Avast there, me hearties!

I happily picked the finest day imaginable for my first ever trip to Blackpool. The main reason was to meet a young man who provided a rare bright spot in last year's dismal Westminster election; but I took the opportunity to do some sightseeing. The town is as tacky and unstylish as one might expect. I was struck by the coldness and brutality of much of the design, and had thought there would be more outrageous kitsch, like the magnificent entrance to 'Coral Island' of which this is a detail. The figure is an automaton, and a very fine one in my opinion.