Comedy Carpet Blackpool
Comedy Carpet Blackpool
Blackpool’s newest attraction is born. The Comedy Carpet
Gordon Young's Comedy Carpet Seen From The Top Of Blackpool Tower
The Comedy Carpet Blackpool is one of the UK’s biggest pieces of Public Art and was officially opened by legendary Liverpool comedian Ken Dodd.
The Comedy carpet Blackpool is part of the major regeneration of Blackpool’s Promenade. The Comedy Carpet in Blackpool was commissioned by Blackpool County Council. Part of a £4m grant from the CABE’s Sea Change programme. There are over a 1,000 famous comedians and comic writers featured on the Comedy Carpet in Blackpool. There are catchphrases, jokes and songs that are now cast in granite outside Blackpool Tower with its stunning glass viewing platform and 4d Cinema.
Ken Dodd remarked “It’s a wonderful Blackpool tourist attraction for beautiful Blackpool, the greatest show town in the world.” VIPs included Dave Spikey, The Krankies, The Chuckle Brothers and Hattie Hayridge and many more.
Artist designer Gordon Young’s pieces are shown in galleries, pavements, benches, walls, in fact everywhere that people relax or work. It took five years to make the 2,200m2 in size Comedy Carpet Blackpool. Gordon Young admits it’s his biggest work to date. When he was asked to design the Comedy carpet his first thoughts were the inside of Blackpool Tower, the Viennese ballroom, the Blackpool circus, the foyers, and so decided that the people should get a taste of the history of Blackpool as they walked past the Tower.
Why A Comedy Carpet In Blackpool?
“Blackpool occupies a unique and important place in the social history of Britain,” says Gordon Young. “Comedy in all its guises is a big part of who we are; it has its own history and a very important place in that history is Blackpool. I’d been looking at photographs of stars and the Blackpool Tower was a recurring backdrop to the photos – Eric and Ernie in deck chairs, Ken Dodd, Les Dawson, Peter Kay and more. It soon became obvious that Blackpool had been a magnetic chuckle point for the nation,” he adds. I also wanted to create something built with really the high craft standards seen in Blackpool’s historic architecture – the Winter Gardens, library and of course the fabulous Tower. So I thought a quality comedy carpet that shows how Blackpool can still do posh.”
Gordon Young told those attending the opening: “I would like to say respect and thanks to all those who made us smile in times present and past.”
Councillor Graham Cain said: “It was fantastic to see so many people from all over the country here to mark the arrival of Blackpool’s newest piece of art, and one of the largest pieces of public art in the country. I’ve no doubt that the Comedy Carpet Blackpool will entertain people of all ages and quickly become a popular location for photo opportunities. Already there has been a huge amount of interest in the Blackpool comedy carpet. “
The Comedy Carpet Blackpool features more than 1,000 comedians from Music Hall to the current day including foreign greats such as Mae West, Danny Kaye and W.C Fields.
Each piece of the Comedy Carpet In Blackpool (160,000+ letters) has been cut from solid granite or cobalt blue concrete, arranged into over 300 slabs and then cast into a high quality concrete that won’t fade.
People are already routing the comedy carpet to find their favourite comedians such as Morecambe and Wise, Ken Dodd, Les Dawson, Frankie Howard and Tommy Cooper, as well as Barry Humphries, Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, Peter Kay, and of course Monty Python and The Two Ronnies, Billy Connolly, Peter Cook and Victoria Wood. The comedy carpet is located just in front of Blackpool Tower on the promenade.