Latest news with #EricMorecambe
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Beautiful seaside town named one of UK's cheapest coastal gems with £194k homes
A stunning seaside town that has turned its reputation around and is experiencing a 'second wind' of tourism has been crowned the cheapest coastal resort in England Moving to the coast doesn't have to cost a fortune, especially in this charming seaside town. Demand for coastal properties has spiked by a staggering 115 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels, with swathes of Brits ready to ditch the city for a more laid-back life filled with golden sands and fish and chips. However, the sudden demand combined with limited availability has led to house prices skyrocketing in certain areas. Take Sandbanks, for example - a stunning neighbourhood in Poole, Dorset with crystal-clear waters, golden beaches, that's become somewhat of an A-list magnet in recent years. Here, average house properties cost a whopping £965,708 - more than triple the national average. If the near-million price tag is slightly out of budget, don't worry - as the Co-Operative Bank has analysed recent data to find the most affordable UK coastal towns for both buying and renting. In England, Morecambe came out top, with average house prices at just £194,295. "This Lancashire gem captures the essence of the English seaside, offering panoramic views over the seafront – as well as some of the most affordable house prices in the country," the bank said. "The average house price here is actually lower than in Oban at £194,295, working out as 7.44 times the average annual income. "However, rent prices in Morecambe are slightly higher, at an average of £821 per month. That's 37.7 per cent of the average monthly income." Top 20 seaside locations in UK - full list Oban Morecambe Blackpool Troon Filey Scarborough Whitby Southport Sunbar Swansea Portsmouth Torquay Eastbourne Weymouth Hastings Ramsgate Deal Aberystwyth Margate Newquay Boasting five miles of soft golden sand and an award-winning seafront promenade that looks out onto the stunning Lakeland Fells, Morecambe was once branded one of the worst seaside towns in the country. Now, it hopes to take on the hyped-up coastal resorts of Cornwall and bring its glory days back. "Morecambe offers you the chance to enjoy the many pleasures of the seaside, whether it's flying kites, building sandcastles or enjoying the views across the bay," Hails Visit Lancashire. "Stroll along Morecambe's promenade with an ice cream or have fun seeing it on two wheels, before grabbing a picnic and heading on down to the beach for a spot of sandcastle making or kite flying." Must-see attractions include the TERN project, which features a series of sculptures situated along Morecambe's seafront - from steel cormorants, gannets and razorbills to the statue of Eric Morecambe, which was unveiled by the late Queen in 1999. The Art Deco Midland Hotel has also undergone restoration in recent years - making it one of the town's most impressive structures. Featuring four modern 30s-inspired rooms, six rooftop suites, a top-notch restaurant and ultra-stylish bar, Midland is a great base for exploring Morecambe, or for splurging out on a fancy afternoon tea while soaking in the views. Prices start from £145 per night.
Spectator
23-07-2025
- General
- Spectator
Bring back the milkman!
Even if you couldn't care a fig for sustainability, it's hard not to be impressed with the Nostradamus-esque foresight of the milk float. In an era when Old King Coal ruled the roost and recycling meant pedalling backwards on your Raleigh Grifter, the pre-dawn hour across the UK was the stage for a phalanx of electric vehicles trundling along our streets and lanes delivering our order of gold or silver top in reusable, pint-sized bottles. The decline of the milkman in percentage figures would cause palpitations to the most hardened of economic wonks. In the 1970s, 94 per cent of Britons had their milk delivered to their doorstep via an electric float – while in 2016 just 3 per cent of milk was delivered by milkmen, according to Defra. What happened? Well, of course, supermarkets happened, selling slightly cheaper milk which could be stored in ever-larger domestic fridges. Add in the introduction of long-life milk and UHT milk, and the milkman (I refuse to modernise this to milk-person or dairy udder-ling) became an endangered species. The UK is not, contrary to popular perception, the only country in the world to have milkmen. In the Philippines they're called lecheros and in rural India you might get your milk delivered still in its churn. But we're the only country who ever offered such coast to coast coverage of a morning. And am I the only person who feels we've lost something when there is a whole generation who have never depressed the foil on a pint of gold top and realised that they can't actually pour the milk, so solid is the layer of Jersey cream at the top of the bottle? Cholesterol-saturated bliss – and my goodness it tasted good on cornflakes. Yet unlike slam-door train carriages and Eric Morecambe, this is a form of nostalgia that could actually be revived right now if we fancy it. The milkman still exists, albeit in truncated form. And in a world where we are getting everything from sushi to second-hand clothes delivered to our homes, it's odd that the original, straight-to-your-door pioneers haven't managed to harness our recent reluctance (going strong since March 2020 for many people) to leave the house for anything other than a doctor's appointment. I should state here that I have absolutely no affiliation with a dairy of any kind and the closest I've come to promoting the milkman is lending my mate Simon a fiver until payday when he worked a float as a teenager in the 1990s in Chester. But consider the advantages. Comparing one of the remaining milk delivery services (Milk and More is one of the most popular, in case you're wondering) with the average supermarket shows that a pint of milk delivered to your door costs about 40p more than trekking down to the shop. That's a pretty tiny delivery charge compared with Just Eat or Amazon. Not only that, but to get your supermarket milk at that price per pint, you'd have to buy at least a litre – an amount you might not necessarily want to consume straight away, or have space in your freezer for. A glass bottle of milk in the door of your fridge is also aesthetically pleasing; it looks as comfortable and natural (even in a modern fridge) as a knob of melting butter on a jacket potato or Christopher Lee in a tweed jacket in The Wicker Man. And finally, while nobody was watching, dairies have seriously upped their game in terms of what else you can have delivered along with your pint of silver top. When I was a teenager, there was the option of eggs or very poor quality orange juice. Now, you can order pizza, pastries, plant seeds, biscuits and vegetable boxes. Patriotism is rarely a match for harsh economic truths in Britain. And the demise of the milkman can be put down to the perception that it's 'cheaper in Sainsbury's'. Yet any potential milkman revival doesn't have to be the exclusive domain of rosy-spectacle donning hipsters who admire the sustainable aesthetic. To use your milkman (if you can find one) is to do something that, in a picayune yet vital way, brings communities back together. Macabre as this is, there was a time when a pile-up of bottles outside someone's door was an instant signal to neighbours that all was not well. And while the clanging of bottles at dawn may not be the wake-up call you most desire, it's preferable to the bilious sound of delivery motorbikes and people who think it's acceptable to turn their car radio on at full volume at 6 a.m. before actually closing the door. The milk industry has, to be frank, completely failed to raise public awareness as to their natural fit into our dubious new world of ubiquitous home delivery. So I'm going to do it for them. Putting gold top on your cornflakes may be ruinous to your arteries. But the milkman deserves a revival all the same, even though I never did get that loaned 'until payday' fiver back. Simon, if you're reading this, time to cough up mate. And I'll have six eggs and a veg box while you're at it.
