Michael discovers how Victorians spent their leisure time, heading to Blackpool to learn how the seaside mini-break was transformed from a perk of the wealthy to a British institution. He steps onto one of the town's famous piers uncovering how, thanks to architect and civil engineer Eugenius Birch, these humble loading platforms became entertainment hubs. Viewers learn how a rivalry between two showbusiness giants resulted in some of the area's most glorious architecture and how the advent of electricity fuelled the town's tourist industry, via its world-famous illuminations.
