When you think of queer hotspots, Blackpool probably isn’t the first place that springs to mind. But maybe it should be.
Aysh and Sam De Belle are a married couple who quite literally do it all. They run House of Wingz, a street dance company training the next generation of performers (some of whom are now touring with Sadler’s Wells). They’re landladies of Ferny House, a queer guest house on Blackpool’s famous Golden Mile. They’re one half of HerHouse, a sapphic disco, dance, soul and funk DJ collective. And right now, they’re performing in Mr Blackpool, a theatrical spectacular touring to Salford, Brighton and their hometown this May.
We caught up with them about love, legacy, and why Blackpool might just be the queer coastal escape you’ve been sleeping on.
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So, how did you two actually meet?
Aysh: We originally met at dance school when we were teenagers but apart from standing next to each other on the front row, we didn’t really know each other. I was quite shy and Sam was three years older so I didn’t speak to her. Even back then I thought she might be a lesbian, way before she knew herself.
Sam: We didn’t stay in touch after that, but about ten years later I went out for lunch with my mum one day and we went into Yates on Blackpool promenade. Aysh worked there as the bar manager and she said I looked like I had a halo around me when I walked in.
Aysh: Yeah she did. The sun was behind her and it looked like her aura. Obsessed. I went into the staff room flapping over fancying her, and luckily my work mate knew Sam and she arranged a night out for us all two days later. We went out, ended up snogging and skinny-dipping in the Blackpool sea and the rest is herstory.
Sam: Instant connection – since that first night we have been inseparable, and that was fourteen years ago.
You run a dance school, a guest house, and a DJ collective – what does a normal week actually look like?
Sam: We also have two dogs and an 82-year-old (my dad). So it’s a bit hectic. No two weeks are ever the same; it never gets boring.
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Aysh: Definitely not. Our dance company isn’t a traditional setup. House of Wingz is really more of a lifestyle than a job.
Sam: A normal week for us involves a lot of dance, music, meetings, planning, and new ideas.
Aysh: And people! We have a lot of people around us all the time. We are really lucky that we can be creative every day. I think creativity and self expression is a big driving force for us both.
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What made you want to stay in Blackpool rather than heading to a bigger city?
Sam: I think for me it was partly circumstantial – I became a young carer at 16 – and partly because I realised very young that I wanted to work for myself and was in a position to do that in Blackpool. Starting the dance crew at 21 really led to my passion to create a movement here. It really enabled me to be my authentic self and share my love for hip hop, which had shaped me from a young age. I also grew up on Blackpool promenade across the road from the beach. We have the most incredible sunsets, and when I am away from home I really miss them, so I’ve not really ever been tempted to move away.
Aysh: I went to London for Uni and did some travelling, but Blackpool has always really had my heart. I struggled to adapt to life in London when I was there. It was really isolating and alienating, which knocked my confidence a lot. Although my love for London came back strong, and I love a city break, I’m a sucker for the coast. The sea air, the sunsets, the magic and in Blackpool – the people!
You’re landladies of a queer guest house on the Golden Mile – how did that come about?
Sam: Ferny House has been in my family since the early 70s. My Dad was born on this street 82 years ago and he bought our place as a young man, so it has been in my family since long before I was born. It’s always been a creative house of artists and wild parties. Aysh and I formally took over during the pandemic and renovated it. While most people were on TikTok we were getting properly acquainted with polyfilla and a cordless drill.
Aysh: We had no plans to open it as a party venue, it has just been a natural evolution. We do tend to pour ourselves into every project we do – including interior design and events. When we started hosting parties at the Ferny after lockdown, we quickly became a hotspot for queers and creatives. It’s the surroundings, the music, and the general vibes.
Sam: We like to say it’s a place you can go away to come home to – if that makes sense. Some of our friends have suggested we just make it a commune where we all live together. As much as I love them all, one night at a time is enough for me.
Tell us about HerHouse – how did the collective start?
Aysh: We are both very musically driven people – as dancers, it’s quite essential. In 2021, a friend of ours asked us to DJ at a festival. We had some decks at home so we just went for it! We were very inexperienced but we were doing it for free and we absolutely knew what we were doing in terms of selecting. After that, we started working on a radio station together as ‘The Bells of the Ball’, and as we improved we started getting more regular DJ gigs. My sister Ava and her girlfriend Sophie were also exploring music, and at that time Ava was also doing drag. We decided to make a collective so we could be creative together and HerHouse was born. We knew we brought something different; a very fierce femme and sapphic energy, that we had not experienced at parties we had been to. We also realised that turning up and turning out, serving looks that the girls and the gays drool over elevates the nights. The vibe is freedom! We like to see people totally letting go of their inhibitions – so the most important thing for us is to create a space where people feel totally free.
