Morecambe
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Morecambe is a resort town in the Lancaster district of Lancashire, England. As of 2003 it has a resident population of about 45,000. It faces into Morecambe Bay.
In 1889 the small towns of Bare, Poulton-le-Sands and Torrisholme collectively became known as Morecambe, and those areas of Morecambe are still known by their original names.
Morecambe has had a proud history as a thriving seaside resort in the mid-twentieth century. Between 1956 and 1989 it was the home of the Miss Great Britain beauty contest.
However, Morecambe has suffered a sad decline in recent years. In 1994, The World of Crinkley Bottom attraction in Happy Mount Park closed only 13 weeks after its opening. The ensuing 'Blobbygate' scandal led to a legal battle between Lancaster City Council and TV star Noel Edmonds. The closures of Bubbles, Morecambe's indoor waterworld, and Frontierland, its Pleasure Beach, soon followed. The resort gained the dubious distinction of being placed third in the October 2003 book Crap Towns: The 50 Worst Places to Live in the UK.
Morecambe is home to the Midland hotel, an important art deco luxury hotel which still contains pieces by luminaries such as Eric Gill. It is currently undergoing a £7m restoration, headed by Manchester company Urban Splash. The company intends to restore the hotel to its former glory and open it for business in 2006.
Morecambe railway station, which serves the town is the terminus of the Morecambe Branch Line from Lancaster. Occasional trains reverse at Morecambe, continuing to Heysham, where they connect with the ferry service to the Isle of Man. There is another station at Bare Lane, serving the suburb of Bare. Serves are operated by Northern Rail.
Recent tourism initiatives have made Morecambe a centre for bird watchers and those paying homage to its famous statue.
The town is in the Morecambe and Lunesdale parliamentary constituency.
See also:
Geography
External links
- The Midland hotel (http://www.midlandhotel.org/)
- The Winter Gardens (http://www.thewintergardensmorecambe.co.uk/)
- Memories of Miss Great Britain (http://www.mac.ndo.co.uk/morecambe.htm)
- Tourist information (http://www.visitmorecambe.co.uk/)
- The town's football side (http://www.morecambefc.com/)
- Local Newspaper (http://www.morecambetoday.co.uk/)