'I started fire-breathing at 73. It feels great' Inside Blackpool fire-breathing club run by burlesque dancer
Take a look inside Blackpool's unique fire-breathing class, and meet some of the people who take part, including a pensioner who took up the new hobby at age 73.
We meet a group of fire-breathing burlesque dancers - including a gran who proves you’re never too old to try something new.
In the video above, Annie Estrop, 73, says that her family think she’s ‘crazy’ for taking up the daring new hobby - but she is determined to prove it’s ‘not dangerous’.
Daredevil gran plays with fire
The daredevil gran explains: “I’m not really scared of the fire. It feels great. And when you get the pictures it really looks lovely’.
The group learn the art of fire-breathing under careful supervision, at the home of fitness instructor, Donna Haughan.
‘I feel like ten men’
Donna, who is also a burlesque dancer and teacher, explains how she started the class. “I used fire-breathing as part of my act, and when my students saw it they all wanted to learn. It looks impressive, and I feel like ten men when I [breathe fire].”
Don’t try this at home
From her Blackpool garden, Donna stresses that fire-breathing should only be done under expert supervision, as ‘a lot can go wrong’.
“We spend the first hour going through safety, and then we move on to spitting out water, before moving on to any fire.”
Pug rescue
The final class of the season was held as a charity event to raise money for Bubble Becca Pug Sanctuary - the pet rescue where Donna got one of her pugs who attends some of her exercise classes.
Donna’s pugs remain safely indoors during the fire-breathing sessions, but enjoy meeting and greeting guests as they arrive for the class.
Watch the video above.
To donate to Bubble Becca Pug Sanctuary, or find out how to rehome one of their pugs, visit https://bubblebecca.co.uk/