17 retro pictures of Blackpool's 'dark, dismal and seedy' Talbot Road Bus Station
By Claire Lark
Published 29th Mar 2023, 13:51 BST
Updated 7th Aug 2023, 16:53 BST
It certainly served its purpose for the best part of eight decades but there was no getting away from it – the bus station was a cold and drafty place to stand waiting for a bus.
It was built in 1939, innovative for its day with a multi-purpose use as a car park. Trawling through these pictures, it’s evident right back to the early days that it was dark, dismal and criticised. On the back of one photo, the opening paragraph says: ‘The worst possible advert for a seaside resort – that’s the unanimous verdict on Blackpool’s seedy Talbot Road bus station.’ But saying that, we all have memories of the station, aside from the smell of diesel. Many of us couldn’t have done without it for shopping trips, catching the late bus home after a night out and the daily commute to work. All changed now, of course, but it will remain one of Blackpool’s iconic buildings.
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David Medlar and Jackie Carpenter in front of the innovative and high-tech 'Passenger Information Services System' that was due to be installed at the bus station in 1986 Photo: National World
A clear sign telling pedestrians to cross a the signals at what was a perilous area to cross the road with buses and cars at every turn. This was October 1982 Photo: National World
The caption on the back of this says 'The imposing dimensions of the new Bus Station are strikingly shown in this picture, in which the new St John's Market is also featured, 1938 Photo: National World