WINSTON Churchill is looking disapprovingly at us and Harold Wilson is smoking his pipe.

Across the way a fresh-faced Margaret Thatcher is smiling.

We’re in the Number Ten Bar.

Upstairs we’re staying in the Westminster Suite, but we’re not in London. We’re in another famous English capital – Blackpool, the Capital of Fun.

Our hotel, The Imperial, displays its history on its walls.

It claims every British Prime Minister – including Churchill – has stepped through its famous revolving doors and it has hosted the Queen and the late Queen Mother, as well as Charles Dickens and Gracie Fields.

The Victorian red brick building, established in 1867 and now a 180-room hotel, is a far cry from the scenes we passed as we drove slowly – to avoid inebriated pedestrians – along the Golden Mile. There we saw Blackpool at its best – men in tutus, girls dressed as devils, and one or two not dressed at all.

But as the hen and stag groups thinned out, metaphorically of course, we found our hotel, a sanctuary with ornate mirrors and decorative chandeliers, near the North Pier, where our nearest tram stop was, appropriately, Pleasant Street.

We were travelling with our son Jack, 13, and his two friends George, 13, and Finlay, 12, and our suite was spacious, with a living room, a bathroom, and two bedrooms – one with a fourposter.

If our jaws dropped when we saw our accommodation, they went a degree lower when we saw the sea, which the sun had turned Caribbean turquoise.

Our first port of call was Sandcastle Waterpark, the UK’s largest indoor waterpark.

There, in the 84-degree tropical climate, the boys braved slides like the Aztec Falls and the Masterblaster, the longest indoor rollercoaster waterslide in the world. The Seabreeze Spa for over-18s is worth a visit for its salt inhalation room, the aromatherapy room and sedate calm.

Families can easily spend a whole day at the waterpark – the new splashcash wristbands save you having to return to the changing rooms every time you want to buy food or drink. We ate at the café where a children’s meal was under £4.

Next up was Madame Tussauds, which was a huge surprise. Gone are the cheesy waxworks and in their place are recognisable characters and interactive sets.

We sat on the Jeremy Kyle set, did the “nice to see you”

bow with Brucie, stood in line with The Beatles and worshipped ex-footballer Alan Shearer. It was good to see Kate Middleton and Prince William looking so well and to admire the new boy, a £150,000 waxwork of adventurer Bear Grylls.

With Blackpool Tower newly spruced-up, and celebrating its 119th season, we jumped in a lift to the Tower Eye and 4D cinema experience, which took us down Memory Lane to explore Blackpool’s history. Next stop was my favourite part of the whole trip – from the top of the 518ft-tall tower, through a floor-to-ceiling glass observation window, we looked down on Blackpool and saw the amazing views out to the Irish Sea.

On our way down, we dropped into the famous ballroom, which Strictly fans see most autumns when Bruce, Tess and the gang travel north. There, a handful of couples took to the floor to show off their fancy footwork, some fancier than others, but all very entertaining.

I could have stayed longer but my travel pals were Pleasure Beach bound. The Pepsi Max Big One retained its crown as their favourite rollercoaster in the whole world, the Wild Mouse was reviewed as “rickety but fun” and they loved the adjacent carriages of the Grand National. Although very busy, the park was clean and queues were handled well, and the food was reasonable at about £5 per main course.

And so as our visit drew to an end, the toughest challenge was ahead of us – extracting three excited boys from the land of fun and frolics so we resorted to candy floss bribes. On the way home, our unusually contemplative son eventually shared his thoughts.

“Is there a university in Blackpool?” he asked, with hope in his voice.

When you’re 13, and live in a village, Blackpool definitely rocks.

Travel Facts

  • One-night family breaks start at £135 at the Imperial Hotel. Call 01253-623971 or visit www.pumahotels.co.uk.
  • The Blackpool Big Ticket provides entry into all the Blackpool Tower attractions, as well as Madame Tussauds and Sea Life and costs £45 for adults and £32.60 for children when bought online: www.theblackpooltower.com.
  • Family savers at Sandcastle Waterpark start at £34, www.sandcastle-waterpark.co.uk. 
  • Entry to the Pleasure Beach is £25when booked online at www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com.