FOND memories of seaside life sit happily alongside the cutting edge of modern art this week at Blackpool's Grundy Art Gallery.

Visitors to the Queen Street centre can catch Progress With Quality -- an exhibition of items charting Blackpool's colourful history including a model of the Tower and even a reconstruction of a 1930s hotel room, thanks to the Blackpool Private Hotels Association and the Blackpool Civic Trust.

They will see a vision of the future in the Great Promenade Show which is exhibiting a number of exciting proposals for new permanent outdoor art for Blackpool's South Shore Promenade. Progress With Quality is the BPHA's and the Civic Trust's millennium project, with hopes that it will be the first step towards a Heritage Centre for Blackpool.

A lot of the items were donated by members, and the furniture for the hotel room came from a purpose-built 1930s hotel. The Great Promenade Show is following in the footsteps of the much lauded Tate Modern with modern works from 29 leading artists on display including Jeff Koons, Peter Blake and Danny Lane.

Gallery curator Paul Flintoff said: "The chosen works will be a very exciting asset to the town and hopefully attract tourists in the same way as the Angel Of The North in Gateshead.

"There are 70 proposals from an incredible amount of quality artists who have been seriously challenged by Blackpool Borough Council to bring something suitable to the town .

"Visitors are asked to pick just three from the exhibit that they would like to see on permanent display in South Shore, and perhaps up to six works will be chosen." "My personal favourite is Glam Rocks from Manchester artist Peter Freeman. It's a very quiet piece but just somehow stands out from the rest.

"Danny Lane's The Point has created an awful lot of interest and it's very exciting to see such a renowned name as Jeff Koons getting involved in a project such as this."

Progress With Quality is at the Grundy Art Gallery, Queen Street, Blackpool, until July 15 and The Great Promenade Show runs until June 22.

Pictured is Yvonne Gregitis, social secretary of Blackpool Civic trust, with a model of the Great Wheel for which she got her first ticket when she was seven.