Sadly Central Drive is one of the poorest ward's in the whole of the country. By the very nature of my job, I have been behind some of those front doors which were eye watering to behold and not just because of the acrid urine and human fecies smells. I even attended a "sex dungeon/heroine squat" in a ground floor flat. I was accompanied by some long serving police officers and they could not recall a more deprived scene in a long time. As for the "999 What's your Emergency" series, I'm amazed that Blackpool Council allowed another camera crew to film us again this year. That show was a fair and accurate representation of life in Blackpool.
A building you missed off Revoe Community Hub next door to the piece of wasteland that used to be the George pub. The building is set back a bit from the main road. Loads of good stuff happening in there by the local people for the local people.
I’m a Blackpool man who has loved my home town every minute of the 53 years I’ve lived. Blackpool is a wonderful town. A lot of people talk shit about Blackpool but loads of people move here. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else
What a dive. Visited Blackpool many times over the years, especially in the 70's and early 80's when I was growing up. It was pretty respectable then, guest house landladies all ran a tight ship and it was a safe place to walk around even late at night. As for me, I now live in the US so Blackpool seems like a million miles away but I still have very fond memories of my time there. Thanks for uploading this.
@@robbflynn4325 Ok I’ve been to Kensington in Philly. I suppose that place makes Central Drive look upmarket. There are a lot of videos showing the homeless & drug addicts of Kensington on TH-cam. It looks very bad there.
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool there are parts of the US far worse than this. Best thing about the US though is it’s size and you can live hundreds of miles away from any hell hole whereas the uK you are really never that far away because everything is so concentrated.
I'll second that, where he gets his information is amazing, a lot of the walks he film's make me cringe, and I'm home. Heaven knows what his wife or partner feels when he goes out filming, I'd be petrified for him. That video he did in the old police station he must have needed a shower when he got home. The back of that hotel with vagrants, I'd be afraid in case one came out. I hope he carries pepper spray. If it's legal.
I moved from Australia to Bradford in 2016. I have visited Blackpool about 4 times over these years and although fun was had doing all the usual things around the beach, there was a very dark feeling over the city. I would always leave feeling a bit... glum. Like it was a tired, worn out old place that was simply used and abused by the tourism sector, meanwhile the regular people that live there are suffering in a rusty silence. I am pleased you are telling it's story though Steve - I hope the quality of life issues improve with your beautiful city. God bless
Australia to Bradford lol, You must be mad, Bradford is just as bad haha, talk about pot calling kettle 😂😂👏..Did you come to flee the covid prison camps that nutter of a president set up..?
I love how the tower is a visible, lighting up hope, over all the human problems on the street. Thanks so much. I really enjoy your walks and the details you point out. I imagine it can be pretty stressful to run a shop on that street xx take care
When I lived in Blackpool from 1986 to 1991 I used to walk the length of Central Drive almost every day, never had an issue, never felt unsafe. I find all of these videos fascinating because It realistically shows what Blackpool is like nowadays compared to what it was like then & sadly It really does appear to have gone downhill quite rapidly over the years although I'm sure If I were to ever return for a holiday (I'm in New Zealand today) I'd have a blast.
Thanks for your comment. What are your opinions on NZ prime minister? She doesn't seem to come over very well in reports I see over here, mind neither does our Boris.
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool She isn't the "Angel" that most International Media portray her as. She's very "Pro China" which has lost her a lot of popularity. I don't think she's a bad person but she's making dangerous decisions which will be bad for NZ in the long run. She just brushes off anyone who publicly demonstrates against her or disagrees with her which itself is dangerous, you dont just brush off over ten thousand people calling them "just a minority" having said that, the opposition probably wouldn't do anything different, all they do is constantly snipe at her instead of offering constructive alternative solutions. The worldwide pandemic didn't come with a rule book so she's done the best she can considering.
My son lived above McColls for a while when he first moved to Blackpool 10 years or so ago. I only visited him there once (in 2014), but Central Drive seems much more run down now. Mind you, living near Aldershot there is not much difference!
I was born in Mereside in 1956 and remember all these places when they were buzzing. Central Station was super busy and Central Drive was a safe place to go but Ibbison Street before it was redeveloped was a place to avoid. The King Edward Cinema was thriving and the King Edward pub was a safe place for a lively pint. I have not been back for thirty years and it is so sad to see these excellent VLOGs. I have happy memories but it became a forgotten town and no longer attracts the thousands of families each year that made in wonderful. So sad. Excellent videos. More of the same please.
My grandad used to own a chippy on central drive back in the 40s 50s they Qued in there 10s and 100 s and my mum used to live around there as a little girl she made loads of pocket money with her bag carrier at Central station ,the good old days in our great old town hopefully be great again one day .
The girls used to come from all over Lancashire to escape the poverty, unemployment and degradation in they're home towns just to end up living in a slum in Blackpool and getting addicted to drugs by the various pimps and scum businesses that used to run Blackpool. The shameful conservative council never did anything for anybody and this is why Blackpool slid into the seedy and dirty squalid place it's become and also why it's avoided by most self respected holiday makers who prefer to take they're family holidays elsewhere now. Once a town gets a bad reputation it very rarely becomes respectable again and Blackpool has been seriously neglected for far too long.
