People's Playtime and Wakes Week

Sunday is the Day of Rest

Sunday was the only rest day permitted to cotton workers and that was for religious rather than recreational reasons. 

For shop workers the situation was much worse. They worked on Sunday as well. They worked from 7.00 am until 11.00pm every other day.

Mill owners were aghast when workers campaigned for an early finish on Saturday, convinced it would be the ruin of them. Inevitably the temptation to spend what little leisure time they had in the pub was overwhelming for many.

Recreational Opportunities Expanded

Gradually the situation improved. Government legislation limited hours and introduced Bank Holidays and recreational opportunities expanded.

Cycling and walking became popular. The potential of the countryside for recreation was beginning to be realised.

The phenomenon of 'Wakes Weeks', when mills closed down arrived.

Lancashire Wakes Weeks

Most people in Northern England will have heard of the Lancashire wakes weeks - those occasions when entire towns would close down completely while their populations migrated to the seaside.

The remarkable success of the wakes holidays suggests that we should re-examine the idea that the industrial revolution brought a massive cultural break with the past. In many ways, nineteenth-century Lancashire was a very traditional society.

The Fylde Coast

In the 18th century the Fylde Coast began to attract visitors from the landed gentry and in 1735 the first 'guest house' opened. By 1780 the emerging resort boasted four substantial hotel ale houses registered in Blackpool, with a further two ale houses in Layton.

Blackpool

In 1801 Blackpool's population stood at 573, only a century later it reached 47,348.

Many of Blackpool's famous attractions were built in the latter half of the nineteenth century including North Pier (1863), Central Pier (1868), South Pier (1894) and the world famous Blackpool Tower (1894). Blackpool was also the first place in the world to have electric street lighting in 1879, with the installation of the electric arc street lighting system.