Dancing in the Rain

To the boarding-houses of Blackpool, buffeted by howling winds and high seas, come 700 hopeful couples with one thing in common - a passion for dancing. Competing in the World Ballroom Dancing Championships - the most important ballroom dancing contest of the year - are a 6ft 4in plumber, a 56-year-old gas fitter, a secretary from the Ministry of Defence, two shop assistants from a smart London store, and a teenage couple still at school. They're all tough, fit and determined; prepared to sacrifice everything for a sport that can cost well over £3,000 a year. It is an evening of excitement, tension and humour in which much is at stake, with moments of high drama for couples who, for a whole year, have dreamt about 'winning at Blackpool'.