Morecambe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Morecambe
Town
Morecambe seafront in January 2024
Morecambe
Population	34,768 (2011)
OS grid reference	SD425634
Civil parish	Morecambe
District	City of Lancaster
Shire county	Lancashire
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	MORECAMBE
Postcode district	LA3, LA4
Dialling code	01524
Police	Lancashire
Fire	Lancashire
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Morecambe and Lunesdale
List of places UK England Lancashire 54°04′23″N 2°52′12″W / 54.073°N 2.870°W / 54.073; -2.870

Morecambe (pronounced MOR-kəm) is a fun seaside town in Lancashire, England. It sits on Morecambe Bay, which is part of the Irish Sea. In 2011, about 34,768 people lived here.

What's in a Name? The Story of Morecambe

The name "Morecambe" was first used by a historian named John Whitaker in 1771. He wrote about the "æstury of Moricambe." An estuary is where a river meets the sea.

The name comes from the Roman name Moriancabris Æsturis. This name was on old maps made by Ptolemy, a Greek mapmaker. The Latin name describes a curved sea with many river mouths, which fits Morecambe Bay well.

The name "Morecambe" started to be used more often. In 1862, a train engine was even named "Morecambe." This shows the name was becoming popular for the area.

In 1889, Morecambe officially became a town. It brought together smaller villages like Poulton, Bare, and Torrisholme. Before this, Poulton was sometimes called "Poulton-le-Sands" to tell it apart from other places with the same name.

Later, in 1928, Morecambe joined with Heysham to form the Municipal Borough of Morecambe and Heysham.

Morecambe's Past: A Look at History

In 1846, a company built a harbour and a railway near the fishing village of Poulton-le-Sands. By 1850, the railway connected to towns like Skipton and Bradford. A new settlement grew around the harbour and railway. It became a busy port and a popular seaside resort. This new town was called "Morecambe."

Morecambe was a very popular holiday spot in the middle of the 20th century. It even had the biggest Pontins holiday camp in the country, though it closed in 1993. Many visitors came from Yorkshire and Scotland. People from Bradford loved Morecambe so much that the town was nicknamed "Bradford on Sea." From 1956 to 1989, Morecambe also hosted the Miss Great Britain beauty contest.

However, Morecambe's tourism declined over time. Two of its piers were lost. The West End Pier was damaged in a storm in 1977. The Central Pier was removed in 1992 after being damaged by fire. In 1994, a theme park called The World of Crinkley Bottom closed very quickly, causing financial problems for the local council. Other attractions like the Bubbles swimming pool and the Frontierland fairground also closed.

Despite these challenges, Morecambe has seen new developments. In 2002, the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) chose Morecambe for its first active life-saving hovercraft. A special building for it opened in 2010.

In 2004, a very sad event happened in Morecambe Bay. Many Chinese shellfish gatherers lost their lives when they were caught by the fast-moving tide.

How Morecambe is Governed

Morecambe Town Hall, completed in 1932

Morecambe is part of the Morecambe and Lunesdale area for the UK Parliament. The local Member of Parliament (MP) is Lizzi Collinge.

The town has three levels of local government that help run things:

• Morecambe Town Council
• Lancaster City Council (for the wider district)
• Lancashire County Council (for the whole county)

Morecambe's Economy and Tourism

Morecambe Promenade

Morecambe has a main shopping area with two markets: the Festival Market and the Morecambe Sunday Market. There's also a cinema complex.

Tourism in Morecambe

Morecambe Sands in summer

Local tourism groups work together to promote Morecambe. Recently, the town has become a great place for bird watchers. The Tern Project has improved the town's connection to the natural beauty of Morecambe Bay and its amazing wildlife.

Eden Project Morecambe

A big new project called Eden Project Morecambe is planned for the seafront. It will have special buildings shaped like mussels and will focus on the marine environment. This exciting project is expected to cost £80 million and will be a partnership between many organizations, including Lancaster University.

Learning in Morecambe: Education

Morecambe has several schools and colleges. These include Morecambe Bay Academy, Bay Leadership Academy, Morecambe Road School, and Lancaster and Morecambe College.

Morecambe's Culture and Arts

Music and Performing Arts

Morecambe has two main places for live music: The Platform and More Music. The Platform used to be an old railway station and now also has the Tourist Information Centre. Many local bands play in the town's pubs and music venues.

