After deciding to take a late summer break, my partner Stewart and I found two shows that we wanted to see in Blackpool. This meant the bright lights of the popular holiday destinations was our choice.
While searching for a touring park, one – Kneps Farm in Thornton-Cleveleys – caught my eye. Its website included detailed photos of the toilets, which made me wonder why. It turned out that they had been awarded four stars in the 2006 Loo of the Year awards.
In fact, Kneps Farm has awards by the bucket load, including the David Bellamy Gold Conservation Award and four pennants from the AA. Baskets of flowers decorate the exterior of the modern amenities building, conveniently placed near the touring pitches.
The facilities include ten heated family washrooms, each containing a bath, shower, toilet and basin. There are also ladies' and gents' toilets, a baby-care room, launderette and a dishwashing sink. The pitches are grass or hardstanding with hook-up.
A convenience store, open daily from 8am, specialises in snacks, soft drinks and ice cream.
Our skills at setting up the caravan could be classed as 'energetic'. We do not own an awning and at this stage we don't anticipate buying one, so that makes things easier. We often watch other holidaymakers setting up, but we were amazed by what happened when two couples were informed, after setting up their unit, that they had pitched in the wrong place. We watched them move the caravan to another pitch while the awning was still attached.
It's Stewart's job to tune the TV, which he does with practised ease. This time we were able to receive most channels, without the help of our directional aerial.
Not being familiar with this area I decided on some serious sightseeing, and left Stewart to his own devices in the caravan. Adjoining the site is Wyre Estuary Country Park, where views of the river and rolling countryside stretch as far as the eye can see. A popular riverside visitor centre in the park provides an excellent base for exploring the estate, with its nature trails and riverside walks. I had to tear myself away from this paradise and make a hurried return for our evening meal before our show.
Kneps Farm is seven miles from Blackpool, and after dinner, it was a bit of a dash to reach the Grand Theatre, where we took our seats as the show started. Yorkshire-born comedian Johnnie Casson, whose jokes target a diverse range of subjects, topped the bill that included up-and-coming singers and dancers. Also featured was illusionist Guy Barrett, who took turns with his assistant making each other disappear.
We woke the following day to the sound of heavy rain and thunder. We decided to make use of the discounted tickets (from the camp site) for Blackpool Tower, where the famous Circus puts on several shows daily. But watching the show would have to wait until another visit, there were other things we were keen to see.
First on our list was the Tower Aquarium, where we got a good look at the many unusual sea creatures that occupied its huge tanks. Our visit to Blackpool would not have been complete without seeing the Tower Ballroom, the spectacular venue for many ballroom dancing TV programmes.
I'd been here on holiday as a teenager, and seeing the ballroom brought back many memories. Its amazing d้cor, spectacular ceiling and beatiful dance floor appeared not to have changed since then. The ballroom has played host to many stars and has given anyone who cared to the chance to trip the light fantastic or just to watch the show. If you're feeling hungry, afternoon tea can be purchased.
Stewart had spotted a dinosaur ride at the Tower and persuaded me to join him. We took our seats on the 'train'. I wasn't sure I would enjoy this, especially as families with young children stood in the queue. I kept my thoughts to myself as we meandered past life-size models of dinosaurs. But it was fun.
Later, we did some serious browsing around the shops – managing to keep our credit cards intact – and then returned to our site to eat. There was one further evening of theatre: Legends on the Central Pier. This fabulous collection of tribute acts includes artists playing Lionel Ritchie, Rod Stewart, Shirley Bassey and others. Did it work? Believe me, when 'Robbie Williams' came on stage, the audience gasped. The singer looked like him, sang like him and was the star of the show. Other editions of Legends feature Elvis, Lennon and McCartney, and Freddie Mercury.
We watched from a table we had booked in advance. When a staff member had tried to show us to our seats, he found it difficult to get through the crowd. Once we were sitting, we knew how sardines feel.
The Shirley Bassey lookalike was an immediate favourite with the crowd, sounding just like the diva herself. She sang a duet with 'Lionel Ritchie', too. When the artists came out for their final bow, they were greeted with thunderous applause.
We staggered outside, happy to stretch our legs and surprised to see the Blackpool Illuminations were alight – apparently this was a practice session. Still, we took photos of the lights and had a nostalgic walk along the prom, before heading back to camp.
We awoke the next morning with the realisation our holiday was over. As we travelled home, we discussed the highlights of our stay and the bright lights of Blackpool.

See the Feb 08 issue for all the photos and where to stay.