Stanley Park in Bloom

I have always been a terrible one for taking an indirect route wherever I am going. I always feel compelled to take a detour along the way. On a recent trip into town, I could have walked in a straight line down Park Drive, but instead I took more of a 'v' shaped stroll through Stanley Park. This is a place you not to be miss this time of the year. The ducks are out, the lawns in trim, the flower displays are magnificent. This park is the pride of Blackpool without a doubt.

A few things you probably didn't know... The park covers an area of 256 acres with a rough circular perimeter of 2.2 miles. The park has a grade II listed status and is a garden of historic interest. The two cast ornamental lions adjacent to the Cafe are believed to have initially belonged to Pope Leo X, and, therefore were created around the year 1500.

Stanley Park Frozen Danger

"Kids Dicing With Death on Lake" this attention grabber was the headline in the Blackpool Gazette, Friday evening. Blackpool Council have also issued an urgent warning making the following announcement on their website...

"Young people in Blackpool may be enjoying time off school as a result of the snow but they are putting their lives at risk by ignoring safety around ponds and lakes of ice.

Stanley Park rangers are very concerned to see that some people have been playing in the middle of the frozen Stanley Park Lake. Although the lake is completely frozen the ice is very thin and could crack at any time, especially as the day warms up and ice begins to thaw.

Martyn Day, park ranger at the park said: "We have been moving children off the lake when we see them but as soon as our backs are turned they are back on the ice. They are dicing with death as one wrong move could see them fall through. I am very surprised that so many people are not aware of the dangers. I even saw one man try to cycle across the lake."

Councillor Tony Williams added: "Snow is a lot of fun for young people and there is nothing wrong with enjoying it. However it shocks me that they would risk their lives playing somewhere so dangerous. It is difficult to occupy children when they are unexpectedly off school and even harder if parents still have to go in to work but I would urge parents to make sure they know where their children are and keep them away from dangerous areas."

The advice from the park rangers is to stay away from the ice altogether and do not attempt to cross it. Rangers are now making regular patrols of the lake."

Stanley Park

It has been a good year or so since I visited Stanley Park last, the regeneration work there is still ongoing and coming along very nicely. Blackpool has much to be proud of, the flower displays are a real showcase, it is little things like this which make a difference. I know locals like to go to Stanley Park as much as visitors do, but good flower displays are a good sign that Blackpool is taking tourism seriously. You would be surprised looking around at other seaside towns which let themselves down for the simple reason of saving a few quid, landscaping out the flower beds for more low maintenance alternatives, we should consider ourselves lucky.

Another thing I noticed was that Stanley Park Cafe appeared to have been taken over? The last time I stopped by there for my usual hot chocolate, sandwich and a cake, there was notices of do's and dont's plastered all over the walls, staff were talked down to, photographs of the proprietors were affixed like a shrine, it made you feel most uncomfortable. This all appears to have changed, in my humble opinion it is still as expensive as before, but there is more choice on the menu.

I will have to make more of an effort and visit the park more often, it is truly beautiful all year round and each and every season is different. The park is very family friendly and there is always something to see. It is well worth mentioning bring some bread with you for the ducks or some nuts for the squirrels which are very tame.