This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2013/mar/20/blackpool-swimming-ban-threat-beach
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Can you imagine Blackpool without swimming in the sea? I couldn't bear it | Can you imagine Blackpool without swimming in the sea? I couldn't bear it |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| For more than a century, tourists have flocked to Blackpool's shores to soak up intermittent rays of sunshine inbetween dips in the icy waters. But that modest pleasure is now risk, as the town has been warned by the Marine Conservation Society that it must clean up its beach or face a swimming ban. | For more than a century, tourists have flocked to Blackpool's shores to soak up intermittent rays of sunshine inbetween dips in the icy waters. But that modest pleasure is now risk, as the town has been warned by the Marine Conservation Society that it must clean up its beach or face a swimming ban. |
| Along with 45 other seaside locations around the UK, Blackpool is facing up to the prospect of a ban that could mean fierce-looking signs erected along its seven miles of golden sand – sand that this humble slice of the universe owes its livelihood to. | Along with 45 other seaside locations around the UK, Blackpool is facing up to the prospect of a ban that could mean fierce-looking signs erected along its seven miles of golden sand – sand that this humble slice of the universe owes its livelihood to. |
| As a Blackpool girl born and bred, I revel in the nostalgia of childhood summers spent dipping toes in shallow water before slowly heading deeper into the unknown, stepping carefully for fear of disturbing an angry crab with his pincers at the ready. | As a Blackpool girl born and bred, I revel in the nostalgia of childhood summers spent dipping toes in shallow water before slowly heading deeper into the unknown, stepping carefully for fear of disturbing an angry crab with his pincers at the ready. |
| We would dunk plastic buckets under the water, desperate to catch something moving before giving it a full examination and, after that, a naming ceremony. There were mussels called Peter, cockles christened Wendy, Sally Seaweed – the world was our oyster (sorry). | We would dunk plastic buckets under the water, desperate to catch something moving before giving it a full examination and, after that, a naming ceremony. There were mussels called Peter, cockles christened Wendy, Sally Seaweed – the world was our oyster (sorry). |
| Swimming in Blackpool sea is a legacy that has been shared by tourists and locals for decades. Factory workers who contributed to the Industrial Revolution valued the Lancashire resort as a haven where they could paddle their worries away. Throughout the 20th century British tourists flocked in their millions to share the timeless experience. | Swimming in Blackpool sea is a legacy that has been shared by tourists and locals for decades. Factory workers who contributed to the Industrial Revolution valued the Lancashire resort as a haven where they could paddle their worries away. Throughout the 20th century British tourists flocked in their millions to share the timeless experience. |
| Isn't it a shame, then, to think of Blackpool beach without dozens of heads bobbing up and down in time with the tide? Isn't it unthinkable to picture a vacant space haunted by memories from a bygone era? Doesn't Blackpool's future look bleak? | Isn't it a shame, then, to think of Blackpool beach without dozens of heads bobbing up and down in time with the tide? Isn't it unthinkable to picture a vacant space haunted by memories from a bygone era? Doesn't Blackpool's future look bleak? |
| With a swimming ban, waters once occupied by people who believed a quick swim in the sea would improve their health would be left deserted: a stain on the already tarnished reputation of the resort. Children would clamber across the beach in their cozzies, teased by the sounds of the forbidden waves lapping the sand, and restricted by ugly red signs plonked in the middle of the once picturesque landscape. | With a swimming ban, waters once occupied by people who believed a quick swim in the sea would improve their health would be left deserted: a stain on the already tarnished reputation of the resort. Children would clamber across the beach in their cozzies, teased by the sounds of the forbidden waves lapping the sand, and restricted by ugly red signs plonked in the middle of the once picturesque landscape. |
| For as long as I can remember, Blackpool beach has never been particularly clean. I remember as a child wistfully looking at postcards of exotic destinations such as Italy and Turkey, where glittering green oceans made the yachts that sailed upon them appear brilliant white. | For as long as I can remember, Blackpool beach has never been particularly clean. I remember as a child wistfully looking at postcards of exotic destinations such as Italy and Turkey, where glittering green oceans made the yachts that sailed upon them appear brilliant white. |
| I remember wondering why our sea was brown, not turquoise, and why the sand was dotted with empty cans of Special Brew and the odd plastic bag. | I remember wondering why our sea was brown, not turquoise, and why the sand was dotted with empty cans of Special Brew and the odd plastic bag. |
| Blackpool beach isn't paradise: it never has been and never wanted to be. But it is ours. It is the gift granted to us by nature: the place where cash-strapped families can take their children for a cheap day out, the place where Punch and Judy spent a large chunk of their marvellous careers, and it is the place that has given thousands of people a livelihood for more than 100 years. | Blackpool beach isn't paradise: it never has been and never wanted to be. But it is ours. It is the gift granted to us by nature: the place where cash-strapped families can take their children for a cheap day out, the place where Punch and Judy spent a large chunk of their marvellous careers, and it is the place that has given thousands of people a livelihood for more than 100 years. |
| If the 'no swimming' signs go up, Blackpool beach will forever hold the stigma of being unclean. The beach will cease to be the jewel in Blackpool's well-worn crown. Families will stop visiting for fear of being poisoned by the murky waters of the Irish Sea. | If the 'no swimming' signs go up, Blackpool beach will forever hold the stigma of being unclean. The beach will cease to be the jewel in Blackpool's well-worn crown. Families will stop visiting for fear of being poisoned by the murky waters of the Irish Sea. |
| The resort's already declining tourism industry will grind to a complete halt, and seagulls will become the kings of the coastline. We will be left with only groups of stag and hen parties throwing up their fish and chips onto the empty pavements. Blackpool will become a family-free zone. | The resort's already declining tourism industry will grind to a complete halt, and seagulls will become the kings of the coastline. We will be left with only groups of stag and hen parties throwing up their fish and chips onto the empty pavements. Blackpool will become a family-free zone. |
| Following the MCS warning, Blackpool's council has enlisted help from United Utilities and Lancashire county council to set up a water management group. By 2015, the group is hoping to meet the bathing water directions set by the EU and uphold a tradition that is so rightfully ours. | Following the MCS warning, Blackpool's council has enlisted help from United Utilities and Lancashire county council to set up a water management group. By 2015, the group is hoping to meet the bathing water directions set by the EU and uphold a tradition that is so rightfully ours. |
| If all goes well, Blackpudlians and tourists alike will have the choice to swim in sewage-free waters without the risk of disease – a basic human right, surely? With a cleaned-up beach and a clear focus for the future, there is still hope for the North's most treasured seaside resort. We're not ready to give up yet. | If all goes well, Blackpudlians and tourists alike will have the choice to swim in sewage-free waters without the risk of disease – a basic human right, surely? With a cleaned-up beach and a clear focus for the future, there is still hope for the North's most treasured seaside resort. We're not ready to give up yet. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |