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Post by lifeboat1721 on Feb 19, 2009 20:03:23 GMT
Why did lancaster Council stop Morecambe from putting up Illuminations  When I was a kid I could remember that the quickest way to get up the prom was by Walking as the prom was packed with cars. And we were the first ones to have Illuminations Not Blackpool. Ian |
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Post by accykeef on Feb 21, 2009 15:32:21 GMT
I remember walking up the prom to Happy Mount Park, marvelling at the lights as they curved round the bay into the distance. Once into the park, there were fabulous tableux to admire.
As for why it was stopped, it was almost certainly another cut back one year to save a bit of money on an over spent budget. I am sure that putting lights up is an expensive business and Blackpool have cornered the market.
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trevnhil
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Post by trevnhil on Feb 21, 2009 16:59:23 GMT
The earliest Morecambe illuminations that I can remember went from the Battery to Happymount park. I even think that there were strings of lights from the Battery along Sandylands Promenade and also along a few lamp posts past Happymount. The cut backs then started, by withdrawing the Sandylands 'string'. The next cut back I think was to just leave a single string from Broadway to Happymount park. I don't remember which year it was that they were scrapped completely, but I suppose one could look it up on the Internet. What I do remember is that traffic was queued back into Lancaster to come and see them. And one of the most spectacular displays was the multicolored Large waterfall down the front of the Clarendon Hotel. And what a thundering noise all the water made. It is a shame they have gone, but the cost could not be justified and the lights would not bring the extra tourists. Times are forever changing..... If you had told someone 50 years ago that there would be a phone without a wire connecting it to anything, they would have thought you crazy. And if you had told them that you could speak to someone in another country from the promenade. And what if you had tried telling them that you could take a picture with a phone. !   And what would your Great Grandparents have made of the 'Internet' The last 50 years have probably seen the quickest changes.... YET.. Trev.. |
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Post by lifeboat1721 on Feb 22, 2009 14:25:54 GMT
Times are forever changing..... If you had told someone 50 years ago that there would be a phone without a wire connecting it to anything, they would have thought you crazy. And if you had told them that you could speak to someone in another country from the promenade. And what if you had tried telling them that you could take a picture with a phone. ! Point taken trev, You would Probably have ended up an in patient at the Moor Hosp  |
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Post by WillowTheWhisp on Feb 22, 2009 17:32:59 GMT
It's a shame though that Blackpool has the monopoly on illuminations now. Morecambe doesn't even seem to have much at Christmas when a lot of other towns do.
I wonder how much Blackpool gets in donations from visitors to the illuminations.
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Post by accykeef on Feb 22, 2009 18:12:18 GMT
I thought you were in bonny Scotland  Probably not a lot, in the great scheme of things. I think that Blackpool look on it as a way to make money so they balance the rates (Council Tax) to take these costs into consideration. Most local authorities don't think the same way and the idea of 'speculate to accumulate' is beyond their comprehension. I am not sure what the Council tax level is in Blackpool but their leading lights seem to have much more of an idea about business than the tribe of cost cutters we have in Lancaster. I still say that Morecambe will do nothing until people can get here without being held up in ridiculous traffic jams. Morecambe FC are planning to build a conference centre in their new development at Westgate. Isn't it about time the planners got their heads out of the sand and built a route from the M6 and across the Lune into the west of Morecambe. As for those precious little newts which need saving, move the darned things to somewhere quiet, like the 'Lancaster Council Good Ideas Department'. Heysham Port is our 'get out of jail free card', if we develop that and the access to it then other service industries would spring up, new housing would be required, the building trade would be given a boost and the whole area would thrive. Sorry, I am getting a bit ahead of myself here as our local Council are a little pre-occupied - not with planning the future of the area but whether they could save a few quid by turfing over some flower beds. STOP PRESS - The flower beds are not being turfed over. and what are they planning to regenerate the area? well? |
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trevnhil
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Post by trevnhil on Feb 22, 2009 18:20:32 GMT
Hi Keith. I got a few laughs out of your last post. Mainly the last few paragraphs. ;D ;D
Cheers. Trev..
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Post by lifeboat1721 on Feb 22, 2009 19:07:30 GMT
I agree as well Keith, but I probably would not have used the word sand in your planners paragraph ;D ;D. Ian |
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Post by WillowTheWhisp on Feb 23, 2009 9:50:33 GMT
Maybe you would use 'grass' as they seem to be very interested in 'to turf or not to turf'.  Keith, not gone to Scotland yet - that's Easter I do agree that it would be more forward looking to be planning something to attract visitors and generate income rather than concentrating solely on cost cutting excercises which will deter people from coming. Another classic example of how Blackpool have got the right idea is the fireworks displays. Morecambe/Lancaster have fireworks displays which cost I know not how much and yes they were very pretty - BUT - Blackpool has a fireworks competition in which it invites the fireworks manufacturers to enter their most spectacular show and gets LOTS of firework displays, probably the best of all possible firework displays, and all it costs them is a prize for the winner??? A bit of thinking outside the box. |
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Post by accykeef on Feb 23, 2009 11:34:45 GMT
Perhaps on reflection, sand was a bad choice. That would suggest that the Council leaders went near the beach during their infrequent visits to Morecambe rather than being snug and warm in the Morecambe Town Hall boudoir.
Maybe we could encourage a grass mowing competition where mower manufacturers bring there mowers and perform stunts whilst cutting the grass for free. We could have an extra category, sand grass mowing where the Spartina grass is tackled using high powered beach buggies with sharp blades attached.
Now I am on a roll - forget the beach buggies - because if we used chariots and dressed everyone up as Romans, we could have a remake of Ben Hur staged on the beach. We could call it Ben Heysham and invite teams to take part. Now wait a minute - instead of teams, we could have council officials in the chariots. Forget party politics, it would be every man, woman or Evelyn for themselves. The winner would be someone who was strong, decisive and could lead the Council into new and better things.
It would also tie in very nicely with the annual cross bay camel race which could be entered by teams from around the world.
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trevnhil
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Post by trevnhil on Feb 23, 2009 16:29:50 GMT
Keith said.... " we could have council officials in the chariots. Forget party politics, it would be every man, woman or Evelyn for themselves. The winner would be someone who was strong, decisive and could lead the Council into new and better things.
;D ;D ;D ;D
Trev..
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Post by lifeboat1721 on Feb 23, 2009 17:13:54 GMT
Sounds like a film Chariots of Fire ;D ;D ;D
Ian
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I had been telling my hubby about the time I was in Morecombe when the Moby Dick and Hotel was hit by lightening and burnt down. My parents, sister and myself had just come off the Moby Dick when lightening stuck