I think that, with the new £300 million pound complex, Central Drive's days are possibly numbered. It's hard to imagine that they would want that right on it's doorstep. Most of the buildings on that section of Central Drive are not well maintained and probably too expensive to repair. Bond St is exactly the same. Once thriving and busy areas, now decaying away into ruin.
Lots of the shop owners are looking into improving the outlook and conditions of properties, not many empty now on central as obv the regen is going to be excellent custom for the area. Maybe take a look at what is being done rather than judge what is not
I come over to Blackpool quite regularly for a drink and a change of scene from Preston on a Thursday evening with my oldest friend Paul..he picks me up in his car and we take the 20 minute journey down the M55 to visit one of the 3 Wetherspoons pubs,along with Hogarths and other various pubs (not all on the same night ) from our homes in Preston..Paul just drinks shandy or coffee and I have 3 pints as we always do 3 pubs each time..alternating between Blackpool one week and Lancaster the next week.. it's something we've done for probably 30 years now..Thursday has always been our night out,even though I have work the following morning.. we always end the evening with a takeaway,either pizza,chicken and chips or a doner kebab which we eat in the car before driving back home..sometimes we buy from one on Central Drive and I must admit I've never really felt comfortable around that area as there are a few dodgy characters about around 11.30pm before we head back home..I recognised some of the shops from your video Stephen..definitely not the best location in Blackpool to be late on.
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool That was such a good video Stephen. The amount of detailed information you included, I could feel the atmosphere of the street. Yet again you have delivered a fantastic piece of work, thank you xx
Yes, it was i who told you about what constitutes a brothel. I had my massage parlour, directly across the rd from the lady above Atherton's carpets. This was back in 2000. I occasionally used to go and give her a hand, if she rang me, with an adventurous client! LoL! Happy days! Great video, Stephen! Thank you! xxxx
I loved Blackpool as a child but didn't revisit for about 25 years because people said it had become rundown.I was pleasantly surprised to see it was still much the Blackpool of my childhood and I had a great day.Yes urban decay has set in the backstreets but in comparrison to where i live its nothing.I Will be returning in near future.
I live at the top of Grassmere road, near the roundabout. When I moved here back in 1988, it was nice around revoe library and a huge xmas tree used to be placed there every year. That end of Central drive was always busy, that cigarette waste gallery used to be a Lloyds bank and the old cinema across the road had been converted into a bar which later became a popular line dancing bar, I passed it once at night when I worked as a bouncer at the Castle, and saw what I assume was a drunk stag party dressed as native Americans armed with silly plastic bows that fired sucker arrows, they were ambushing random line dancers dressed as cowboys that were exiting the building, good times. Now all you seem to see are dossers sitting on door steps either drunk or stoned out of their gourd. The whole street needs renovating and converting into modern homes instead of spending on silly things like ten grand on a silly tree.
I was surprised to walk past the Cigarette Waste Gallery and not have to step over any alcoholics, as there is usually a whole bunch of them hanging around there.
Great video, I’ve only been once but feel like I know Blackpool very well now ! Ready for my two visits next year . Castle nor-break is my only experience of accommodation so the bar was set at the very bottom 🤣
This so sad I grew up in Blackpool 71 Grasmere Rd!! Central Dr used to be so nice alot of family ownd shops and butcher's to the top end café s and tourist shops rock hats so sad... The George pub was local for all 50s60s Goodfellows lol and well known gangsters also scotch bar and many more but they kept local area safe!!! I still have family that live on Lune Grove mecca used to be the place on a Monday night till 10 lol for us young ones and Saturday mornings wow remember the picture house used to go there Saturday's morning and the odeon used to live at 3 high st when I was 8 then we moved to Grasmere!!! Wow how it's changed I also moved to USA I was a international makeup artist for Christian Dior live in Miami beach now but I do miss home Thank for sharing your video's
As the great karl pilkington said " If it looks grim at night it's going to look even worse during the day". I am not trying to be mean but..... I was given a hotel for FREE for the weekend I think you have covered the area in another video. It was near the KFC and the 24 hr Tesco's , we stayed for roughly 5 hours before leaving. I remember it was roasting hot with industrial sized bins over flowing with all kinds of junk with a massive rat sifting through its contents and the smell was horrendous. That street was busy with tramps taking up half of the walkway so you had to shuffle around them, literally zombies walking about, I found out later it was "spice" a drug they were on. Every conversation we were hearing as we walked the length of the street towards the beach front was either broken english or foreign. It looked like people had given up and they are just excisting. This was last year.....
Please do keep your eye on the Old picture Hall, and film it in the day time so we can all see what's going on with that building and how it becomes part of the new complex.
I was taken often as a child to Blackpool and had really good memories, I visited recently some 40yrs later and didn't stay long... Like Butlins it has become old and grubby with, I hate to say it a brooding feeling of menace to it... Saddens me.
I would have loveddd to have been from Blackpool man it’s my fav place and I actually like how behind the nice sights n stuff it’s run down rather then posh, my sorta places these and I love going Blackpool
I left Blackpool a little over 10 years ago now and haven't been back in nearly 6 years. I found A Walk on the side by accident a few months back and I have been an avid watcher ever since. Keep up the great work Stephen 👍👍👍
My parents came from Manchester to stay in a hotel on Central Drive (think it was on the corner of Palatine Road) for their honeymoon just after the war. Sounds unlikely now, but Blackpool, and the world, was a much different place almost 80 years ago of course. I'm sure they would be baffled to say the least to see how it is now.
