Blackpool Tower: A look back at its history through the eyes of a man who preserved it for 30 years

• Granada Reports journalist Rachel Pritchard speaks to Dave Hulme about his three-decade long career at Blackpool's most popular tourist attraction

Blackpool Tower is one of the North West's major landmarks which has attracted billions of tourists for over a century.

The landmark that sits along the Fylde coastline was built back in May 1894 and visitors of the seaside resort have been climbing up the Tower for 130 years.

The Tower Eye gives visitors a fantastic view across the Irish Sea as far as the Isle of Man.

One man who knows the iconic landmark like the back of his hand is Dave Hume who worked there for three decades and has done everything from changing lightbulbs to painting the tower.

Dave said: "I was chipping the painting, knocking the loose paint off, knocking the rust off, and then painting it to make sure that it was all good to go again."

Dave said the colour of the paint used for the tower was called "tower red" which he said is "not the best colour to light up unfortunately as it just absorbs all the light".

He added: "There are better colours, but you can't change the colour without Government permission."

Dave worked as a rigger for the tower which involves maintaining the attraction's structure, a job that needed a head for heights and a strong stomach.

"We had nothing to hold onto, you just walked across the steel-work to get to where you needed to be," he said.

The tower includes other attractions such as the famous Tower Ballroom and the ever popular Tower Circus which is the oldest of its type in the world.

As well as being responsible for the upkeep of Blackpool Tower, Dave also worked in the ballroom where Strictly Come Dancing is filmed, helping to change and clean the chandeliers every year.

Every year, 14 giant chandeliers are carefully lowered to be individually cleaned, polished and dusted.

The Blackpool Tower Circus opened its doors in 1894 and has not missed a season since, not even during the two World Wars.

Dave recalls a moment where he was walking through the back of the circus where he encountered "a tiger on a load of straw bells having an operation on its tooth."

More of Dave's stories on the goings on at Blackpool Tower can be found in his book "Tall Tales" which will be out in 2025.

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