Blackpool Illuminations, England

As the summer season comes to an end, this famous Lancashire seaside resort prepares for its main event. Blackpool Illuminations have been an annual occurrence in the English town every year since the end of World War Two. The first illuminations took place in 1879 with eight arc lamps, attracting much interest at a time when people used candles to light their homes. The first large-scale illuminations arrived in May 1912, when 10,000 lights were used to decorate the Promenade for Blackpool’s first royal visit. In the time since they have grown in size and scale.
© Bailey-Cooper Photography/Alamy