ers ▁of ▁closing ▁the ▁fact ories ▁for ▁a ▁week ▁every ▁year ▁to ▁service ▁and ▁repair ▁mach in ery . ▁These ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁w akes ▁weeks . ▁Each ▁town ' s ▁mill s ▁would ▁close ▁for ▁a ▁different ▁week , ▁allowing ▁Black pool ▁to ▁manage ▁a ▁steady ▁and ▁reliable ▁stream ▁of ▁visitors ▁over ▁a ▁prolong ed ▁period ▁in ▁the ▁summer . ▁A ▁prominent ▁feature ▁of ▁the ▁resort ▁was ▁the ▁prom en ade ▁and ▁the ▁pleasure ▁pi ers , ▁where ▁an ▁ec lect ic ▁variety ▁of ▁performances ▁v ied ▁for ▁the ▁people ' s ▁attention . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁the ▁North ▁Pier ▁in ▁Black pool ▁was ▁completed , ▁rapidly ▁becoming ▁a ▁centre ▁of ▁att raction ▁for ▁el ite ▁visitors . ▁Central ▁Pier ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁with ▁a ▁theatre ▁and ▁a ▁large ▁open - air ▁dance ▁floor . ▁ ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁popular ▁beach ▁resort s ▁were ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁bath ing ▁machines , ▁because ▁even ▁the ▁all - cover ing ▁beach we ar ▁of ▁the ▁period ▁was ▁considered ▁im mod est . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁century ▁the ▁English ▁coast line ▁had ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 ▁large ▁resort ▁towns , ▁some ▁with ▁populations ▁exceed ing ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Exp ansion ▁around ▁the ▁world ▁ ▁The ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁se as ide ▁resort ▁abroad ▁was ▁stim ulated ▁by ▁the ▁well - develop ed ▁English ▁love ▁of ▁the ▁beach . ▁The ▁French ▁Riv iera ▁alongside ▁the ▁Mediter rane