Blackpool Rivals Nice

Who needs a trip to the Med when the streets of Blackpool are lined with strange and exotic sights at carnival time?

The seaside town of Blackpool goes all out for its carnival, with dancing, flowers and very creative uses of papier-mâché. This newsreel takes in the crowds, the famous tower, and impressive carnival floats including a giant Chinese junk and the proud figure of Britannia flanked by figures representing the four corners of the British Empire. If you've seen the French carnival portrayed in Jean Vigo's A Propos de Nice (1930), you'll see the comparison in the title is actually quite apt.