I love Blackpool, not gonna lie. We went every year as kids and now I occasionally visit so last weekend I was up as Walsall were at Fleetwood on the Saturday. My last trip was in 2022 on that very boozy 3 day visit in between leaving SciChem and starting at Cardboard Boxes 2 Go. I blogged about all 3 days and at the time the Saturday edition was one of my favourites, although the Sunday one gets the Google traffic.

I nearly missed the train from Walsall as I was fannying around repeatedly checking I’d turned iron, lights and taps off and locked doors etc. In Birmingham I alighted the train which I believe is the posh word for it and saw people waiting for the lift. ‘I’ll have me a bit of that’ was my though. No escalator not working hilarity on my part for you this time New Street.

The lift brought me out right by the Avanti 1st Class Lounge. I noticed it wasn’t closing early this time. Academic anyway as I’m not due to travel first class again until 2030. No, I’ve not missed a dot out there. I’m not first classing at 8.30 tonight.

On the train I settled down and resumed reading my new book Dear Bill Bryson by Ben Aitken – the second book of his I’ve read. He goes to lots of places that that the title person also visited. I’m hoping to learn about being a travel writer by reading a travel writer. My post it note bookmark has now been upgraded to a Highgate Brewery beer mat.

A couple got on at Crewe. I assumed they were a couple. She was clutching a bunch of flowers. They had a very visible £6 label on them. I was eager to know if he had bought them for her or were they from work or sommert? None of my actual business I appreciate but the wannabe investigative journalist in me refuses to die. It reminded me of the time I was very keen on a checkout lass at Tesco so I purchased flowers from there and presented them to her. Nothing came of it but I got some Clubcard points, so not all bad.

In Blackpool I was staying on Springfield Road and yes I had the “we put the spring in Springfield” song from The Simpsons in my head as I walked up the street.

At the entrance there was a note saying that the bell doesn’t work. Trying to make me feel at home already. Nice touch. I was let in and welcomed then told “the last occupant in your room broke the shower. It still works but….” I stopped listening. I got the shower working in Eastcote and was up for another challenge.

My room had 8 tea bags waiting for me, they’d clearly done their research. I’d forgotten my strictly one a day rank tasting weight loss tea bags so one of this stash perished straight away. I got the shower working and also had a go on the hair dryer. Not used one of those for 35 years but it was listed as a feature of the room when booking so as I’d paid for it, what the hell?

I lay on the bed, Radio 2 for company and pondered my options. I was meeting Jane (known as Blackpool Jane in the blogging and Twitter universes) at 6. My plans for the weekend had been watered down somewhat from the original draft. My boiler blew on the day before so with a repair bill incoming I shelved plans to go up the tower and the waxworks. I even considered not going to the game but I had a word with myself as it was the whole point of the weekend.

When searching for hotels I regularly go for the cheapest option but this time I was a bit blase and went for the second cheapest. I had considered cancelling and booking the cheaper one when the boiler went.

In the end I just chilled out for a bit and was at Cask & Tap in good time to meet Jane. I hadn’t seen Jane since the legendary Preston trip last October so there was much to discuss and catch up on. She’d returned from a trip to France with her boyfriend Lee that very day do I was chuffed she was able to make it out.

Curry was on the agenda. Jane had two options, Akash where we went last time or a different one just down the road. I fear change so we went back to Akash. Jane was greeted like royalty upon arrival and the main man asked loudly “where’s Lee?” Jane gave his apologies then he looked at me and demanded “who’s this guy?” Jane explained how we lived together when she was in Walsall and that I was here for the football. Turns out he used to go to Bescot with Blackpool Hotel owner Clive Welch back in the Kenny Hibbitt days. He didn’t mention going after that. I guess some of the performances during that spell put him off. I nearly stopped going to be fair. Jane explained how the lad loves Lee and is obsessed with him. All good.

We got menus and Jane announced “I’ll pay for the curry.” “Are you sure?” I asked. “Yes, I’ve not seen you in ages.” Thanks Jane, very kind of you.

I had chicken tikka naan with tandoori chicken masala. It was amazing. We got talking of itinerary. Jane said there was a band playing nearby that plays our music. She showed the artists being covered and I was straight in. I asked where Church Street is as I had a retro fruit machine arcade on my to do list and Google had shown it was close by here but not pinpointed it precisely. It was right by where the band were playing. Beautiful occurrence.

I must point out at this juncture that I’ve not played a fruit machine since 2003 when I put £6 (the last money I had on me including my bus fare back to Darlaston) in one in The Brewery Stores and got nothing out of it. In hindsight I could have used that money to buy flowers for a woman in Crewe.

We departed and heaedd to The Reel Vegas. It started pissing it down. Jane had no coat and I’d made a last minute decision to bring a rain mac. I offered it to her twice but she refused. Had it not been a Walsall FC mac she might have gone for it. She is a proud Blackpool fan so I totally get this.

At the arcade I was initially disappointed as all the machines were the shit modern ones, then I spotted an open door and a sign saying “retro slots downstairs” and hell yeah. Loads of 90s style machines. I wanted to have a go on a Monopoly one. This was quickly usurped when I found the Viz one. Melons and plums as the fruits rather than the usual ones, and as I recalled on the feature Big Vern saying “banged up in the chokey” meant game over whilst Sid The Sexist saying “I’ve pulled” meant instant jackpot.

