Stunning seaside town branded 'post apocalyptic' now boasts UK's cheapest pints

07 March 2024 , 20:58

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Greasy Joes burger bar in Blackpool, which has been praised for having the UK's 'cheapest pint' (Image: In Pictures via Getty Images)

A seaside town, dubbed a "s***hole" by locals has been praised for offering the cheapest pints in the UK.

The popularity of budget flights and decades of austerity have sadly left many beach resorts in decline, with Blackpool no exception. Famous for its iconic tower and illuminations used to welcome around 17 million holidaymakers each year, but it has seen a steeper drop in footfall than many other coastal destinations.

But with residents in the Lancashire town quick to point out its flaws, it's also been heralded as one of the best locations in the country for a purse-friendly pint. The once "great, roaring, spangled beast" is popular with stag and hen do's for a reason.

One of the town's pubs, The Ardwick, boasts the UK's cheapest pint. "There is not a cheaper pint in this great nation," said YouTuber Wendall, who documented life in the town to his 57,000 followers. "You can get a pint of cider, a pint of John Smiths, or a pint of Fosters for £1.80."

The Lancashire town was once a mecca for holidaymakers (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

As you might expect, the pub is always packed. Its bar is filled with cheerful customers and there's always a crowd around the fruit machine. Despite Blackpool being a shadow of its former glory, the town centre's shopping area remains bustling.

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But many shops have sadly been boarded up in a sad sight reminiscent of many crumbling UK high streets victim to lower footfall and Tory austerity. One shop, which used to be Blackpool's Woolworths, remains empty while the owner and the local council argue about whether it can be knocked down and turned into a car park.

One tattoo parlour owner in the town said: "It's rough. There's crackheads bagheads p***heads, stabbings, all kinds of mad s*** round here." Another described living in Blackpool as "tough" pointing out problems with alcohol and drugs, which they believe come from not enough money being put into the area and not enough jobs, reports the Daily Star.

One local (pictured) said Blackpool was blighted by problems with drinking and drugs (Youtube/Wendall)

Many visitors to Blackpool are in their fifties and sixties and say they came to relive memories of childhood holidays. But Blackpool can't rely on that generation forever.

Locals have also criticised the steep entry costs for the Pleasure Beach theme park, with tickets currently as much as £50. Stephen Cheatley, a video blogger from the town, said: "One of the reasons why they chose to do that is because back in the 1980s and 1990s people used to be able to walk in and out of Blackpool Pleasure Beach, you used to get a lot of football fans and there used to be a lot of trouble."

According to Stephen, the steep price "keeps the riff-raff out," However, it also makes it difficult for families on a budget, with even early bird online bookings costing a family of four around £120.

But it's not all bad news. Blackpool has recently received £90m of government money which is expected to be used for a major overhaul of the town's "squalid" housing.

Council leader Lynn Williams stated: "Our residents and communities desperately need better housing and investment in their neighbourhoods, especially in the inner areas of Blackpool. We will use this funding to continue the process of positive change, improving housing, neighbourhoods and life chances across inner Blackpool."

Michael Moran