Antonia Charlesworth

A group of learning-disabled photographers has brought to light the work of an important but previously little-known architect whose work remains important to civic life and design in Blackpool. The New Langdale Photographers, a diverse group with disabilities, has been exploring the work of John Charles Robinson, who worked as borough architect for the town from 1920 to 1944. Robinson was responsible for at least 30 civic buildings in Blackpool, including libraries, schools, health and leisure facilities and transport infrastructure. While two of his most important structures have been lost – the art deco Darby Baths and South Shore’s open-air…

The South Shore Romany Gypsies were central to the development of Blackpool as a tourist town, but as the town grew they were forced off the land they had occupied for generations. Is enough being done to recognise their contribution? Sarah Petulengro’s booth on Blackpool Pleasure Beach may be the last vestige of Romany Gypsy heritage in South Shore. It’s a history that stretches back to the mid 1800s when her ancestors pitched their tent on sands no one else had deemed habitable. “It was a harsh life but it would have been something they were used to,” says Petulengro.…