On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Good Morning All,
On The Road and In Your Backyard is a weekday feature spotlighting reader submissions. From the exotic to the familiar, please share your part of the world, whether you’re traveling or just in your locality. Share some photos and a narrative, let us see through your pictures and words. We’re so lucky each and every day to see and appreciate the world around us!
Submissions from commenters are welcome at tools.balloon-juice.com
Have a wonderful day, and enjoy the pictures!
Today, pictures from valued commenter Litlebritdifrnt.
This year we went to Blackpool for our anniversary. We decided to go a couple of days before the day to avoid to weekend crowds. I searched on the internet for a great deal on hotels and came up with the Grand Metropole, on the Promenade. It was incredibly cheap and I was quite surprised when we checked in to discover how beautiful it was.
Taken on 2018-07-13 00:00:00
Blackpool, England
This truly was a Grand Hotel of the ages. It harkens back to the 60s or 70s (think of the resorts of Dirty Dancing) it served breakfast, lunch and dinner, and had entertainment every night in the ballroom. As you can see it was having some work done. It has been taken over by Britannia Hotels.
Taken on 2018-07-13 00:00:00
Blackpool, England
While the exterior looked tired to say the least, the interior ground floor was beautiful. This was the lounge just beyond the reception area. As the daughter of a master plasterer I can really appreciate the level of the work that was done and has since been maintained. The whole effect is like a piece of Wedgewood pottery.
Taken on 2018-07-13 00:00:00
Blackpool, England
This was the Dining Room where Breakfast was served every morning. It was incredibly old school. Waiters in black pants, white shirts, bow ties and black waistcoats (vests). Again the plaster work was incredible.
Taken on 2018-07-13 00:00:00
Blackpool, England
This was the ceiling detail in the corridor on the ground floor.
Taken on 2018-07-13 00:00:00
Blackpool, England
This is the view of the sunset from the balcony of the hotel.
Thank you so much Litlebritdifrnt, do send us more when you can.
And a literally serendipitous post that preceded this one by just minutes. It’s from valued commenter socratic_me.
Not actually my photos. Just trying to touch up Litlebritdifrnt’s photos to capture the color that they described in their submission. Thought you might be able to get it back to them for me.
My first try.
My second try
Thank you so much socratic_me, do send us more when you can.
What do you think, folks? I’m for #1.
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There’s much in store this week and next. Great submissions incoming – you have been warned!
Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.
One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email
rikyrah
All the pictures are just beautiful ??
?BillinGlendaleCA
I like #1 too, even though I generally like to boost shadows…I think it’s a bit too much. Speaking of future submission…I just sent in some from the kid’s trip to New Zealand.
JPL
What a lovely hotel.
HinTN
The blue in that hotel is exquisite.
RAVEN
My wife and her friend are going to visit UK in the spring!
debbie
I would have been walking into walls constantly because I was too busy admiring the hotel’s interiors. They are stunning!
arrieve
How serendipitous — I’ve never even considered visiting that part of Britain. I’m a huge fan of Jay Rayner’s restaurant reviews in The Guardian — no one can hate everything about a restaurant the way he can — and he gave a very favorable review to one in Blackpool yesterday. Now I just want to wander through those beautiful rooms while eating ribs.
Litlebritdifrnt
Thanks everyone. I like colour correction in #1 best too.
FRANK MCCORMICK
The hotel strongly reminds me of the one in “The Witches”!
eclare
Beautiful hotel
susanna
Lovely spot. I’m for #1, as #2 has too much blue casting. Though I might be oversensitive having our green trees looking through a blue glass here in NoCal due to smoke these recent weeks.
Yarrow
Lovely photos. I love old architecture like that. I just looked it up and according to Wikipedia construction on it was begun in 1776, so it’s as old the US!
A question for Alain: Is it possible to put the first picture of the On The Road posts before the “Read More” so that we can see it on the front page? I somehow skip right by these posts but if I see the photo in the tweet in John’s Twitter feed I remember them and click through to see the photos. I think it might draw in more people if they got a teaser photo on the front page.
Litlebritdifrnt
@Yarrow: It is old. In the 60s it was taken over by Billy Butlin (he had a series of holiday camps) he operated it like one of his camps where they provided three meals a day and entertainment every night. (Like I said think of Dirty Dancing). Today it is exactly the same, three meals a day and bingo, and cabaret in the ballroom every night. I wandered down to the ballroom one night of our stay (to get a glass of wine) and the cabaret was in full swing, and all of the residents (mostly elderly people) were down there enjoying the show. It is like a time capsule, perfectly preserved.