Great video. I've never gone along Central Drive after dark when I'm on holiday due to all the stories I've heard! Admittedly I have been propositioned by a lady of the night at Palatine and that was in broad daylight in the middle of summer!! I understand the old Bethesda Square toilets had a certain notoriety about them too..... its an interesting road and you've made a great show of it. Keep up the good work!!!
I was a bit disappointed that I forgot to mention the infamous Bethesda Square toilets in this video, but I have mentioned them in previous Central Drive videos.
I had my first job on leaving school in central drive. 1982, I was an apprentice in a mechanics shop, below the Multistory carpark, looks like the the car park and garage have been demolished now. I used to travel in from my parents house in Elswick each day on my moped. Happy days👍
Good Evening Sir, This is the first time in a long time I have been able to watch a video again and relax into it. Work has taken over. Great video sir I thoroughly enjoyed the watch. Was the bingo hall the one which was knocked down on your previous videos. All the best.
Next time i'm in Blackpool i'll know where NOT to go.Utterly depressing to see a traditional seaside town blighted by lowlife dragging the area down,that's all it is.It's even starting to look and sound like the Coney Island of the UK esp how it was in the 1970s.
we go to Blackpool every July to watch the darts at the Winter Gardens. Always drink at the King Edward beforehand as they have dartboards, never felt unsafe altho i have always felt for the people of Blackpool. It needs serious investment. Hopefully this area will improve now.
Used to live in a bedsit in the early 90`s above a jewellers (Think its a hoover shop now) across the road from Bethesda Rd and what once was a public toilet. It was dreadful then and doubt it has changed much in the calibre of resident since :)
I grew up on Central Drive but at the bottom end & went to Primary school just near this area. That was 30+ years ago, I live in the US now. It was never great, but nothing like this
Another very interesting video Steve, thank you. 2 years on it's still the same. Shame to see all the derelict buildings especially the grand old ones. You're right the residential part of Central Drive is much nicer. From Bloomfield Road down to St Anne's Road most of the houses and gardens are well looked after. Just like Lytham Road a derelict part and a nice well looked after part.
Stephen My town has got a poor reputation After viewing your latest GEM My town is a paradise after following you down there btw you’re a brave man too !
Steve. I would love you to check out a mini TV series called Funland based in and filmed in Blackpool. You will probably know all the locations, such as Mercy's, Ambrose Chapel and Pondarosa Hotel. Keep up the good work 😍
I've visited many times and had no idea there was also a Central Station. Blackpool North always seems quite central to me! Was the Central Station the destination of an offshoot from the line to Blackpool North or South? Although I'm sure those who say Blackpool has deteriorated have a greater insight than I do, every time I'm there I seem to spot at least one major improvement that the council has made, so I hope the town is now displaying signs of regeneration compared to 10-15 years ago?
Central station still a car park? I parked there in 1968 when I went to Blackpool with my then girlfriend. I watch your videos as Blackpool has bittersweet memories for me. I have been before and since. Keep up these fascinating accounts of Blackpool.Sad that Blackpool has a knife problem. It is drugs. Simple. In 1968 I did not see such problems. Make your own minds up to the reasons.
Not sure about the owner of the Palma cafe being the same for the last 30 years, but I had a summer job the when I was 14/15 so that was 1969/70 so it’s definitely been around for about 50 years.
Central Drive used to be a decent street, lots of cafes and shops and takeaways, it is a shithouse now, such a shame as it is in the middle of a lots of cracking BnB's Nice tour Steve
What I like about your videos is the informative descriptions you talk about. Also, something you do that is very good is pan around slowly. (nothing worse than watching a video and zipping left, right, up, down just to make you dizzy LOL). a lot of these streets and places you talk about are unknown and you explain calmly and clearly the history of them. I do find myself driving through these places and telling the wife all about them and she thinks I am really knowledgeable about Blackpool, so nudge, nudge, wink, wink, don't tell her where I get my knowledge from haha. As usual, another good video so keep them coming. Just one thing, are you carrying the camera? or is it strapped to your body? or hidden? as people don't seem to see it and just carry on as normal? (always puzzles me that one).
Thanks Colin. I use a DJI Osmo Pocket camera for these type of videos. It's unique design makes it a very discreet camera to film with. I am also careful with the filming & try to pan slowly and at an even speed, which is more pleasing to watch.
We have got a few iffy spots in Cromer it seems to be all over the country and sea side places seem to have more than their share I know that Felixstowe in Suffolk has one of the largest import and cargo systems in Europe and a hell of a lot of those containers bring in a lot of drugs and people get hooked pretty quick it's a sad inevitability but the whole of the UK has a serious problem Very good vid Stephen sort of brings the truth home very sad from David Cromer
@@griswald7156 Hey there My nan lived there from 1983 to 1995 in a lovely flat in Old Felixstowe Sadly she passed in 95 It's ok there but like any seaside town I live in Cromer there are deep underlying problems Dodgy bedsits drugs alcoholism to name but a few Cromer is the same Yarmouth Portsmouth etc And of course the local councils try their hardest to keep it away from touristy areas Its the same abroad I lived on Crete Island for 4 years and there are places you just don't go And Marseille South of France Because these are coastal places there are no go areas I know EVERY town and city has its issues and you are absolutely spot on Felixstowe is a beautiful place I even had my 1st proper girlfriend there in 1984 after I just left school I moved there for a short while stayed at my nans whilst in between jobs and accommodation Sorry for that ramble It's just brought back some happy memories lol ❤️🙏🍀
@@davidandrews190 oh yes the beach and pier is fantastic…ooh i could just eat a hot doughnut now…dunwich,shingle street, its got the lot..and the place i stay at….lovely people,caring…you dont see that too often these days.. Ill bet it was pretty romantic in the moonlit gardens on the beach..
