The splendour of Victorian and Edwardian life in St Annes

The splendour of Victorian and Edwardian life in St Annes is today nothing more than a fast-fading memory. Imagine what fun it must have been to witness the growth of the genteel seaside resort in the late eighteenth century. Lytham was the grand old lady of the Fylde coast, steeped in history and tradition, and St Annes was the brash newcomer; a town hacked out of the sandhills by rich and powerful industrialists as recently as the mid-1870s.

When the ancient and modern communities combined — albeit reluctantly, in 1922 — the Opal of the West quickly developed and fortunes soared. The beaches were filled with relaxed holiday makers and St Annes's pier echoed with the laughter of daytrippers. A cut above bustling and brassy Blackpool, St Annes attracted gentry eager to make their homes in the town.

Join Peter Byrom on this fascinating and nostalgic journey in St Annes Through Time.