What do we mean by the "Wakes" holidays? - Blackpool - Year 5

The 'Wakes' holidays refer to a historic tradition that became synonymous with the regular summer breaks taken by workers from the industrial towns of the North West and the Midlands during the Industrial Revolution. These holidays originated from each locality setting aside a specific week when their factories, mills, or mines would close, granting workers a period of rest. This practice evolved over time, and by the 20th century, many of these industrial towns had extended the Wakes holidays to two weeks, during which employees would receive their wages.

This annual shutdown led to a significant number of residents from these towns flocking to Blackpool for their holiday, creating a scheduled rotation where different towns would visit Blackpool for their two-week breaks at different times. The popularity of Blackpool as a holiday destination grew as visitors enjoyed the familiarity and tradition of returning to the same seaside resort each year. To accommodate the influx of holidaymakers, Blackpool saw a boom in the establishment of boarding houses and bed and breakfast accommodations, catering to the needs of the workers on their Wakes holidays. This influx of visitors played a pivotal role in Blackpool's development into one of the UK's favourite seaside resorts, as indicated by historical photographs, such as the one mentioned of Blackpool beach during Wakes Week.