You reminded me of this [0] fantastic review of Sheerness in Kent. Blackpool is mentioned several times in comparison.
[0] https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedkingdom/comments/u2vu5x/i_thi...
[0] https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedkingdom/comments/u2vu5x/i_thi...
But yes, otherwise all rather run down. The extreme wealth discrepancy was an eye opener.