A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ILLUMINATIONS
The illuminations at Blackpool have a longer history than most people imagine. The Blackpool trams provided the first illuminated features to be seen in Blackpool when five were specially decorated tramcars travelled along the promenade to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897. These illuminated trams were used for the next fifteen years together with displays on some prominent buildings. The first illuminations as we understand the term today took place as long ago as 1912 to celebrate the visit of H.R.H.Princess Louise when she opened a new part of the promenade. Although the display was small by today's standards, consisting of only 10,000 bulbs this was a spectacular display for the time. The illuminations proved so popular that they were continued every year until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 by which time the number of bulbs used had increased sixfold.
In 1925 the illuminations were started once again and were a popular attraction which extended the summer holiday season. During the twenties and thirties the display was made more interesting by the introduction of tableaux and it wasn't too long before movement was introduced. War interrupted the illuminations in 1939 and it was to be ten years before they recommenced in 1949. During the war, the small staff of the illuminations department constructed a number of patriotic tableaux to raise money for the war effort.The display has grown a great deal and now stretches from Bispham a distance of some six miles to Starr Gate and is widely known as "The Greatest Free Show on Earth", although there are collection points where visitors can make voluntary donations toward the cost of the illuminations.
Since restarting after the war, advantage has been taken of new materials and electrical and electronic technology to produce new features for the display. New features are produced on a regular basis and existing ones erected in different locations each year to give an ever changing display. The work on the illuminations starts as early as April each year sorting out the lights and erecting them in pre-determined positions. By June the displays between Starr Gate and Pleasure Beach will have been erected and by July work has moved to Cabin with the large tableaux at Bispham being erected in August. The lights are switched on in early September and usually remain until the first weekend in November. Switch on time varies, becoming earlier as the darker evenings draw in. There are also Christmas illuminations in the town centre of Blackpool but these are not as extensive.
As Blackpool in the box has to have miniature reproductions of the illuminations features fixed to lamposts, these have to be photographed during the day in order that they are as sharply focussed as possible with all colours represented.
Although lacking the dramatic effect of the illuminations at night they will give some idea of the wide scope of the subjects. The first of the features are the eggs. An egg attached to the lamp post at each side of the road is joined by a festoon of lights with a separate "comment" illuminated in the centre of the road. Comments such as "eggshausted" "eggscited" and "eggstatic" prompted many laughs and groans as they were read. Other parts of the illuminations featured Coronation Street "stars" and "Lite Refreshment featured giant drinks cans. Flower Power was also featured whilst one of the latest displays features flying saucers with rocket exhausts and the heads of the "alien" pilots revolving whlst firing "light beams" at each other across the road.
Thomas the Tank Engine is the subject of one of the tableaux on the layout.
In addition to the static display there are two mobile displays which form part of the official iluminations. These are the "Blackpool Queen" which was intoduced in 1982 is a Mississipi showboat built on a milk float chassis. It collects donations from visitors as it moves up and down the promenade playing music. The second mobile is the "Glimobile". This is a Citroen 2CV which was introduced in 1988. The car is illuminated using hundreds of fibre optic strands which protrude through holes drilled in the car's body. The lights are constantly changing between seven colours and a "winder key" protrudes from the roof and revolves to give the impression of a clockwork powered car. This mobile also collects donations as it moves around the iluminations.
During the illuminations season special illuminated trams run. Originally they didn't carry fare paying passengers. The first of these appeared, as noted above, in 1897. Their illuminations were battery powered because their running lights were oil powered even though they were powered by electric motors! To put the size of the 1912 illuminations into perspective, the newest tramcar - De-luxe car 68 - was illuminated using 3,000 bulbs.
When the illuminations resumed in 1925 a special illuminated tram, built in the shape of a Venitian gondola, was introduced. This tram carried only specially invited guests in the "cabin". The guests, and the crew who were dressed as godoliers, had to get on and offthe tram using ladders. The following year saw the introduction of the "Lifeboat" another specially built illuminated tram. In 1933 a tram was built in the shape of "Anne Hathaway's Cottage" complete with thatched roof but was soon withdrawn as the thatched roof suffered damage in bad weather.
The "Progress Bandwagon" was built in 1937to represent a tram in the year 2937. Although this resembled a "Balloon" car in shape it was rebuilt from an older tram. During the Second World War this tram was used, without illuminated effects to raise funds for the war effort. With resumption of the illuminations it resumed its role as the "Progess Car". It played music and was repainted in a different design each year until, in 1958, a large "Mayflower" tableaux was erected on one side. This proved too heavy for the framework and the tram was withdrawn when the illuminations ended.
In 1959 the "Blackpool Belle" was "launched". This was a tram in the shape of a Mississippi show boat and two "Standard" cars were illuminated using light bulbs on its framework. The lifeboat was withdrawn in 1961 andthe gondola in 1962. The "Standards" were withdrawn in 1966 and The Blackpool Belle in 1978. The Belle is preserved in Oregon, USA, although it has been available for sale for a couple of years now.
There are presently five illuminated trams although two are coupled together to form the "Western Train" an old fashioned "Wild West" locomotive pulling a carriage. The others are "The Rocket" which started life as "Tramnik One" (named after the Sputnik spacecraft) and is unusual in that the passenger saloon is at an angle of 20 degrees. "The Hovertram" was inspired by the Hovercraft whilst the final member of the fleet is the "frigate" which carries the name "H.M.S.Blackpool. All these trams were built as proper passenger carrying vehicles and run special illuminations tours starting at North Pier and running to Little Bispham where they turn on the turning circle before running back to Starr Gate, around the turning circle there and back to North Pier. A premium fare is charged on these tours but it is a unique experience and well worth undertaking.
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