Arcade games exhibition set to draw crowd

Play Blackpool, which takes place from Saturday to Monday at the Norbreck Castle Hotel, is expected to attract around 6,000 visitors.

It will be a celebration of video gaming from the early arcade machines right through to the latest PS4 and Xbox One games.

Organiser Andy Brown, who is from Blackpool, said: “We have hundreds of console and computers all playable with the very best games from the past 35 years.

“We also have industry talks, tournaments, cosplay, a trade hall where you can buy games and merchandise plus plenty more.

“It’s our fourth year in Blackpool and this is the first year the show will be over three days.

“We brought over 4,000 visitors into the resort for our 2014 expo and we are expecting up to 6,000 this year which will be a boost for hoteliers and the local economy.

“The team at VisitBlackpool have been great in helping us promote the event and introduced us to a number of suppliers.

“Growing up in Blackpool, just like anyone my age, I spent my summer holidays in the arcades on the Promenade so it’s great to be able to recreate the sights and sounds of my childhood.

“Blackpool was the daddy of seafront arcades back in the day, I’m sure many locals have the same fond memories as I do.

“Play Blackpool isn’t just about reminiscing though – we have a PS4 zone and an Xbox One zone showing the latest games and we’ll be running tournaments.”