So sorry it took a while to post this! Freddie had a lovely vacation here in Blackpool, in the UK! We are a little seaside resort that was popular for stay-cations back in the day and once up a time was an extremely busy tourist destination! We are still a tourist hub but not as much as once was
Freddie first arrived on an uncharacteristically sunny day! And the weather was very nice the whole time he was with us! I think he was a good omen.
But uh-oh.. what's this?
I think Freddie was feeling a bit wary by this point but I assured him that he'd be safe and sound with me! Turns out he had nothing to worry about as he and my dog Hugo became firm friends almost immediately.
Now it's the unspoken law in England that as soon as a guest arrives in your home, you must offer them a cup of tea. So Freddie and I filled our Disney mugs and had a cuppa! The Eeyore mug is mine which I've had since childhood, and Freddie borrowed by fiance's Grumpy mug. I think he enjoyed his proper English brew!
Now we all know Freddie is a big Disney fan so he couldn't resist getting to grips with what little of my Disney stuff I have out on display! We don't have much room in this house so there's not much out, but Freddie was pretty envious of my cute little bits and bobs! Plus my two funny little custom clay sculptures that aren't Disney :rofl:
On the weekend (which was still strangely sunny!!) I took Freddie out and about in Blackpool to see some of the sights! First he went to see the Grand Theatre which is one of the oldest buildings in Blackpool and is extremely beautiful inside. Unfortunately you can only go in if you have a ticket for a show, and as Freddie didn't tell me he was coming, I couldn't book anything for us.. oh well! The outside is beautiful too!
Then we went out onto the promenade to see some of the things Blackpool is really known for. First he had a good look at Blackpool Tower! Freddie was amazed to learn that Blackpool tower, inspired by the Eiffel Tower, is 158 meters tall and houses (to name a few things) the Blackpool Tower Dungeon, the Tower Circus, and the beautiful Tower Ballroom. In the Victorian era Blackpool Tower also housed a Menagerie, and once upon a time it would not have been strange at all to see elephants having a walk along the beach or a bathe in the ocean!
While we had a stroll along the Promenade Freddie asked about the pier he could see in the distance. Blackpool Tower actually has three piers - North, Central, and South. The North Pier is Blackpool's oldest pier. It used to have a helicopter landing pad at the end of it but in a storm in 1997 this collapsed into the sea! Central Pier (which is the one you can see below) was opened in 1868 after the North Pier was s successful and in 1990 a 33 metre high ferris wheel was erected on the pier! South Pier was the last to be built and was sadly ravages by two fires during it's lifetime. It is the shortest of the three piers!
We also managed to have a look at the Comedy Carpet, which is a much newer attraction in Blackpool, created in 2011. The Comedy Carpet is Britains largest piece of public art and lies opposite the tower! It displays jokes and punchlines from comedians that have performed in Blackpool through the decades, and totals 160,000 letters. Five months after opening Blackpool Council controversially removed a section of the Comedy Carpet as it was thought that tourists viewing it were in danger of stepping into the path of oncoming trams.
Here 's one of the safer jokes that Freddie and I had a laugh at!
Although Blackpool has a LOT more things to see and offer, I was days away from flying to Florida! So I posted Freddie off to his next vacation with Sabrina and I'm sure we will see pictures of his adventure there soon