Stephen - if they are spending £300 million in that area what are the plans to upgrade the run down areas of Central Drive - surely they must be going to smarten this area up with such massive investment taking place - keep up the good work mate.
I personally don't find Central drive too bad. I'm from Essex and have lived in Blackpool since April/ May ( Bloomfield road ) Some extremely rough parts in Essex let me tell ya lol. Bit rough by the Salvation army building also isn't it. Pros and cons with any area isn't it really. 👍
When my grandparents became frail, they got a sheltered flat just off Central Drive, on Ibbeson Court I think. Wonder if that development's still there? I wouldn't have thought it would be very good for frail elderly and disabled people to live there at the moment! Mind you, when they were there one of the residents was murdered... it even went on Crimewatch! Wonder if they caught his murderer?
Hi Stephen thank you for another great video as always such a shame all of them empty buildings it could be a lovely road with a bit of money spent the tower looks amazing as always take care xx
I have always loved Blackpool, I used to holiday there as a child, as a single lad, as a husband and as a dad. I have fond memories of the Harlequin cafe, if we came for the day when I was a kid we used to always have our supper there, it was the only place I would drink Horlicks 🤣 that's going back 50 years and it wasn't quite as run down then 🤣. I still go to Blackpool frequently nowadays, usually for the air gun shop BAR which is on Elizabeth st I think. In fact I was there last Wednesday for a drive through the lights 👍👍👍
Sadly Central Drive is one of the poorest ward's in the whole of the country. By the very nature of my job, I have been behind some of those front doors which were eye watering to behold and not just because of the acrid urine and human fecies smells. I even attended a "sex dungeon/heroine squat" in a ground floor flat. I was accompanied by some long serving police officers and they could not recall a more deprived scene in a long time.
As for the "999 What's your Emergency" series, I'm amazed that Blackpool Council allowed another camera crew to film us again this year. That show was a fair and accurate representation of life in Blackpool.
It was quite shocking some of that 999 in Blackpool .
Interesting to see what police officers get up to on their night off. Not judging at all 🤷♂️
A building you missed off Revoe Community Hub next door to the piece of wasteland that used to be the George pub. The building is set back a bit from the main road. Loads of good stuff happening in there by the local people for the local people.
@@annejohnson4236 Yep, I was there in October helping film a local community event.
Blackpool council allowed it, because they where paid by the channel who did the documentary.
I’m a Blackpool man who has loved my home town every minute of the 53 years I’ve lived. Blackpool is a wonderful town. A lot of people talk shit about Blackpool but loads of people move here. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else
What a dive. Visited Blackpool many times over the years, especially in the 70's and early 80's when I was growing up. It was pretty respectable then, guest house landladies all ran a tight ship and it was a safe place to walk around even late at night. As for me, I now live in the US so Blackpool seems like a million miles away but I still have very fond memories of my time there. Thanks for uploading this.
Thanks for the story. Whereabouts in US do you live?
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool Pennsylvania.
@@robbflynn4325 Ok I’ve been to Kensington in Philly. I suppose that place makes Central Drive look upmarket. There are a lot of videos showing the homeless & drug addicts of Kensington on TH-cam. It looks very bad there.
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool there are parts of the US far worse than this. Best thing about the US though is it’s size and you can live hundreds of miles away from any hell hole whereas the uK you are really never that far away because everything is so concentrated.
i live in blackpool unfortunately-people give you dirty looks for no reason-total shithole
A Walk On The Wild Side at its best this is a classic video & what Stephen does better than anyone else. The variety of videos is first class 👍🏻
I'll second that, where he gets his information is amazing, a lot of the walks he film's make me cringe, and I'm home.
Heaven knows what his wife or partner feels when he goes out filming, I'd be petrified for him. That video he did in the old police station he must have needed a shower when he got home.
The back of that hotel with vagrants, I'd be afraid in case one came out. I hope he carries pepper spray. If it's legal.
I moved from Australia to Bradford in 2016. I have visited Blackpool about 4 times over these years and although fun was had doing all the usual things around the beach, there was a very dark feeling over the city. I would always leave feeling a bit... glum. Like it was a tired, worn out old place that was simply used and abused by the tourism sector, meanwhile the regular people that live there are suffering in a rusty silence. I am pleased you are telling it's story though Steve - I hope the quality of life issues improve with your beautiful city. God bless
Bradfords a shit hole too..
Australia to Bradford lol, You must be mad, Bradford is just as bad haha, talk about pot calling kettle 😂😂👏..Did you come to flee the covid prison camps that nutter of a president set up..?
Yup. See his other videos and the history too.
Australia to Bradford I bet you had the biggest shock of your life 😂😂😂😂 fool
Thanks stephen. Spent many years walking down central drive from grassmere road into town. Can't believe how much blackpool has deteriorated
It's saying something about an area when there is a knife amnesty bin there.
