Many consider the Blackpool Tower to be the UK’s equivalent to France’s Eiffel Tower. However, despite the on-going rivalry that has endured since much further back than the 100 Year War, the Blackpool Tower still reigns as a major European tourist attraction .
The Blackpool Tower idea came about after John Bickerstaffe, the Blackpool’s mayor gained encouragement from seeing the Eiffel Tower at Paris’ 1889 Great Paris Exhibition. Commissioned to create the town’s newest attraction, he secured project shareholders and the tower was built . after he obtained a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower and created a plan for developing the Blackpool Tower. Eventually , his hired project was constructed , making it Blackpool’s most recent and very popular landmark .
Today , the tower rises 158 metres high, much shorter than the Eiffel Tower, which sits at a height of 300 metres. Despite this, the Blackpool Tower sits on a solid foundation, a building known as the Blackpool Tower Circus, but the Eiffel Tower is totally free-standing. The Eiffel Tower boasted approximately 14 million patrons in 2008, and the Blackpool Tower gets approximately 6 million tourists per year. In reality though, both towers are very different , their popularity being a matter of individual taste.
In the late 19th century , the design of the late architects, Charles Tuke and James Maxwell, was opened . Tourists were rewarded with lift rides that rushed them skywards towards the base of the flagpole that they had been gazing at for many months . Interestingly, they enjoyed the amazing landmark that gave them views of the Welsh coastline, all encircled with millions of bricks and tonnes of iron and steel. A throng of 3000 enjoyed the first trips in May 1894, completely unaware that after 30 years, this dream tower would have to be redone because of a failure to safe guard its surface from the elements . However , after being used World War II radar base under the direction of the Royal Air Force, a coat of silver paint honoured Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee (1977) and became just one of many alternations and additional wonders that have made the Blackpool Tower what it is today. These included
- the Tower Lounge Bar,
- Restaurant 1894,
- the Tower Heritage Trail,
- the Tower Pavilion (1894),
- the Aquarium,
- the Walk of Faith (1998),
- the Charlie Cairoli Exhibition,
- yearly illuminations (2007),
- the Jurassic Walk,
- the Blackpool Junior Dance Festival (Tower Ballroom)
- and Jungle Jim’s Towering Adventureland.
There are some good hotels in Blackpool, close to the tower. Prices begin at £25 per room, including varied renowned hotels as the Kenbarry, New Osterley and the Fairhaven. However , visitors can get super deals for different lodgings in the area by checking hotel details at a hotel price comparison site, Blackpool Hotels.
Broadcasting more than just radio music , Blackpool’s tower gives tourists an informative selection of entertainment , party venues and amusements for all kinds of people. However , though the rivalry