More Music is a community music group based at The Hothouse, which also hosts live concerts.

Morecambe and Alan Bennett

The famous Yorkshire playwright and author Alan Bennett has a special connection to Morecambe. He often mentions the town in his plays and writings. One of his TV plays, Sunset Across the Bay (1975), is about a couple who move to Morecambe for retirement. He based this play on his own childhood holidays in Morecambe.

Bennett also wrote about the Morecambe-born actress Thora Hird, praising her work.

Art in Morecambe

Morecambe was the birthplace of the artist William Woodhouse (1857–1939). He lived his whole life in the town.

Youth and Community

Stanley's Youth and Community Centre on Stanley Road offers activities for young people aged 8–18, like playing music and cooking. It's also a place to meet friends.

The Exchange, started in 2015, is a community arts group. It offers free creative workshops to local people, promoting art for well-being. It also sells art by local artists.

Local Food

A famous local food is Morecambe Bay potted shrimps. They are a delicious local specialty.

Famous Places and Landmarks

Eric Morecambe statue

One of Morecambe's most famous landmarks is a statue of the comedian Eric Morecambe. He took his stage name from the town. The statue was made by sculptor Graham Ibbeson.

Another important building is the Morecambe Winter Gardens, which is being restored. It used to be a swimming pool, a grand theatre, a restaurant, and a ballroom.

Morecambe's current library opened in 1967. It has a unique design with hexagon shapes and a special roof.

Morecambe used to have two fairgrounds, but they are now closed. The last remaining part of one, the Polo Tower, was taken down in 2017.

Near the promenade is the Morecambe and Heysham War Memorial. It remembers the local people who died in the two world wars and the Korean War.

In 2019, a special Time and Tide Bell was placed by the Stone Jetty. It's part of a national art project.

Midland Hotel

Midland Hotel in 2008 after restoration

The Midland Hotel is a beautiful art deco hotel right on the seafront. It has special designs and art by Eric Gill. In 2009, it was fully restored and reopened.

Sports in Morecambe

Football

Morecambe football fans at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

Morecambe F.C. (also known as 'the Shrimps') is the town's main football club. In 2007, they were promoted to the Football League for the first time. In 2021, they won a play-off final at Wembley and were promoted to League One, which was a big achievement!

The team moved to a new stadium called the Globe Arena in 2010.

Rugby League

Morecambe also has a rugby league team called Heysham Atoms. They play from the Trimpell Sports and Social Club.

Boxing

World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Tyson Fury lives in Morecambe. He has his own gym in town and is often seen around. He likes living there because local people treat him like anyone else. Another boxer from Morecambe is Isaac Lowe, who is a Commonwealth Featherweight Champion.

Running

Every Saturday morning, a 5 km running event called parkrun takes place on the Promenade. It started in April 2019.

Getting Around Morecambe: Transport

Destinations from Morecambe

	Morecambe Bay, Grange-over-Sands	Hest Bank, Carnforth, Kendal	Bolton-le-Sands, Nether Kellet
	Morecambe Bay, Barrow-in-Furness		Halton
		Morecambe
	Heysham	Middleton, Overton, Sunderland	Lancaster, Forest of Bowland

Trains

Morecambe station has regular train services to Lancaster. Some trains go directly to Preston and Leeds. You can also take a train to Heysham to catch a ferry to the Isle of Man. There's another station at Bare Lane.

The current Morecambe station opened in 1994. It replaced an older station called Morecambe Promenade.

Buses

Bus services in Morecambe are run by Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire and other local companies. You can take buses to places like Windermere, Kendal, Lancaster University, and Blackpool. Many buses are easy to access for wheelchairs and prams.

Famous People from Morecambe

Many notable people have connections to Morecambe:

• Emma Atkins - an actress.
• Dave Chisnall - a professional darts player who lives in Morecambe.
• Tyson Fury - a World Heavyweight Boxing Champion who lives in Morecambe.
• Wayne Hemingway - a designer and DJ.
• Dame Thora Hird - a famous actress.
• Isaac Lowe - a Commonwealth boxing champion.
• John McGuinness - a motorcycle racer.
• Eric Morecambe - the famous comedian who took his stage name from the town.
• Radford family - the UK's largest family, who live in Morecambe.
• Peter J. Ratcliffe - a Nobel Prize-winning biologist.

Morecambe's Weather: Climate

See also

In Spanish: Morecambe para niños