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Decodance 2007
Decodance was designed by the famous interior designer, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. It was the first time in the history of the Illuminations that an internationally acclaimed designer was invited to design a feature.
Meeting with him for the first time was quite nerve wracking, but we need not have worried, Laurence was very down-to-earth and easy to work with. I was impressed with his designs from the start, as they were beautiful and elegant, but also reflected Blackpool's historical tradition of being a glamourous showbiz town, made for entertainment.
I had a large part in the project, carving and painting half of the figures (all the ones on the left-hand side of the road). Initially this was very daunting as we had so little time to complete the project; and as it was such a high profile section, we needed the features finished to a very high standard and up on time.
When the features went out on the promenade about a week before the big switch on, it was decided that they should be kept under wraps with specially made covers until the big night to maintain the suspense and excitement surrounding the project.
This back-fired slightly though, when we realised that the covers had rubbed away some of the paintwork on the features and the artists spent a frantic night the day before switch-on touching up the paintwork, whilst harnessed into the buckets of cherry pickers mounted to the Council's maintenance vehicles!
However, all the long hours that we put in eventually paid off. We were really pleased with the end result, and I think Laurence was too.
For photographs showing one of the Decodance features being made, take a look at my Making of a Blackpool Illumination pages.
Photo Gallery
Cupide in the yard at the Blackpool Illuminations Depot - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Cupide in the sheds at the Blackpool Illuminations Depot - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Flore in the Blackpool Illuminations Depot sheds - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Flore in the sheds at the Blackpool Illuminations Depot - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Galatie in the Blackpool Illuminations Depot - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Galatie lit up to check the quality of the paint finish - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Selena in the Blackpool Illuminations Depot - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Vulcine in the Blackpool Illuminations Depot - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Both sides of a Vulcine road feature in the Blackpool Illuminations Depot sheds - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Persephone lit up to check the paint finish - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Persephone in the sheds at the Blackpool Illuminations Depot - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Decodance road features in position on Blackpool promenade in front of the Tower - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Galatie with all electrics fitted in position on Blackpool Promenade - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Cupide fitted and ready for the switch-on - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Selena fitted in position on Blackpool Promenade - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Flore also showing centre road pieces - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Persephone outside what was the new Woolworths building - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Vulcine fitted in position on Blackpool Promenade - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Full stretch of Decodance features lit up with Laurence Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen photogrpah heading them - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Stretch of Decodance features lit up facing south towards Central Pier - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Flore lit up during the Illuminations - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Cupide illuminated with Blackpool Tower lit up in the background - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Cupide lit up during the Illuminations - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Vulcine lit up as part of Blackpool Illuminations - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Galatie lit up during the Illuminations - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
Selena lit up as part of Blackpool Illuminations - Decodance 2007 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough
What are Blackpool Illuminations?
If you have landed on this page from Google or another search engine or from a link on a website, you might just be wondering what you are looking at.
Decodance 2007 is a feature within Blackpool Illuminations, the greatest free light show on earth, where Sarah Myerscough (me) works as an artist. The Illuminations are an annual event that takes place from late August / early September to November, along six miles of the promenade in Blackpool, a seaside resort in the North West of England.
Blackpool itself is the most visited seaside resort in Europe and provides family entertainment throughout the year. It has three piers, the 518ft Blackpool Tower featuring an excellent circus, miles of golden sands, a huge amusement park (Blackpool Pleasure Beach), a waxworks (Madame Tussaud's), a Sea Life Centre, a Ripley's Believe It Or Not, a zoo (Blackpool Zoo), two major theatres (Grand Theatre and The Opera House), dozens of amusement arcades (including Coral Island), a water park (Blackpool Sandcastle) and much, much more...
Where should you go next?
If you have landed on this page by chance and are wondering where to go next:
- For more behind the scenes photographs of the Illuminations, select another page from the Blackpool Illuminations Gallery menu.
- For information about my life as an artist, take a look at my Timeline pages.
- If you are interested in purchasing artworks, take a look at my For Sale pages.
- If you're not sure what you want, why not try my Lucky Dip?
- Finally, if your appetite has been whet for a visit to Blackpool, take a look at my About Blackpool pages for links to Blackpool attractions, accommodation, events and more, but don't forget to bookmark me and come back some time!
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