I love how the tower is a visible, lighting up hope, over all the human problems on the street. Thanks so much. I really enjoy your walks and the details you point out. I imagine it can be pretty stressful to run a shop on that street xx take care
When I lived in Blackpool from 1986 to 1991 I used to walk the length of Central Drive almost every day, never had an issue, never felt unsafe. I find all of these videos fascinating because It realistically shows what Blackpool is like nowadays compared to what it was like then & sadly It really does appear to have gone downhill quite rapidly over the years although I'm sure If I were to ever return for a holiday (I'm in New Zealand today) I'd have a blast.
Thanks for your comment. What are your opinions on NZ prime minister? She doesn't seem to come over very well in reports I see over here, mind neither does our Boris.
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool She isn't the "Angel" that most International Media portray her as. She's very "Pro China" which has lost her a lot of popularity. I don't think she's a bad person but she's making dangerous decisions which will be bad for NZ in the long run. She just brushes off anyone who publicly demonstrates against her or disagrees with her which itself is dangerous, you dont just brush off over ten thousand people calling them "just a minority" having said that, the opposition probably wouldn't do anything different, all they do is constantly snipe at her instead of offering constructive alternative solutions. The worldwide pandemic didn't come with a rule book so she's done the best she can considering.
Thanks for an insight of Blackpool again Stephen excellent work and content
My son lived above McColls for a while when he first moved to Blackpool 10 years or so ago. I only visited him there once (in 2014), but Central Drive seems much more run down now. Mind you, living near Aldershot there is not much difference!
I was born in Mereside in 1956 and remember all these places when they were buzzing. Central Station was super busy and Central Drive was a safe place to go but Ibbison Street before it was redeveloped was a place to avoid. The King Edward Cinema was thriving and the King Edward pub was a safe place for a lively pint. I have not been back for thirty years and it is so sad to see these excellent VLOGs. I have happy memories but it became a forgotten town and no longer attracts the thousands of families each year that made in wonderful. So sad. Excellent videos. More of the same please.
I was in Blackpool back in October and I couldn't believe the state the place was in even sections of the promenade were so run down.
Moved to Blackpool in retirement, love the town which should become a city. I know I know...
Excellent video again.
Thank you love these you have a knack for it.
Its so sad to see how much Blackpool has gone downhill.
Thankyou for that interesting walk eye opener the way other people live
Another great video Stephen very interesting, I think the knife bins are a great idea if people use them never seen them before 😊
My grandad used to own a chippy on central drive back in the 40s 50s they Qued in there 10s and 100 s and my mum used to live around there as a little girl she made loads of pocket money with her bag carrier at Central station ,the good old days in our great old town hopefully be great again one day .
The girls used to come from all over Lancashire to escape the poverty, unemployment and degradation in they're home towns just to end up living in a slum in Blackpool and getting addicted to drugs by the various pimps and scum businesses that used to run Blackpool. The shameful conservative council never did anything for anybody and this is why Blackpool slid into the seedy and dirty squalid place it's become and also why it's avoided by most self respected holiday makers who prefer to take they're family holidays elsewhere now.
Once a town gets a bad reputation it very rarely becomes respectable again and Blackpool has been seriously neglected for far too long.
I think that, with the new £300 million pound complex, Central Drive's days are possibly numbered. It's hard to imagine that they would want that right on it's doorstep. Most of the buildings on that section of Central Drive are not well maintained and probably too expensive to repair.
Bond St is exactly the same. Once thriving and busy areas, now decaying away into ruin.
My family own Stitch and Time and we have been thinking about the new developments and what it means for us!
Lots of the shop owners are looking into improving the outlook and conditions of properties, not many empty now on central as obv the regen is going to be excellent custom for the area. Maybe take a look at what is being done rather than judge what is not
I come over to Blackpool quite regularly for a drink and a change of scene from Preston on a Thursday evening with my oldest friend Paul..he picks me up in his car and we take the 20 minute journey down the M55 to visit one of the 3 Wetherspoons pubs,along with Hogarths and other various pubs (not all on the same night ) from our homes in Preston..Paul just drinks shandy or coffee and I have 3 pints as we always do 3 pubs each time..alternating between Blackpool one week and Lancaster the next week.. it's something we've done for probably 30 years now..Thursday has always been our night out,even though I have work the following morning.. we always end the evening with a takeaway,either pizza,chicken and chips or a doner kebab which we eat in the car before driving back home..sometimes we buy from one on Central Drive and I must admit I've never really felt comfortable around that area as there are a few dodgy characters about around 11.30pm before we head back home..I recognised some of the shops from your video Stephen..definitely not the best location in Blackpool to be late on.
Thanks Gary. Central Drive is quite an interesting area.
Another interesting video Stephen 👍love the Tower all lit up, looks awesome xxx❤❤❤
Glad you enjoyed it
Really like ur video's please keep making more .
Awesome v log brave man walking that end of Blackpool hats off to you.. Really loved the background music in parts sounded like an 80s film 😂🎶
Glad you enjoyed it pal.
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool That was such a good video Stephen. The amount of detailed information you included, I could feel the atmosphere of the street. Yet again you have delivered a fantastic piece of work, thank you xx
Yes, it was i who told you about what constitutes a brothel. I had my massage parlour, directly across the rd from the lady above Atherton's carpets. This was back in 2000. I occasionally used to go and give her a hand, if she rang me, with an adventurous client! LoL! Happy days! Great video, Stephen! Thank you! xxxx
Thanks Twinkle.
