Blogs > A snapshot of UK Cities

A Snapshot into.. Blackpool

• October 19, 2020

Blackpool is a lively seaside town located in the North West of England in the county of Lancashire. It’s known primarily for its beautiful beach, famous Blackpool Tower, and its Illuminations lightshow that takes place on the promenade between August and September every year.

A popular location, it has a population of around 139,300. Blackpool also has the benefit of being close to both Liverpool and Manchester whilst having a considerably lower cost of living than either of the cities making it a desirable place to live.  

The Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust provides a range of acute services supporting a population of around 1.6 million. The Trust comprises Blackpool Victoria Hospital which is a large busy acute hospital, two smaller community hospitals, three elderly rehabilitation hospitals and the National Artificial Eye Service Unit. The Trust employ approximately 4,000 staff and have around 830 beds across all sites. They are also one of four tertiary cardiac centres in the North West, providing specialist cardiac services to heart patients from Lancashire and South Cumbria.
 

Facts about Blackpool

• Blackpool Illuminations first took place in 1879. Thousands of people gathered to watch as eight large electric bulbs were switched on to light the promenade. This annual show now features more than a million bulbs and is an impressive six miles long!
• Blackpool Illuminations have been switched on by a number of celebrities over the years, the most unusual of them being a famous race horse named Red Rum.
• The iconic Blackpool Tower is modelled on another familiar landmark…France’s famous Eiffel Tower.
• Blackpool Tower is an incredible 315 foot tall!
• It is the most popular seaside resort in the UK, making it both a desirable location to live, and a popular tourist destination.
• One of the first electric steam railways was built in Blackpool in 1885 and is still running to this day!
• The world’s biggest stick of rock candy was made by Blackpool confectioners Coronation Rock in 1991. It was 19 feet long and weighed 413.6kg.
• After London, Blackpool is the second most visited place in Britain.

Cost of living in Blackpool

One-Bedroom apartment in the City Centre	£467
One-Bedroom apartment outside of City Centre	£462
Three-Bedroom apartment in the City Centre	£683
Three-Bedroom apartment outside of the City Centre	£620

Transportation

1ltr Petrol	£1.25
One-Way Public Transport Ticket	£2.10
Monthly Public Transport Ticket	£54
1km Taxi Journey	£1.55

Entertainment

Basic dinner out for two in a neighbourhood pub	£24
Two tickets to the cinema	£16
One month of Gym Membership	£29.95
0.5ltr Beer	£3.10
0.33ltr Coke/Pepsi	£1.12
Cappuccino	£2.51

Time it takes to travel to other UK Cities from Blackpool
 

City	Time it Takes to Travel
London	4 Hours 43 Minutes
Bristol	3 Hours 58 Minutes
Cardiff	4 Hours 19 Minutes
Manchester	1 Hour 7 minutes
Newcastle	5 Hours 55 Minutes
Birmingham	2 Hours 18 minutes
Liverpool	1 Hour 17 minutes
Edinburgh	3 Hours 42 Minutes
Leeds	1 Hour 42 Minutes

Education in Blackpool

There are 33 primary schools, 8 secondary schools, 3 sixth forms and colleges and a university in Blackpool. Many of the schools have achieved an Ofsted rating of ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.
 

Things to do in Blackpool

Blackpool Tower 

One of the most iconic landmarks in Blackpool, it hosts several activities for the whole family to enjoy. If you trek to the top of the tower (don’t worry, they have lifts to the top!) you’ll reach Blackpool Tower Eye, where you can get a breathtaking view of the sea, and of course, Blackpool itself.

Blackpool Tower also hosts Blackpool Tower Dungeons, an event exploring the spooky history of Blackpool so that you can learn a little about the old seaside town, a ballroom where regular dances and themed nights take place throughout the year and even a circus, a perfect activity for families!

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

A thrilling amusement park with activities for family members of all ages. They have a variety of rides if you’re feeling adventurous, but also host meet and greets with Nickelodeon characters for children, dazzling ice-skating performances in their arena, adventure golf, and a Ripley’s Believe it or Not exhibition featuring strange an unusual collections.

Blackpool Zoo

An excellent location for a day out, Blackpool Zoo has over 1000 animals, access for less able visitors, and boasts the best sea lion displays in the UK. They’ve also won and been nominated for multiple tourist awards over the years.
 

Blackpool Beach

One of the main attractions in Blackpool, and a reason tourists flock to the town every summer. As well as enjoying the san, sea and ice cream, they often host shows on the promenade, including the Blackpool Illuminations and have three piers to explore, each with their own host of attractions, rides and eateries to explore.

Stanley Park

390 acres, Stanley Park is the perfect location for nature lovers. It is said to be a sophisticated park, featuring some art deco flair, an even an Art Deco café. As well as its beautiful foliage, there is also a boating lake, shuttle train and model village to occupy your time. It’s an excellent location for a relaxing walk or a family day out.
 

Relocation to Blackpool

If you’re an international doctor looking to relocate to Blackpool, or another location in the UK, please email your CV to [email protected] and we can support you in securing an NHS post and on your journey to relocate to the UK.

Are you a member of our Facebook Group? When you join IMG Advisor, you will join a community of doctors all looking to relocate to the UK and join the NHS. We post a series of blogs and vlogs into the group every single day. We will also always be on hand to answer all your relocation queries.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel! We have over 40 videos on everything you need to know about relocating to the UK and joining the NHS!
 

References

Grand UK Holidays. (2020). 10 things you never knew about Blackpool!. [online] Available at: https://www.grandukholidays.com/travel-blog/post/1-blackpool

Visit Blackpool. (2020). Attractions. [online] Available at: https://www.visitblackpool.com/things-to-do/attractions/?page=1&filter=1#search

Living, C. and Kingdom, U. (2020). Cost of Living in Blackpool. [online] Numbeo.com. Available at: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Blackpool

Travelodge. 2020. 14 Things You Didn't Know About Blackpool. [online] Available at: <https://www.travelodge.co.uk/blog/family-adventures/14-things-you-didnt-know-about-blackpool/> [Accessed 19 October 2020].