Eight tonnes worth of stunning chandeliers were given a spring clean today at one of Britain’s most famous ballrooms ahead of a new year of dancing afternoon tea and more.

The 14 chandeliers at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom were brought down for their annual clean today, with the restoration work which usually takes a month to complete.

However this year cleaners will only have weekdays during the month to do their work, as the ballroom will remain open on weekends such is the demand from dancers to tread the famous boards.

The two main chandeliers in the ballroom each weigh a tonne each and need four people’s strength to lower them safely before they get the feather duster treatment, which takes two weeks to get them looking as good as new.

Bury Times:

The 12 other smaller lavish lights each weigh half a tonne each and take a week to clean.

Manager Aaron Edgar said: “It’s a really special day for us, the beginning of our annual maintenance ahead of the year.

“We’ve got an amazing team who have done this countless times so mishaps are very rate.

“The ballroom opened in 1899 and that’s when the chandeliers date from so they are very old and a part of that era and the ballroom.”

Bury Times:

Each of the famous chandeliers is made from hand cut crystals from Italy and date back to the Edwardian period, making them more than a century old.

In total there are 1,120 LED lightbulbs in the lights, and each is checked, dusted and polished by hand during the clean. Using LED lights mean the bulbs last much longer, use less energy and great less heat than traditional filament bulbs.

Anyone can visit the ballroom – which has hosted some of the world’s greatest ballroom stars and is an annual fixture on Strictly Come Dancing – with tickets priced at £9.95 for adults and cheaper if booked in advance, with children aged under 15 going free.

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Afternoon tea packages are also available, starting at £50 for two people.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Blackpool Tower website.