Blackpool and Freud

Posted by Cathy Smith Mar 24, 2007

What, you might well ask, could an ordinary lass from the north of England possibly have in common with Freud, the world famous psychoanalyst . I’ll tell you what; we both loved Blackpool, a popular resort in the northwest of England.

When I was growing up, one of the big events of the year was a bus trip to Blackpool to see the 'lights '- as the six miles of glittering illuminations are known. Hundreds of thousands of light bulbs, in dozens of colours and shapes are put together to create intricate tableaux depicting famous people, historic tales, weird and wonderful animals, food, flowers and on and on.

It took a long time to get from beginning to end. The line of buses stretched for miles and moved very slowly to give people a chance to ooh and ahh over each glorious confection. Of course, we kids did more than ooh and ahh - we yelled and screamed, faces pressed against the window straining to see what was coming up next.

Oh yes, it was exciting all right. But to someone like Freud? What could this serious intellectual see in all the candy floss and glitter of this working class holiday spot? He even mentioned Blackpool in his famous work “The Interpretation of Dreams”. In 1908 he wrote “I enjoy it much better here than anywhere else...” But what was it he liked about it? On his second visit he even sent a postcard to a friend with a picture of the iconic Tower on it. Perhaps he was interested in studying the potency of popular culture, but I bet he really enjoyed the simple things that still are part of Blackpool today.

The first illuminations were switched on in 1879, when Freud was 23. His first visit to Blackpool was when he was 19, so it’s possible he gazed at the lights with the rest of the visitors, but there wasn’t a lot to see. In those days the illuminations were no more than strings of arc lights that lit up the promenade in what was described as artificial sunshine.

What I think he would have loved are the three magnificent Victoria piers. It’s hard to imagine that he would not have had a stroll along one of them. It’s such a lovely thing to do. When you reach the end all that is between you and Ireland is the Irish Sea. Would he have taken a ride on a donkey? I doubt it. They are just for children, but he would certainly have watched Victorian kids clamber onto the backs of these sturdy little beasts.

Donkey rides along the beach are a big feature in Blackpool and the donkeys are carefully watched over in case of any abuse. In fact, in recent times, they have been granted a lunch break to ensure they get a rest. Freud also talked in his letters about beachcombing and rock pool explorations. Seems he really liked the place, and so do I.

The illuminations are from the end of August to the beginning of November each year.

Click here to read my article on Blackpool.