What’s the sapphic nightlife scene like in Blackpool right now?
Sam: We are working on it!
Aysh: Yeah – I heard that Ferny House on Blackpool Prom is a hot little sapphic hang out!
Sam: We have a queer cabarave every weekend in Blackpool. That has become a special little hang out for the sapphs.
Aysh: Yes – new venue pending! Look up The Midnight Cabaret Club on socials.
Do you feel like Blackpool’s having a moment as a queer destination, or has it always been there?
Aysh: Blackpool has always been queer – the town itself, if personified, is totally camp! It is nice that people are catching on. Now we just need more investment, resource, and support so that our community can thrive and so that more spaces worthy of our fabulosity can start to flourish.
Sam: Blackpool has always been a liberating place for queer people. My parents had lots of queer friends when I was little, so I grew up around queerness. It is important right now that whilst we celebrate Blackpool’s past, and all the things that have come to pass here for the community – that we make sure it is moving in the right direction and at the right pace. We have the most incredible community of queers in Blackpool, who are all so determined to do incredible things for the town. It’s exciting. Watch this space.
You’ve trained dancers who’ve gone on to Sadler’s Wells – what does it mean to be building that pipeline from Blackpool?
Sam: Well… it means that what we have created is legacy. Twenty years ago I decided to start a dance crew because I wanted to learn street dance and there was nowhere to go for that. Now, our students are touring internationally and taking their rightful place at Sadler’s. It has taken time, but this is what we have been working for. We always said we wanted to put Blackpool on the map for a place that makes excellent artists, and we are doing that now – so it means we have achieved what we set out to do!
Aysh: Yes! And as humble as we are, it actually feels incredible knowing the part we played in making it happen. I am just as proud of us as I am of our dancers, it’s been a journey with them all, we don’t just teach them – we are so invested in their success every step of the way. It’s like having 50 odd kids of your own, but being able to send them home after class – what a blessing. It’s been really beautiful to see how the whole of Blackpool is invested in them too.
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What’s the dance community like in Blackpool? Is it growing?
Sam: The dance community in Blackpool has always been thriving; we are famous for it. All the ballroom dance championships, I mean – Strictly, have you seen our ballrooms?! Not forgetting the northern soul scene here and now the world street dance championships. It’s hard to imagine how many legends have danced here.
Aysh: I don’t think people understand how much dance is a part of our heritage. People have been coming here since like 1900 to dance on the piers. And, aside from that, a dance competition takes place in Blackpool pretty much every weekend – with people travelling globally to compete here on our sexy sprung floors – did we mention we have nice ballrooms?
Sam: In terms of our own local schools, apparently Blackpool has more dance schools per square mile than anywhere else in the UK – there’s loads.
Aysh: We are the only street company though – and we like it that way! Don’t believe the hype in those street dance movies – rivalry is over rated. It’s much more harmonious than that here, it’s family.
You’re also in a show called Mr Blackpool, touring this May – how does it feel to be representing Blackpool on a national stage?
Sam: It is a real honour. It feels exciting and important, but also a little nerve-wracking because it means a lot to so many people. Yes, I think more than anything, I feel really lucky to be involved.
Aysh: I feel very emotional about this show. Incredibly proud of what we have made and what it says. I am nervous too, I have found this run so much more emotional now that the work has evolved and I have a deeper understanding of its importance. I’m really proud of it.
Now for the important stuff – best Blackpool date spot?
Sam: The sand dunes.
Aysh: The beach.
Who’s the better dancer and why?
Aysh and Sam: This is actually the only question we have answered together! We don’t have that in our crew, we don’t rank! Movement is personal and everyone has their own flava which is incomparable to others. We are equally different and equally unique!
Song that always gets the HerHouse dancefloor going?
Sam: There are so many but one that never fails: You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) – Sylvester.
Aysh: Or I Feel Love – Donna Summer!
Blackpool Tower Ballroom or Pleasure Beach – you can only save one?
Sam: Pleasure Beach all day long.
Aysh: Ballroom for me.
What’s next for you two?
Mr Blackpool is on tour, coming to Salford Lowry on 2 May, Brighton Festival 7-9 May and there’s an extra special Homecoming Gala version right here in Blackpool at Blackpool Grand on 20 May.
The pair are also currently working on their next Blackpool residency with the Midnight Cabaret Club – an immersive queer cabaret – and hosting ‘Herpride’ at Ferny House, a QTIPOC event on 7 June over Blackpool pride weekend. Plus a few Ibiza trips, just to level things out.
Follow Aysh and Sam on Instagram (@aysh.de.belle, @samdbelle), and keep up with HerHouse (@backtoherhouse) and The Midnight Cabaret Club for upcoming events.
Nonchalant x
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This article was written by one of our creative team writers here at Nonchalant Magazine.
