Today, I'm on Blackpool seafront, and if you've visited any seaside resort
the chances are you've sampled some of their fish and chips.
As you stroll along the promenade,
that smell wafting in with the sea breeze.
It's almost impossible to resist and there are plenty
of fish and chip sellers to tempt you.
And it's been that way at the seaside for some time.
In Britain, folk have enjoyed their penneth of chips,
as they used to say, since the mid-1800s.
In fact, some say that the industrial revolution
was fuelled by the good old Northern chippy.
It's not certain exactly who was the first to sell
their fried fish, alongside chipped potatoes.
But certainly by the time the railways were bringing folk
to Blackpool, and the Wake's Weeks appeared in the calendar,
a trip to the seaside was already offering many a seaside treat.
The Wakes Weeks were where the mills of a particular town
would close down in order for the workforce
to take their annual leave with the family.
When the train lines were built into Blackpool thousands of eager
holidaymakers would flood the resort,
just ready to be entertained and of course to be fed.
This tradition continued as Blackpool's Golden Mile developed.
And if you ask anybody to recommend a good
fish and chip shop in Blackpool then there's one name that usually
comes to mind and that is the Cottage Chippy
which itself is steeped in history.
The Cottage is located in the Marton area of Blackpool
and apart from selling mighty fine fish and chips
part of its charm is with the building itself.
There's thought to have been a dwelling on this site since the early 1800s
as part of what was then Flag Causeway Farm.
But we certainly know that a man called Christopher Johnson had a hand
in building what we see today.
Cobblestones from the beach were said to be brought
by horse and cart and recent renovations revealed an original
cobblestone wall which has now been left exposed in the restaurant.
In 1920, Jane Ann Quinn was granted a covenant to conduct the business
of Fish and Chip Retailer. She was very lucky because
only a few years before in 1917 the Blackpool Herald reported a heading
'Fish and Chips fined for establishing offensive trade'
because a nearby fish and chip fryer in Crossland Road had been fined under
a 1914 order which made fish frying at the time an offensive trade.
Later ownership included the Stansfield's, who ran the cottage for 20 years.
Mr Stansfield was a Fish Merchant from Fleetwood and customers
were able to choose the size and type of fish to order.
Meanwhile, Mrs Stansfield made a link with the showbiz stars
appearing in the town. She would keep the chippy open,
until 2 or 3 in the morning, to allow celebrities time to relax
after their shows . Some of the photos of notable celebs
can be seen proudly displayed in the restaurant.
Today the cottage retains its reputation for good old traditional fish and chips.