The last time I was in the area was when my mother took our kids to Blackpool. Like many Scots of her generation Blackpool to her was the 'bees knees'. As each of her grandchildren reached the age of about fourteen she would take them for a week to Blackpool to see the illuminations and to enjoy the attractions. Joanna Elizabeth and I unfortunately had to accompany them. I say unfortunately but we did have a night off and Jo won £50 in the casino, a lot of money at the time, as well as paid for a nice meal. So, not all bad.
The walking was a mixture of beach and promenade, the latter when the legs had grown tired on the sands. The tide was out at the start at Lytham which at one point resulted in an amazing expanse of white sand and blue sky. By Blackpool, the tide was near full with the sands fast disappearing. The colour and texture of the sand change dramatically over the course of the walk, moving from the smooth pristine white of Lytham and Lytham St Anne's to the dirty brown, moon-like cratered surface of Cleveleys, to the north of Blackpool.
As well as sand, there are large areas of saltmarsh at the Lytham end of the walk which gives the adventure a completely different feel to it from, for example, the seaside resort environment of Blackpool. The starting point for the day was the Lytham Mill, where we had concluded our last escapade. At this juncture you are essentially still walking on the banks of the River Ribble, albeit the river discharges in to the sea here.
Looking over the rooftops of the town, I could see the tower of the Fairhaven United Reformed Church, also known locally as The White Church. Looking distinctly Romanesque, the church, built in early 19th C, opened in 1912, has external Byzantine features that make it quite unique in the town. Inside, the church is known for the quality of its stained glass which includes representations of some of the great historical reformers of the congregational church including Martin Luther, Oliver Cromwell, John Milton and John Wesley.
Off the lake there is a very large sandy beach that was surprisingly empty the day I passed by. Coming off the lake there is a path that runs between marsh and rough ground on the left and the local golf club on the right. There was a rougher path down on the marsh but I avoided it given the recent rain. Beyond the marsh it was just possible to see the distant sand and the thin silver line of the water's edge. The rough path eventually melds on to the sands as you approach the lifeboat station at Salter's Bank.
As it had been some years since I had been in Blackpool I wanted to see what changes had been wrought in the interim and moved up on to the promenade. It was a lovely trip down memory lane for me, replete with recollections from child and adulthood. Passing the casino I remembered on our last visit my wife won enough on the roulette wheel to pay for our dinner, an evening on the tables and we still left with £50 in our pocket. Passing the large rides on the southern esplanade I could remember the screams of my children as they braved the thrills of the Co-cola ride., one of the occasions when my wife and I were happy to watch. All the arcades, the cafes, the trams, released long-held memories for me to enjoy as I walked the promenade. It is one of the great joys of walking that not only do you enjoy the delights of the present, but it also releases the joys of the past and, a good day's walking has you looking to the future as well.
It goes without saying that Blackpool had not changed in the intervening years. It was still big and brash, loud and noisy and I loved it. Of course, I could not visit the town and not have fish and chips which I did in one of the cafes on the Golden Mile.
There was the occasional nice view over the beach but generally not much to catch the interest. Looking back towards Blackpool the Tower continued to dominate the skyline, joined later by the Norbeck Castle Hotel. Knowing I was being met at the Cleveleys end I was happy to put the head down and go at the miles and not bother too much with what I was passing by. On the fringes of North Shore, Bispham and Norbeck, one cannot fail but be impressed by the sea defences that have been built here. It adds to the enjoyment when you can walk without having to worry about cars.
There is a tendency when walking to dwell on the delights of the countryside and not to consider what the more urban areas have to offer. But every place has its interests, history and culture and part of the attraction for me of walking the coast is to see all this at first hand. How often have you walked in to an isolated town or village or large town and wondered why do people want to live here? The social, cultural and economic history of the UK is as varied as its landscape and I find it all fascinating. There are reasons that somewhere like the SWCP are so popular, just as there are reasons why areas like Blackpool remain a magnet for so many people year after year. Personally, I find the subject fascinating and look forward to continuing to seek to understand the influences that make up the warp and weft of the wonderful tapestry that is coastal Great Britain.