We have been off on our camper van travels again, to Blackpool this time and enjoyed a great weekend.
We chose Chippendales, a Caravan & Camping Club Certified Site about 3 miles inland. It was a super little place, only 3 small meadows each surrounded by trees, bushes and flowers. It had a real country feel with chickens roaming freely and new laid eggs for sale. The toilet block was clean and had boiling hot water and a good sized shower area with 50p slot. The utility room had washing machines, iron and board, microwave and fridge freezers and of course a sink, it also housed a well stocked bookcase to dip into. It was obvious the Chippendales cared a great deal about the site which was at the back of their bungalow, everything was in pristine condition and well looked after. It was also an absolutely flat site which saves so much time getting level.
Just across from the site we caught No 10 bus which took us straight to central Blackpool, convenient for the Tower, shops, amusements, piers and trams etc. We had a stroll down the prom, sampled the delights of freshly made donuts and hopped on a tram to Cleveleys for a wander round the shops etc and back on the tram with plenty of time for a quick peek at the pier and into the amusements on the front – they are amazing places full of machines, music, flashing lights and the clatter of money going in or coming out of the machines. Too noisy for us to linger but worth a look if only to see the delight or disappointment on the punters faces as they win ore lose. By now the illuminations had lit up which always makes the place shine. We caught the bus back to the site and then had a 10 minute stroll to The Shovels Pub which served 2 meals for £10, so we both had rump steak & chips, a lovely bottle of Rioja and finished off sharing sticky toffee pudding, all for the bargain price of £23.
Next day we took the van out to Fleetwood and visited the Freeport retail outlet village where you can pick up lots of bargains. On the way back we parked up on the seafront at the northern end of Blackpool which has free parking as does Fleetwood along the front. We made a cuppa overlooking the sea and took another stroll to take advantage of the sunshine and sea air. Back at the site for a rest but we couldn’t resist a second trip to The Shovels for our evening meal for yet another bottle of wine and good food.
On our way home next day we went to see St Annes and finally Lytham St Annes which is a lovely place and a real contrast to Blackpool or Fleetwood, which are fine though a bit run down. Lytham St Annes has a real village feel with lovely shops, cafes, pretty houses and a long promenade, it looks really genteel.
Whatever people say about Blackpool you can’t knock it because it has got the lot – plenty to see and do and although it was crowded it wasn’t a problem and we didn’t see any trouble. We had a great weekend, sunshine, sea air, good food and wines. What more could we ask for?
Irene Podolanski
September 07
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