Curiosities on show in Blackpool

The Headless Wonder was first seen on the Golden Mile

Novelty acts and sideshows familiar to Victorian and Edwardian holidaymakers are being showcased in Blackpool.

The Cabinet of Curiosities, held at the Winter Gardens, includes spectacles from the resort's golden era.

Highlights include sideshows called the Girl in the Goldfish Bowl and The Headless Wonder, which was first seen on the town's Golden Mile in the 1930s.

The fair is part of the Admission All Classes project, which aims to revamp the resort's entertainment industry.

Admission All Classes includes 10 themed events which will take place over the next 18 months.

The project, which is to celebrate the Victorian and Edwardian venues and culture in the town, has been put together by Blackpool Council and the National Fairground Archive (NFA) at the University of Sheffield.

The events will be held at the Grand Theatre, the Winter Gardens, the three Victorian Piers, the Tower Circus and the Pleasure Beach.

At the cabinet of Curiosities on Saturday and Sunday, freakshow paraphernalia will be on display in the daytime before cabaret shows take place later.

Miss Polly Cupcake, who hosts cabaret nights in London, will lead crowds around the show as acts including the Levitating Lady, the famous dancing Whoopee Beaux Belles and Delia du Sol the Wonder Contortionist perform.

Two supporting lectures have also been arranged to take place at the Studio Theatre at the Grand on Saturday and Sunday, at 1800 BST.