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Iconic' Eric Morecambe item showcased at theatre's 50-year celebrations
A blazer worn by Eric Morecambe during his final performance has been loaned to a theatre as part of its 50th anniversary comedian suffered a fatal heart attack in Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury following a charity gala that saw him perform six curtain "iconic" clothing was discovered after the Gloucestershire theatre invited the public to share memories and mementoes for an exhibition this Brewster, theatre director, said: "What we're putting together is a picture of how crucial a theatre is to its community. We've been amazed at what we've found." Eric Morecambe fan, Simon Carnall, who bought the jacket at auction, said he was thrilled to loan the blazer to the theatre for the occasion."I remember the moment when Eric's death was announced on TV so well," said Mr Carnall. "Pictures of Eric wearing his blazer on stage that night are iconic to me," he added."I later purchased the blazer at the very auction where Robbie Williams purchases Eric's glasses for £20,000. "Straight away my thought was to take it back to the Roses stage to say a final goodbye in its 50th year." The exhibition will run for one week in November and will feature dozens of mementoes donated to the theatre for its 50 Years of Stage and Stories event."We've had so many people get in touch to build a picture of the theatre's history," said Ms Brewster."From the lighting technician tasked with following Prince Anne around the stage [during the theatre's opening] back in 1975, to married couples who met in our café and people who saw their very favourite film with their grandmother here as a child," she public has until July 31 to submit items for the exhibition.
BBC News
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Muhammad Ali sketch by Eric Morecambe up for auction
A sketch of boxer Muhammad Ali, drawn by the comedian Eric Morecambe in 1978, is to be drawing was originally included in an exhibition at the Embankment Gallery in London, titled Brush With the Famous, which took place on 31 October Auctioneers said the late Hertfordshire comedian's sketch was "rendered in bold strokes and full of personality, [capturing] the charisma and presence of one of the greatest sportsmen of the 20th Century".It is expected to fetch between £1,000 and £2,000 when it goes under the hammer in July. Hansons was also chosen to auction belongings from Morecambe's Harpenden home earlier this year after his widow, Joan, died aged 97, in March about the Ali sketch, they said it united "two cultural giants in one extraordinary piece of art"."This is a breathtaking sketch - a remarkable meeting of minds, and heavyweights, in their respective worlds," said Charles Hanson, owner of the company."Muhammad Ali's legacy as a sportsman, humanitarian and icon needs no introduction. But what makes this piece so special is that it was drawn by Eric Morecambe – a national treasure in his own right."This is more than just a piece of memorabilia. "It's a fascinating crossover between sport, comedy, and art - a cultural snapshot of the 1970s, and a testament to two men who were, and remain, household names," he added. The sketch comes with its original Embankment Gallery label, confirming its inclusion in the 1978 exhibition which the auction house said added "a valuable layer of provenance to an already important piece".They said the artwork was likely to attract attention from fans of both Morecambe and four-day antiques and collectors auction takes place at the company's Derbyshire showroom from 17 to 22 July. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Eric Morcambe: Display gives 'glimpse behind the glasses' of comedian
An exhibition of letters that "give a glimpse behind the glasses" of comedian Eric Morecambe has gone on display in his home Library is showcasing the letters, bought by Manchester historian David Harrop earlier this the correspondence are letters between Morecambe, who died in 1984, and the football pundit Jimmy Hill, actor Sir John Mills and comedy writer Barry whose real name was Eric Bartholomew, was one half of the legendary comic double act Morecambe & Wise with his partner Ernie Wise. A record 28m viewers watched their 1977 Christmas show on BBC Till, library manager, told BBC Radio Lancashire: "There is absolutely all sorts here – they give a glimpse behind the glasses."The exhibits include an invite from Cryer to attend a comedy auction and another from actor Sir John Mills inviting him to join a select private members' of the letters is from Morecambe's mother Sadie congratulating his fiancé and later wife Joan on their engagement."He was a legend everybody loved him," said Mr Till."In Morecambe today no matter how old you are everyone's heard of Eric – even the school children who come to visit the library," he added. Mr Harrop, who runs the Manchester Postal Museum which is based in Southern Cemetery in Chorlton, said he was pleased to loan the letters to the library."When they came up for auction it was a chance too good to miss," he exhibition, which includes other memorabilia, ends in September. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
