Jon Jones visits Blackpool's new all-singing, all-dancing lifeboat station and gets thoroughly rained on in the process..

Blackpool, with its Pleasure Beach, Illuminations and Golden Mile of amusements, night clubs, bars, restaurants, and famous landmark Tower, is a mecca for tourists.

Over 17 million visitors flock to the popular seaside resort each year and so it comes as no surprise that many are going to be using the sea for pleasure - with some unfortunates getting into danger in the process.

The RNLI opened its first lifeboat station at Blackpool in 1864 - a year after Central Station and North pier were established - and it was evident even then that the crews were going to have a busy time ahead.

The old boathouse, which still stands today, served the lifeboat and crews well for many generations, but it became clear in the 1990s - when it was necessary to house an Atlantic 75 and two D class lifeboats along with all the launching equipment - that the station desperately needed new, larger and more modern facilities.

Station officials and locals started an appeal for an all-weather lifeboat in 1979, but it was later agreed that the station should operate inshore lifeboats. The funds, together with the proceeds of the Mayor of Blackpool's lifeboat appeal were poured into a new boathouse appeal and after 11 years of hard work, a whopping £659,380 was in the bank.

Following planning, design and agreements with Blackpool Council, building work began in 1997 but was hampered by the unfortunate liquidation of the original contractor. The project was taken over by a Blackpool-based firm, who made a prompt restart on the works, but a series of severe storms delayed progress even further.

But ten months down the line, a distinctive new lifeboat station stands proudly on the town's famous seafront.

Multipurpose Overlooked by Blackpool Tower, the new multipurpose station is the first of its kind. It is a operational lifeboat station which houses all three lifeboats and allows ready access to both beach slipways.

The boathouse provides accommodation for the Atlantic 75 with its drive-on/drive-off rig and tractor, together with the two D class lifeboats on their trailers and a Land Rover. Supporting crew facilities include changing rooms, shower and toilets, crew radio/meeting room, secretary's office, workshop and various storage areas.

Visitors centre The new station also incorporates a visitors centre where the public can view the lifeboats from ground level and from a raised galley which features video screens, historic and modern displays, information panels and some interactive exhibits which invite visitors to 'put a penny in the slot'. The visitors centre also incorporates a large, strategically placed, souvenir sales outlet which catches members of the public on the way in and on the way out, following on from the displays. There is also a wheelchair lift to the gallery and disabled toilets.

Because this is such a new feature for a lifeboat station, the RNLI has temporarily employed Blackpool mechanic and ex-helmsman, Keith Horrocks, to coordinate the setup and smooth running of the centre and to organise group visits. If all goes according to plan, perhaps this could be a blueprint for future lifeboat stations? Architecture It really does seem as though everything has been thought of. Using pseudo-Victorian style architecture, the station is modern and practical yet, cleverly, still seems to blend in nicely with the Tower and look pretty cool at the same time.

Its exposed location required a very robust construction but surprisingly, the building contains a lot of glass. The large internal glazings mean that practically the whole station can be observed from almost anywhere else inside, and the numerous circular external windows and huge glazed boathouse doors provide excellent views of the North and South beaches.

During my visit it was plain to see that everyone in Blackpool's lifeboat family was bursting with pride when they spoke about their new station. And proud they should be - without all their hard work - and the generosity of Blackpool locals and cooperation of Blackpool Borough Council - none of this would have been possible. 0.