When thousands of people head to Blackpool to see the illuminations , many will have admired the ‘Comedy Carpet’ on the sea front which commemorates the great names of seaside entertainment.

Few, however, will have realised that its structural integrity relies on stainless steel mesh made by Stainless UK of Sheffield who have supplied 170 panels to reinforce the concrete slabs.

“The comedy carpet contains some of the best known catch phrases of the last century. It’s traditional seaside humour and we are proud to have had a small part in preserving it for the enjoyment of future holidaymakers”, said Tim Wells, managing director of Stainless UK Ltd.

The £2.6m Comedy Carpet was commissioned by Blackpool Council as part of a project to regenerate Blackpool sea front. The 2,200m work of art was created by artist Gordon Young in collaboration with Why Not Associates. Situated in front of Blackpool Tower, the carpet leads from the tower entrance to the beach and connects the north and south ends of the promenade. The carpet celebrates the history of entertainment in Blackpool with the words of jokes, songs and catchphrases made famous by over 1000 comedians set into the concrete slabs.

Stainless UK manufactured the 4m x 2m welded mesh panels in their Sheffield factory. Each panel was set into an individual concrete slab to strengthen the concrete and control shrinkage cracking. The use of stainless steel ribbed bars to make the panels has ensured that the mesh will not corrode despite being situated in an exposed marine location.