A SNEAK preview of this year's new Illuminations is on offer on June 19 at the Illuminations Workshop, Rigby Road, Blackpool.

Visitors will be taken to look around the shed and shown behind the scenes to see how Blackpool's famous lights are made. This will be the only chance for the public to see the new designs before the Illuminations open on August 29.

The guided tours are free and go on from 9.30am until 8.30 pm. There will also be a bouncy castle and refreshments.

None of the fabulous creations are imported from outside. They are all manufactured by the workers in Blackpool.

This year, they are building a big carousel of eight 20ft high galloping horses made out of polystyrene and fibre glass to go on Gynn Island. There will also be a zoo full of wild designs of monkeys, zebras, tigers and lions. In addition, two new black and white tableaux based around the nursery rhymes Little Miss Muffet and Sing a Song of Sixpence will be put up.

Huge masks designed by a local artists will continue the nursery rhyme theme.

A new road section will take a nostalgic look at the 1960's and the days of flower power. There will also be a large scale replica of a board game with snakes and dice.

Keith Hall, Blackpool's Illuminations manager, said: " Dreaming up new ideas for the Illuminations and turning the inspiration into reality is a big job.

"We are busy all year long making the designs and constructing them. Even the old illuminations need to be maintained and stored in a special way."

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