This fascinating selection of more than 180 photographs traces some of the many ways in which Blackpool has changed and developed over the last century.

This fascinating second selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Blackpool has changed and developed over the last century

To the police he was Public Enemy Number One. To drunken gangs of yobs intent on trouble, he was a nightmare come true. Steve Sinclair was the toughest doorman in the wildest resort in Britain - and if you crossed him, payback was swift and certain. Blackpool, once a byword for cheeky family fun, was by the 1980s a violent town plagued by lager louts, drug dealers and villains intent on muscling in on the lucrative club trade. Sinclair worked the biggest clubs and the roughest doors. He and his associates fought hundreds of battles against football hooligans, gang members and rival hardmen. They were also branded gangsters and were blamed by the police for serious unsolved crimes. Described by On The Doors magazine as 'a compelling, gripping and fascinating tale', THE BLACKPOOL ROCK is a candid insight into the dangerous world of the modern doorman and of the extreme methods he sometimes employs to defend himself and his customers and uphold his hard-won reputation.

A guided tour of this historic town, showing how the areas you know and love have transformed over the centuries.

Although it escaped bombing raids, Blackpool played an important role in the Second World War as a centre for training — with numerous airfields and factories surrounding the area. This book is the first to offer a dedicated history of the town in the period. It includes many interesting stories such as the people's playground, the Freckleton Air Disaster and an event-by-event account of activities. Despite being less affected than some other areas, the difficult war years still impacted on local people. Filled with true tales of local courage and of the spirit of the people of Blackpool during these tumultuous years, this nostalgic volume will be of interest to all who know and love Blackpool.

Explore the rich history of Blackpool in this guided tour through its most fascinating historic and modern buildings.

This collection examines Blackpool, Britain’s first and largest working-class seaside resort as a location for the production and consumption of British film and popular music, and the meaning of ‘Blackpool’ in films and songs. It examines representation of Blackpool in films such as Hindle Wakes, A Taste of Honey, Bhaji on the Beach, Away, Bob’s Weekend, The Harry Hill Movie and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, linking it to the concepts of heterotopia, purgatory, fantasy, simulacra and the carnivalesque. It also presents music in Blackpool through the history of its venues and examines development of punk and grime music in this seaside town. The authors argue that Blackpool in filmic and musical texts often stands for British culture, but increasingly for culture which is remembered or imagined rather than present and real.

This fascinating selection of more than 180 photographs traces some of the many ways in which Llandudno has changed and developed over the last century.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which the Lancashire Coast has changed and developed over the last century.

Blackpool is Britain's favourite seaside resort. Each year millions of visitors come to walk on its three piers, ride donkeys, enjoy shows at the Winter Gardens, scream on the thrilling rides at the Pleasure Beach and ride the lift to the top of the Tower. Generations of holidaymakers have stayed in its hotels, lodging houses and bed and breakfasts and all have succumbed to its delectable fish and chips. Two centuries of tourism has left behind a rich heritage, but Blackpool has also inherited a legacy of social and economic problems, as well as the need for comprehensive new sea defences to protect the heart of the town. In recent years this has led to the transformation of its seafront and to regeneration programmes to try to improve the town, for its visitors and residents. This book celebrates Blackpool's rich heritage and examines how its colourful past is playing a key part in guaranteeing that it has a bright future.