"Epic" Blackpool :-)

BLACKPOOL!!!

Months in the planning and very much anticipated our trip to Blackpool was "EPIC"  in the parlance of two 13 year olds ;-)) 

Great company, great fun, giggles galore, proper laugh out loud moments, moments of great joy and moments of panic!

A really wonderful overnight stay to celebrate two girls entering their teens and their enduring friendship.

Long may it last <3 

The fun began at the station as Amy recorded us on her ipod for posterity :-) Great hilarity at trying to capture shots of me and me trying to evade capture ;-))

Once on the train we settled down and they munched their way through some oat cookies they had made the night before. More photo's taken by all three of us;-) 

A walk from the station pausing for a time to try some shoes on :-) A lovely pair of slip on wedge heels were adored - not really suitable footwear to wander round the Pleasure beach so they were put on a wish list for another time :-) 

On to the Travelodge by Taxi that we hailed on the prom :-) 

Panic number one was when I was informed by the clerk at reception that I had only booked as one adult!! Luckily I had booked a family room and they were able to add the girls on to the booking free of charge!!! 

That reminds me I have to check the booking I made on line for London in October to make sure I have booked the right room!

After we had been up to drop the bags off we went to the cafe and I treated us all to some cakes :-)

Back to the room and nail painting and music for the girls and a long hot bath to ease the aches and pains for me.

We had planned to go to a fish and chip restaurant in Bispham and started the long walk back to the prom with the plan to get a tram there.  Pausing to climb at the bus station and give some love to some dogs and chat to their owners  :-) 

Coral Amusements and 2p falls kept us amused for some time. I found a perch near them and kept them fed with 2ps :-) 

Bracelets and key rings were won :-)

A joint decision was made not to go all the way to the restaurant when Milly spotted Mcdonalds and it was much closer when hunger hit. 

 Onward for a very blustery walk along the Prom.

Down the steps to see how far you could go before the waves crash up and get you!

Running in the wind.

Close to the Tower.

Peek a boo.

Jacket sail :-)

Posers? Really... these two? 

Contemplating on the pier.

Walked back up the side streets counting B&B's :-) 43 up one side of the street. There were some very dodgy looking establishments :-) 

Milly had us all in stitches at one point and giddy levels were high.

We had such fun! 

Back to the room and then they decided to go down to the cafe for a snack. I had a few moments to myself before they were back up and we all got ready for bed. Musical beds ensued as Amy sat on the pull out mattress she was going to sleep on. Milly was going to sleep on the sofa bed and I was to have the double bed. 

The pull out mattress was like a bag of rocks and there was no way Amy was going to be able to get to sleep on it! 

Soooo.... Milly didn't want to sleep with me in the double but did say she would sleep with Amy. They got settled and I settled on the sofa bed... Eventually Milly decided she would be better sleeping with me as she didn't want to keep Amy awake with tossing and turning and snoring... Eventually we all got settled and were asleep very quickly.

Next day dawned bright and we were up and down to breakfast and out by 9.30..

In the park by 10.05.. 

And off they go....

We decided on a meet up time and I sat on a bench in the sun til they came back. Then I found a cafe to sit in to have coffee and cake and warm up a bit. It was bright but really quite cold...Sadly I found that the kindle battery had died ......so I a lot of time to people watch :-) 

Pepsi Max was closed due to the strength of the wind. I saw it being tested and text them but they were already aware of it and came back to me so I could take some pictures of them on it! They didn't stay still long enough for me to get a close up shot of them.

I followed them and captured the first time they went up though.

 It was something Milly had been anticipating since our visit last year when it had been closed because of the weather. She got last minute nerves but worked through them and was hooked :-) Amy is an old hand at this and many other roller coasters :-) 

I just know I would have a heart attack before I reached the top ;-)))

By the end of the day they had been on six or seven times, most of them in the last half hour or so of the park being open, when they would get off and as there were no ques they were able to get straight back on again and again and again :-)

We decided to have lunch and I found the most wonderful thing to sit under and watch the world go by

:-)

Panic number two came when I went to the locker room as the park closed and found it locked !!! 

I had been assured it would be open til about half an hour after the park closed. Eventually found the guard and she apologised but said she had checked and all the lockers were showing empty! Oh my god my heart sank as I had visions of us having to hang around and miss our train ....

Somehow she had missed our bags and when she put codes in the electronic pad and we opened the locker our bags were in there. 

What an immense relief ! 

I was a little frazzled by it and consequently my mood dipped and I lost patience with Milly when we ended up having to find a toilet at short notice outside the park which was closing! It was only momentarily though and it wasn't long before I regained my good mood...

It had started to rain and we began to walk along before hailing a Taxi to get to the station.

The train from Blackpool north was in and we got settled in for the short journey to Preston to get our connection.

Hours and hours of adrenaline and excersise had it's effect once they stopped :-) 

A really delightful trip with two very special girls.

Happy days and fabulous memories.

Love you both <3