Give her a hand...😂 🤣
I loved Blackpool as a child but didn't revisit for about 25 years because people said it had become rundown.I was pleasantly surprised to see it was still much the Blackpool of my childhood and I had a great day.Yes urban decay has set in the backstreets but in comparrison to where i live its nothing.I Will be returning in near future.
I live at the top of Grassmere road, near the roundabout. When I moved here back in 1988, it was nice around revoe library and a huge xmas tree used to be placed there every year. That end of Central drive was always busy, that cigarette waste gallery used to be a Lloyds bank and the old cinema across the road had been converted into a bar which later became a popular line dancing bar, I passed it once at night when I worked as a bouncer at the Castle, and saw what I assume was a drunk stag party dressed as native Americans armed with silly plastic bows that fired sucker arrows, they were ambushing random line dancers dressed as cowboys that were exiting the building, good times. Now all you seem to see are dossers sitting on door steps either drunk or stoned out of their gourd. The whole street needs renovating and converting into modern homes instead of spending on silly things like ten grand on a silly tree.
I was surprised to walk past the Cigarette Waste Gallery and not have to step over any alcoholics, as there is usually a whole bunch of them hanging around there.
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool yeah, I tend to only go past there in the morning and the early afternoon, you only seem to see them on dry days.
just cancelled my holiday trip to Blackpool..............................might do Middlesborough instead...lol
I think the Revoe library is still open .
More of a community centre these days.
Coronation Street signing in enjoy your content mate subbed and ready for more
You ought to offer Blackpool to the film industry as a location for a post Apocalypse movie. Obviously, it would need a bit of tidying up first.
Great video, I’ve only been once but feel like I know Blackpool very well now ! Ready for my two visits next year .
Castle nor-break is my only experience of accommodation so the bar was set at the very bottom 🤣
Have fun!
Thank you Stephen as usual great job ,keep safe 👍👍
I believe Blackpool will make a comeback in a few years. Travelling abroad is being made a bit diifficult now
Lets hope so. It's already made a difference with visitors last year.
It's not
This so sad I grew up in Blackpool 71 Grasmere Rd!! Central Dr used to be so nice alot of family ownd shops and butcher's to the top end café s and tourist shops rock hats so sad... The George pub was local for all 50s60s Goodfellows lol and well known gangsters also scotch bar and many more but they kept local area safe!!! I still have family that live on Lune Grove mecca used to be the place on a Monday night till 10 lol for us young ones and Saturday mornings wow remember the picture house used to go there Saturday's morning and the odeon used to live at 3 high st when I was 8 then we moved to Grasmere!!! Wow how it's changed I also moved to USA I was a international makeup artist for Christian Dior live in Miami beach now but I do miss home Thank for sharing your video's
Keep up the good work Stephen I work with your brother and he’s a true legend most kindest guy I’ve met helps me out with a lot of stuff does Allan 🙌
As the great karl pilkington said " If it looks grim at night it's going to look even worse during the day".
I am not trying to be mean but.....
I was given a hotel for FREE for the weekend I think you have covered the area in another video. It was near the KFC and the 24 hr Tesco's , we stayed for roughly 5 hours before leaving. I remember it was roasting hot with industrial sized bins over flowing with all kinds of junk with a massive rat sifting through its contents and the smell was horrendous.
That street was busy with tramps taking up half of the walkway so you had to shuffle around them, literally zombies walking about, I found out later it was "spice" a drug they were on.
Every conversation we were hearing as we walked the length of the street towards the beach front was either broken english or foreign.
It looked like people had given up and they are just excisting.
This was last year.....
Love you videos well detailed brill commentary .Keep them coming .😉
Please do keep your eye on the Old picture Hall, and film it in the day time so we can all see what's going on with that building and how it becomes part of the new complex.
A thoroughly enjoyable video 👏
I lived on Reids Avenue for a few years. Run down for sure but I have so many warm memories. Watching this was nice 👌
Great Footage as expected.
I was taken often as a child to Blackpool and had really good memories, I visited recently some 40yrs later and didn't stay long... Like Butlins it has become old and grubby with, I hate to say it a brooding feeling of menace to it... Saddens me.
I would have loveddd to have been from Blackpool man it’s my fav place and I actually like how behind the nice sights n stuff it’s run down rather then posh, my sorta places these and I love going Blackpool
I left Blackpool a little over 10 years ago now and haven't been back in nearly 6 years.
I found A Walk on the side by accident a few months back and I have been an avid watcher ever since.
Keep up the great work Stephen 👍👍👍
Thanks 🙏
Blackpool note changed its got worse tbf I've lived here 8 years hopefully I'll move next year 👍
Ive a fifty in my pocket that says he's been up those stairs behind Atherton's Carpets.
My parents came from Manchester to stay in a hotel on Central Drive (think it was on the corner of Palatine Road) for their honeymoon just after the war. Sounds unlikely now, but Blackpool, and the world, was a much different place almost 80 years ago of course. I'm sure they would be baffled to say the least to see how it is now.
Very different & not for the better.
Great vlog and hopefully the are gets redone soon.
Another great video Steven
Thanks for watching David.
Even the music was making me tense!
That was the idea lol ;-)
Great video. I've never gone along Central Drive after dark when I'm on holiday due to all the stories I've heard! Admittedly I have been propositioned by a lady of the night at Palatine and that was in broad daylight in the middle of summer!! I understand the old Bethesda Square toilets had a certain notoriety about them too..... its an interesting road and you've made a great show of it. Keep up the good work!!!
