Blackpool Tower Company was registered in February 1891 and the foundation stone was laid in September of that year. Three years later the work was complete. By the standards of the day it was a staggering achievement. When it was constructed it was regarded as the greatest single piece of British engineering of the time. Two thousand five hundred tons of steel, over ninety tons of cast steel and in excess of five million bricks were required in its completion and the total cost was around £300,000 which would be roughly twenty-one million pounds in modern currency. At any given time there were two hundred men working at great height to finish the work. Such is the construction of the tower that if it ever collapsed it would fall into the Irish Sea, rather than on the surrounding buildings. The public were first admitted on May 14th 1894, Whit Sunday, and the price of entry was six pence with an additional six pence to go to the top. The tower is a Grade I listed building and belongs to the World Federation of Great Towers, being the oldest tower on the membership list. It takes about seven years to paint the building and the painting is a continual process; as soon as the decorators have worked their way to the top, they start at the bottom again, using six tons of paint each time. In addition to being a stunning piece of architecture, the tower is a multi-level entertainment complex, attracting around six hundred and fifty thousand visitors every year. The Majestic neo-baroque Tower Ballroom was the creation of the highly esteemed theatrical architect Frank Matcham and with its mahogany, walnut and oak floor, beautiful tiles with their Pre-Raphaelite figures, and large intricately ornate crystal chandeliers is regarded by many authorities as the most magnificent ballroom in the world. Every day throughout the holiday season, the ‘mighty’ Wurlitzer Organ rises from under the stage playing a traditional waltz or popular tune. Reginald Dixon who was resident organist in the ballroom between 1930 and 1970 had a jaunty way of playing which he made world famous as the ‘Blackpool Sound’, typified by his signature tune - "Beside the Seaside." The Tower Circus with its stunning golden Arabesque walls is situated in the basement auditorium. It is animal free and for the last four years has been voted Best UK Circus by the Circus Friends Association. The tower has an observation platform at four hundred feet above sea level, and on clear days this affords views of the Isle of Man, the Southern Lake District, North Wales and much of Lancashire; and the tower can also be seen from those places. Other attractions in the tower include an undersea world aquarium, dinosaur ride, adventure playground and the "Walk of Faith" - a two inch thick glass pane 380 feet above the ground which people are dared to walk across. The tower is the centrepiece of the famous Blackpool illuminations, on which occasions it is decorated with ten thousand light bulbs and it has a huge searchlight which sweeps across the town all evening. A nice illustration of the significance of the tower to the resort is provided by the telephone number it was assigned between 1913 and 1946. This simply stated: "Blackpool 1", which seems a fitting tribute.