Michael Traynor, once a local artist (he now lives in Scotland), explained that this is mainly due to the combination of location and size. He noted that the sun can be elusive on the Irish coast even in summer.
“It was real Victorian arrogance to put her on a cool stretch of the northwest coast. Crazy from start to finish. ” What’s more, most of the housing here is nondescript and newly built, with little detail to inspire (notable exceptions are the Edwardian homes around Stanley Park). The average UK home price at year-end in August was $ 387,000; Blackpool’s average selling price in July 2021 was around $ 170,000.
Traynor, 54, said Blackpool’s attractions, including its famous Eiffel Tower-style tower, were built for mass consumption, mainly for the working class in Manchester factories. As a result, it is much more difficult to attract new creative talent; the costs and risks are much higher.
Yet Mr. Traynor, the former head of the city’s art organization LeftCoast, does not discount Blackpool’s chances. He first came to the city on request and for several years helped to promote his art. And it’s getting national attention: in September, the UK Arts Council named it a priority area.
One of Mr. Treynor’s most exciting projects is the Art B&B, a 19-room reimagined typical bed and breakfast, each uniquely designed by an artist. Christopher Samuel, for example, designed one to give outpatient guests an insight into the inconvenience he faces in most hotels as a wheelchair user.
The Art B & B’s profits are intended to be reinvested in local creative life, and Mr Traynor proudly noted that the hotel’s revenue this summer has exceeded all expectations.
“Blackpool has the same problems as all coastal cities in the UK,” he said, “but it is by far the most visited, so it becomes a concentrated version of everything that happens there, good and bad.”
