Blackpool beautiful.

View larger on black

God I can't believe a week has passed! So here's a nice little shot of Blackpool way back somewhere between 1958 and 1961, Kodachrome. Oh for time-travel...

Where to begin?

View Large on Black, completely unsanitized.

View larger on black.

We'll start with where and when I'd go first if given a time machine: Blackpool - mid-fifties.
Why? There's an element of the British seaside that speaks to my core personality - or, for lack of a better word, my soul. Blackpool at this time is already seeing it's best years in the rear-view mirror, and where smartly dressed (and quite wealthy) folks used to promenade along the coastline, kiosks with bawdy jokes and tacky postcards are starting to appear. Classic "seaside camp" is being born here. Blackpool begins to evolve into a place where inhibitions are left at the rail station, and although you can still have a waltz at the top of Blackpool tower, you can also learn a few new dirty words (and commit a few new unwholesome deeds!) - and that suits me to a tee.

Very attractive and lovely, no doubt about it, but I prefer the following:



So what's the verdict? Do you prefer Blackpool sanitized or the "Scratches of God" version? I'm torn.