I was a bit disappointed that I forgot to mention the infamous Bethesda Square toilets in this video, but I have mentioned them in previous Central Drive videos.
Thank you Stephen good to see a different side of Blackpool. I always look forward to your videos.
New subscriber from Manchester!!!! Excellent job 👌👌👌!!!!
Thanks.
My home 🧡 glad I got off that street when I was still growing up
Great Videos mare,watch them every night.Brings back many great holiday memories
Used to live just of central drive back in the 80s , totally different place back then , unbelievable how it's gone down hill 😡
Stitch In Time is actually my family’s business however I do agree the street needs sorting
There are plans to regenerate part of Central Drive, so we will see what happens. Hopefully it will give the are a boost.
with that intro music, thought you might be cruising down the road in an open top red ferrari, miami vice style?
I had my first job on leaving school in central drive. 1982, I was an apprentice in a mechanics shop, below the Multistory carpark, looks like the the car park and garage have been demolished now.
I used to travel in from my parents house in Elswick each day on my moped.
Happy days👍
Good Evening Sir,
This is the first time in a long time I have been able to watch a video again and relax into it. Work has taken over. Great video sir I thoroughly enjoyed the watch. Was the bingo hall the one which was knocked down on your previous videos.
All the best.
Next time i'm in Blackpool i'll know where NOT to go.Utterly depressing to see a traditional seaside town blighted by lowlife dragging the area down,that's all it is.It's even starting to look and sound like the Coney Island of the UK esp how it was in the 1970s.
I always wanted to go to Coney Island, mainly to go on that Cyclone ride.
Thank you for sharing my drone flight matey
It’s epic footage pal. You are almost at 1k 👍
I can remember in the 1960's Central Drive being an amazing place to shop, so sad to see it now.
I worked at the Palma Cafe as a schoolboy in the summer holidays in 1968. It was owned then by an Italian family.
Wow. It was there in 1968? Same premises?
It's probably the same owner today. Must be getting on a bit unless they started really young.
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool It's a bit of a landmark for me. I've never been in it but the signage is strongly memorable.
we go to Blackpool every July to watch the darts at the Winter Gardens. Always drink at the King Edward beforehand as they have dartboards, never felt unsafe altho i have always felt for the people of Blackpool. It needs serious investment. Hopefully this area will improve now.
Yeah it's pretty safe despite how it looks. I have no problem walking anywhere here night or day.
Blackpool is such an amazing city but has so many problems , sort of fascinating really the contrast between the tourism side and it’s darker side
Used to live in a bedsit in the early 90`s above a jewellers (Think its a hoover shop now) across the road from Bethesda Rd and what once was a public toilet. It was dreadful then and doubt it has changed much in the calibre of resident since :)
I’m a bit disappointed I missed out Bethesda Square toilets in this vid, but I have mentioned it in others.
I grew up on Central Drive but at the bottom end & went to Primary school just near this area.
That was 30+ years ago, I live in the US now.
It was never great, but nothing like this
Another very interesting video Steve, thank you. 2 years on it's still the same. Shame to see all the derelict buildings especially the grand old ones. You're right the residential part of Central Drive is much nicer. From Bloomfield Road down to St Anne's Road most of the houses and gardens are well looked after. Just like Lytham Road a derelict part and a nice well looked after part.
Thanks Breda 👍
Stephen My town has got a poor reputation After viewing your latest GEM My town is a paradise after following you down there btw you’re a brave man too !
Steve. I would love you to check out a mini TV series called Funland based in and filmed in Blackpool. You will probably know all the locations, such as Mercy's, Ambrose Chapel and Pondarosa Hotel. Keep up the good work 😍
Top program that,got it on dvd
Blackpool was always my no 1 UK holiday .... Still love the place to this day... Respect from 🏴👍
It’s awful mate,go to Ayr or anywhere in Scotland instead.
I've visited many times and had no idea there was also a Central Station. Blackpool North always seems quite central to me! Was the Central Station the destination of an offshoot from the line to Blackpool North or South? Although I'm sure those who say Blackpool has deteriorated have a greater insight than I do, every time I'm there I seem to spot at least one major improvement that the council has made, so I hope the town is now displaying signs of regeneration compared to 10-15 years ago?
Central came from south. The north route bends round to join the south route, I think.
Be careful out there alone Stephen! Fantastic video, great 80s style music too 👌
So bloody sad,best years of my life spent there as a kid.King Edward appartments.i was 19 /20 am 51 now so long time ago.still sad.
Hopefully better once they develop the massive car park & the KE Apartments will be spruced up as part of the plan.
Please do a Palma Cafe review Stephen. Always wonder what it is like in there.
I might get there sometime Mike.
Central station still a car park? I parked there in 1968 when I went to Blackpool with my then girlfriend. I watch your videos as Blackpool has bittersweet memories for me. I have been before and since. Keep up these fascinating accounts of Blackpool.Sad that Blackpool has a knife problem. It is drugs. Simple. In 1968 I did not see such problems. Make your own minds up to the reasons.
Not sure about the owner of the Palma cafe being the same for the last 30 years, but I had a summer job the when I was 14/15 so that was 1969/70 so it’s definitely been around for about 50 years.
I think the owner has been there longer than I said.
