Optimism in the sea air

Blackpool Pleasure Beach should have been opening its gates for its 125th season of thrills on February 6. Instead, like the rest of the famous Prom’s tourist attractions, it remained closed to visitors as the nation continued its third national lockdown.

The impact of the Covid-19 on Blackpool’s vitally important tourism and hospitality sector has been severe. Hitler couldn’t stop the Pleasure Beach fun, the pandemic has.

There was a flicker of hope last July and August, when businesses were allowed to reopen and people flocked to the seaside, but that was soon extinguished by the second wave and the restrictions – and finally the lockdown – that accompanied it.

In October Blackpool Tower was lit up with an SOS message as more than 1,000 traders in the resort wrote to Boris Johnson pleading with him to save its tourism industry.