We continued to peruse and I found a Monopoly one. That was it. They say “you should only gamble what you can afford to lose.” I deduced I could afford to lose a tennar and changed one for pound coins. It would have been £5 if Jane hadn’t paid for the curry.

I went on Viz first. I wanted to get on the feature but it wasn’t to be. However the rude noises when using the hold buttons made me laugh. After £5 went in I’d won just £1.20 so walked away. I put a quid in Monopoly, got on the board straight away, was offered £1.80 for landing on Bow Street and took it. Kept to the tradition of putting £6 in.

On the way out I asked if I could take a picture of the place. The security guard granted permission and moved out of shot but asked “do you work for Admiral?” “no, I just like to keep a record of where I go.” I should have said yes and seen what he gave me. Knowing my luck though he would have meant Admiral the insurance people and asked for a quote on contents and building cover.

We went to Rythm And Brew Room. The bar is coolly decked out with various beer branded bottle crates hanging from the ceiling and an old BBC Live On Air light lit up behind the band. I want one of those when I eventually manage to save enough to get my house rewired.

Jane grabbed drinks. She got a can of Slurm, named after a highly addictive drink in the show Futurama. The reference was wasted on me though. A lady from an adjacent table rushed over to see what this green drink was and she knew of the drink having seen the show. Jane was pleased that someone else knew it. This lady, we’ll call her Lady Futurama had a little chat and then went back to her group.

Jane grabbed beer mats as her friend collects them but didn’t have anywhere to put them so I stuck them in my coat pocket for her. It’s got to be 20 years since I pocketed a beer mat. Good job I didn’t have my new bookmark with me or she might have wanted that too. Nice to see beer mats. Lots of places don’t bother with them nowadays preferring the wet table approach. It’s a bit poo to be honest.

Random song of the day came on just before the band started. “Flat Beat” by Mr Ozio. I joined in with the head movements like the puppet (Flat Eric) on the Levi’s advert. I must have looked like a bit of a nob, but hey when has that ever bothered me?

The band, Midnight Rockers Club were great. Took to them straight away. They opened with “Ruby” by Kaiser Chiefs and went into “Laid” by James, no censoring of the “she only comes when she’s on top” lyric like you get on radio versions nowadays. Other first half highlights were my joint favourite Beatles song “Come Together” – (the other being A Day In The Life, now that Twist And Shout has been disqualified for not being a Beatles original.) We also had “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World which is just one of the best songs ever although I was a bit disappointed that everyone didn’t strip to their underwear like in the video. I’d have seriously considered getting involved with that.

This set was wrapped up with a cover of Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now”, hopefully inspired by the Green Day version and Jane’s favourite ever rendition of “Don’t You Want Me?”

At half time I went up to try and get a picture of the BBC live light. The band thought I’d gone up for a chat so had to explain my movements. We did indeed have a natter though and they are decent lads.

The toilet or “beer recycling centre” as it says on the door is cool. Big Beatles Abbey Road poster above the urinals and there is hardly a bit of wall space without band stickers on it. Even the hand drier has a covering of these too.

Second half began and I’ll be honest, as I clambered out of bed that morning, I didn’t expect to be seeing a live band this evening, certainly not a segway of Blink 182 “All The Small Things” into Busted’s “Year 3000.” Another highlight was Wheatus “Teenage Dirtbag”. Lady Futurama and her friend who had been up front dancing most of the night were invited on stage to sing the “Mena Suvari” bits. That was awesome

It was a fantastic set, every song singalongable and I got through some serious amounts of air drumming. Phenomenal night.

At the end Jane headed out as Lee was coming to pick her up. I was about to put my coat on then Lady Futurama asked “are you staying for another drink?” I lied and said “yes” We got talking through the medium of a couple of q & a sessions. First up she asked questions about Jane and I as she ascertained our relationship status. I confirmed more than once that Jane had gone home with her boyfriend and I was wondering where this was going then she chucked in a throwaway line about her husband, who was sat opposite.

Next she quizzed me on tv. It went a little like this. “Do you also watch Futurama?” “I’ve only ssen 1 episode. I’m more of a Simpsons man.” “You’ve watched Game Of Thrones though right?” “Never seen an episode.” I forget what the third programme was but it maintained the negative responses. I followed up meekly with “I’m more of a radio person” before throwing in that I’d seen all of Baby Reindeer which went down well, especially when I revealed I’d been to the actual pub in it. In all honesty, she’d have been better off asking me about Astro-Physics. I know shit all about that as well.

She then pointed at a lad and a lass on her table and asked me which one I’d most like to be with. I pointed at the female. She then asked him the same question about me and the lass. I didn’t expect to win this one and so it proved.

She talked about herself, coming from Manchester and spoke about Blackpool in general, expressing surprise that I was walking back to my b & b on my own and urged me to get a taxi.

I had a brief chat with her husband when she was outside and they were both really nice people but it was nighty night time. I said my good byes to her outside, and she checked that I was going to get a taxi. I said I would. I didn’t. I took a gentle amble along the prom. Cracking night. Cheers Jane. Oh I do like to be beside the seaside.