Stephen that was a great batch of videos. Thanks
Central Drive used to be a decent street, lots of cafes and shops and takeaways, it is a shithouse now, such a shame as it is in the middle of a lots of cracking BnB's Nice tour Steve
What I like about your videos is the informative descriptions you talk about.
Also, something you do that is very good is pan around slowly. (nothing worse than watching a video and zipping left, right, up, down just to make you dizzy LOL).
a lot of these streets and places you talk about are unknown and you explain calmly and clearly the history of them.
I do find myself driving through these places and telling the wife all about them and she thinks I am really knowledgeable about Blackpool, so nudge, nudge, wink, wink, don't tell her where I get my knowledge from haha.
As usual, another good video so keep them coming.
Just one thing, are you carrying the camera? or is it strapped to your body? or hidden? as people don't seem to see it and just carry on as normal? (always puzzles me that one).
Thanks Colin. I use a DJI Osmo Pocket camera for these type of videos. It's unique design makes it a very discreet camera to film with. I am also careful with the filming & try to pan slowly and at an even speed, which is more pleasing to watch.
Great Vlog Ste... Very informative... Now that's what I call a real "Walk On The Wild Side" 😱
Glad you enjoyed it
Hi just wondering was the big shop opposit the massage flat was it could the dolphin restraint
Can you do a video on the stagebox as the last who runs it, Daniela is such a decent person and has interesting story in sure.
Good evening Stephen from Glasgow. Lovely pic of the tower and beyond.
We have got a few iffy spots in Cromer it seems to be all over the country and sea side places seem to have more than their share I know that Felixstowe in Suffolk has one of the largest import and cargo systems in Europe and a hell of a lot of those containers bring in a lot of drugs and people get hooked pretty quick it's a sad inevitability but the whole of the UK has a serious problem Very good vid Stephen sort of brings the truth home very sad from David Cromer
Felixstowe is lovely i go for my holidays there…
@@griswald7156 Hey there My nan lived there from 1983 to 1995 in a lovely flat in Old Felixstowe Sadly she passed in 95 It's ok there but like any seaside town I live in Cromer there are deep underlying problems Dodgy bedsits drugs alcoholism to name but a few Cromer is the same Yarmouth Portsmouth etc And of course the local councils try their hardest to keep it away from touristy areas Its the same abroad I lived on Crete Island for 4 years and there are places you just don't go And Marseille South of France Because these are coastal places there are no go areas I know EVERY town and city has its issues and you are absolutely spot on Felixstowe is a beautiful place I even had my 1st proper girlfriend there in 1984 after I just left school I moved there for a short while stayed at my nans whilst in between jobs and accommodation Sorry for that ramble It's just brought back some happy memories lol ❤️🙏🍀
@@davidandrews190 oh yes the beach and pier is fantastic…ooh i could just eat a hot doughnut now…dunwich,shingle street, its got the lot..and the place i stay at….lovely people,caring…you dont see that too often these days..
Ill bet it was pretty romantic in the moonlit gardens on the beach..
Stephen - if they are spending £300 million in that area what are the plans to upgrade the run down areas of Central Drive - surely they must be going to smarten this area up with such massive investment taking place - keep up the good work mate.
They will have to it will look so out of place with the huge beautiful buildings lol
I didn't know that pub had gone. What happened to it? Was it unsafe?
I personally don't find Central drive too bad.
I'm from Essex and have lived in Blackpool since April/ May ( Bloomfield road )
Some extremely rough parts in Essex let me tell ya lol.
Bit rough by the Salvation army building also isn't it.
Pros and cons with any area isn't it really. 👍
It is pretty tame compared with certain streets within the inner cities.
It’s definitely not as bad as other places, the backstreets are the dangerous areas
When my grandparents became frail, they got a sheltered flat just off Central Drive, on Ibbeson Court I think. Wonder if that development's still there? I wouldn't have thought it would be very good for frail elderly and disabled people to live there at the moment! Mind you, when they were there one of the residents was murdered... it even went on Crimewatch! Wonder if they caught his murderer?
Hi Stephen thank you for another great video as always such a shame all of them empty buildings it could be a lovely road with a bit of money spent the tower looks amazing as always take care xx
Didnt realise the library had closed
Wasn’t the Commonwealth sporting club on central drive? I would play snooker competitions there in late 70’s early 80’s great memories
Yes. It was in the Mecca building.
Hey i was at that chippy the other day 😂😂 im really enjoying these only moved here a week ago so can look around in my bed hahaha
do you know if the Dog and Partridge pub is still there? it was near the South under a snooker hall
It is..
Are you going to cover Blackpool Mosque, insh'allah?
GREAT VIDEO AGAIN….I used to live on Grasmere Rd..walked into town many times..lets hope they can clean it up..
Thanks again
Gentrification is planned for Central Drive!
I have always loved Blackpool, I used to holiday there as a child, as a single lad, as a husband and as a dad. I have fond memories of the Harlequin cafe, if we came for the day when I was a kid we used to always have our supper there, it was the only place I would drink Horlicks 🤣 that's going back 50 years and it wasn't quite as run down then 🤣. I still go to Blackpool frequently nowadays, usually for the air gun shop BAR which is on Elizabeth st I think. In fact I was there last Wednesday for a drive through the lights 👍👍👍
Wasn’t the king Edward pub where ‘the venue’ was in 94?
The Venue was at the picture house, just next door.