This collection of photos from our archives focus on Central Drive which cuts through Blackpool from Bank Hey Street and Albert Road to Waterloo Road.
Historically it was the area where the steam trains pulled in to Central Station – the first place holidaymakers saw when they stepped out of the station including the anticipated sight of the Tower rising from above the rooftops. It’s also where many of the guest houses and smaller hotels stand on the edge of the main town centre and shopping area. It’s traditionally home to souvenir shops, joke shops, fish and chips and the main central car park. As decades rolled by the area sadly declined and now has some of the worst pockets of deprivation in England. Nevertheless there is still a strong community spirit.