Blackpool Pleasure Beach is a spectacular national and international phenomenon that deserves the serious attention of historians. Since the 1890s it has evolved into Britain’s most visited tourist attraction. Each year, its 42 acres become a vast wonderland of noise, rides (including ten roller coasters), attractions and shows. As the first critical perspective of a major amusement park, this is a book for both the serious historian and general reader. You will find in these pages a study that is as accessible as it is authoritative, offering new interpretations of the changes in leisure, amusement, technology and consumption that helped to transform popular culture and society in twentieth-century Britain.
ISBN 9780954457365

‘Pennies by the Sea’ is the first book to be released on the phenomenon of the seaside amusement arcade, based around the history of what was one of Britain’s largest – Joyland Amusements in the East Yorkshire seaside resort of Bridlington. Enter a wonderful world of long days, colourful lights and enormous innovation, an insight into a way of life that once existed at seaside resorts up and down the country but has now largely disappeared.

The Pleasureland Amusement Park at Southport has been a major feature of the town’s tourist industry since the 1920s and long before that the seaward side of the town was synonymous with public amusement. This book tells the story of how Pleasureland rose from the foreshore sands, despite opposition from Southport’s elite – and how a ruthless fight for territory was fought within the park itself, a battle in which only the politically savvy survived. Packed with vintage photos.

Celebrating 125 electric light years. A roller coaster story that takes a nostalgic look at the illuminated displays and tableaux that have turned a simple light show into a national treasure. Plus magical illuminated tramcars, celebrity switch-ons and a fascinating trip behind the scenes.