Lancaster City Council is to celebrate 12 months of cycling on the Morecambe’s Promenade with a party on Sunday May 11. It was only one year ago that ancient byelaws banning cycling in the area were lifted.
The celebrations will run from 11 am to 3.30 pm and will include a cycle stunt show, cycling demonstrations, police postcoding, and children’s entertainment.
Hart’s Restaurant in Morecambe has reopened under new management as Ma Renooo’s. The famous restaurant closed in February last year after falling into financial difficulties. The new restaurant has a 50’s theme with staff wearing period uniforms.
Brit Award Winners The Fratellis have announce a UK tour that includes appearances at the Morecambe Dome on April 9 and Manchester Academy on April 16.
Morecambe FC has submitted plans for a new 7,000 capacity stadium. The complex, in the Westgate area of the town, will also include a training pitch, community sports areas, and a 40-room hotel.
A ferry struck by a freak wave in the Irish Sea has run aground off Blackpool. The Riverdance, a roll-on roll-off freight ferry operated by Seatruck Ferries, was sailing from Northern Ireland to Heysham, near Morecambe. Four passengers and nine crew members were rescued at 7.30 pm last night. The remaining nine crew members, who stayed with the ship to try and refloat her, were later airlifted to safety.
Morecambe will celebrate the run-up to Christmas with an open-air ice rink in the newly developed West End Gardens. It will be in operation from December 17 to 21. Use of the rink and hire of skates will be free of charge.
A Halloween Spooktacular will be held at Morecambe’s Happy Mount Park on October 27. The event, organised by Lancaster City Council, will feature a fancy dress competition, circus, live band, magician, and guided haunted walks. Tickets for the event can be purchased in advance from the Visitor Information Centre on Morecambe Promenade.
The sand banks at Morecambe Bay have reopened for fishing with new regulations. Fishing in the bay, where 21 Chinese cockle pickers lost their lives in 2004, is now overseen by the Gangmaster Licencing Authority (GLA), a new organisation established to ensure that workers in the bay’s shellfish industry are not exploited. All fishermen must now complete a safety course before they can acquire a permit to fish in Morecambe Bay. Those fishing without a licence will be subject to a fine of up to £5,000.
Morecambe is set to host its first ever sandcastle festival next month. The Morecambe Bay Sandcastle Festival will take place on Sunday 19 August on the beach just south of the Midland Hotel.
Lancaster City Council has recently imported thousands of tons of sand onto Morecambe’s beaches as part of a sea defence project.
There will be separate competitions for teams of adults and children, with a maximum of 4 members in each team. The winning adult team will win a cash prize of £100, while the victorious children’s team will receive gift vouchers.
For further details, an entry form and competition rules, contact Lancaster City Council on 01524 582872 or 582810.
Morecambe Football Club has unveiled plans for a new multi-million pound football stadium. Chairman Peter McGuigan announced that the club will submit a planning application to Lancaster City council in the next few months for a 6,000-seat stadium in the Westgate area of town. If successful, the club could move into its new home by the start of the 2009/10 season.
The scheme will also include a community area, hotel, and fast food franchises.
Mr McGuigan said, ‘The proposal will deliver a stadium worthy of a Football League side and will give an enormous boost to the club and people of Morecambe alike. The stadium will provide top class facilities for players, fans and sponsors and will be a historic development in the life of Morecambe Football Club.’
The club’s existing ground, Christie Park, will be sold to help fund the move.