Despite the availability of package deals around the world and the ever-increasingly ease of air-travel, almost unbelievably, Blackpool remains Britain's undisputed capital of entertainment and the biggest and most popular seaside resort in Europe!

With this in mind we decided that we should experience Blackpool for ourselves and what better time than for the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations. We invited our friends Gabi and Alain to join us on this weekend of adventure, experience and complete tackiness and set off for the English North-West...

On arrival we went for a walk along the promenade (affectionately referred to as "The Prom" by those who know) to get our first daylight view of what Blackpool is all about. Being Autumn in England and on the Irish Sea coast the weather was, as expected, quite blustery and cold so it was quite a bracing walk.

Blackpool was the first town in the country to "go electric" in Victorian times and nothing has changed since then, they cannot get enough of this "miracle of light". Every Autumn Blackpool becomes a blaze of coloured lights on every lamppost, electric cable, tram, building and anywhere else a light of some sort or shape can be attached.

To add to our experience our hotel, Liberty's on the Square included a nightly sold-out cabaret show. We went along to the show on our first night which was an education in many ways, from the on-stage entertainment to the attending crowds, words cannot adequately describe the evening so to learn more a visit to Blackpool is necessary.

Being the "capital of entertainment" Blackpool is jam-packed with amusement parks and rides from donkey rides on the beach to the world's highest and fastest roller coaster, the latter being something Annie and I could not resist. So on the second morning with beautiful blue skies we set off along The Prom and the beach for the Pleasure Beach amusement park.

We had two of the most exhilarating rides ever, firstly on "The Big One" and then on the Revolution Roller Coaster, this shoots the cars out of the blocks, down a hill, through a complete revolution, up a hill to an abrupt halt and seconds later the whole journey in reverse!

That night we all went out to dinner at Blackpool's best Italian restaurant before admiring the illuminations as they are meant to be, lighting up the night sky.

While this is not a holiday we plan to repeat I am really pleased we made the effort to go, it is a real British institution that should be experienced at least once in a lifetime!