15 – 17th June in Blackpool

The online entry form is here

Blackpool can lay claim to being Britain’s most popular seaside resorts and is famous for its Tower, trams and the Pleasure Beach. Not to be outdone by any of its rivals, it also boasts no less than three piers.

Always in the forefront of new ideas, Blackpool was the first town in Britain to have electric street lighting (in 1879) and the first in the world with an electric tramway system (1885, or the year after Rover’s Safety Cycle was launched!). It was, of course, the only town in Britain to retain electric trams. In addition it was the site of Britain’s first public air display in October 1909.

The town is not devoid of motoring connections either, most famously as the home of TVR until its recent demise, but also as the original site of the Swallow Sidecar Factory (the predecessor of today’s Jaguar company)

The Venue

The Sunday rally will be held at Stanley Park , which is approximately one mile inland from the seafront. The park has numerous amenities including a boating lake, crazy golf, (and a proper golf course for the more serious minded) a model village and various gardens and walks. The cafe dates from 1937 and is considered a good example of Art Deco design, both inside and out. This is the postcode for Satnavs FY3 9HU, click for map view and directions

The Event

The main event is, of course, the rally itself on Sunday 17 June, but a number of additional attractions are planned. There is the traditional RSR Dinner planned for the Saturday evening at the Imperial Hotel and you can book and make your choices on the online application form.
A Heritage Tour of Blackpool Tower is planned for Saturday afternoon. There is a road run planned for both the Friday and Saturday allowing those who wish to participate in the road run and also the Tower tour.

The RSR Northern Section plans to hire a 1940s Leyland Double Decker bus which will be giving subsidised round trips to and from Stanley Park throughout the Sunday Rally. The bus will stop off at a couple of points on the seafront should anyone want to get off and then catch the next trip back to the Park.

The online entry form is here

If you want to print an entry form and send it by post then download this pdf version National Rally Entry Form 2012 pdf

The Hotel

The Imperial is the best known Hotel in Blackpool, situated in the ‘posh’ end of the promenade and has a tram stop right outside. This was the hotel used by all the political parties for their conferences – who knows, depending on your political persuasions, you could ask for a room that was used by anyone from Tony Benn to Enoch Powell!

The online entry form is here

We look forward to welcoming you to Blackpool