The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.

On Marine Road there is what appears to be a giant tube of polo mints; it looks to be a part of a derelict candy land when in fact it actually isn’t. The giant tube of polo mints was part of a fairground. It’s now the only remnant of the fairground; it too will be eventually demolished as part of the redevelopment of Morecambe. There is only one reason the tower still exists and hasn’t been torn down and that is because on top of the tower is a telephone mask which means that the tower can’t be torn down until at least 2013 when the contract runs out.

The multi-million face lift of Morecambe is an attempt to restore the resorts dying charm, as over the years the resort has gone from holiday hot spot to reaching the number three spot in a list of ‘Crap Towns’ in 2003. Most of the money has been spent on suitable redevelopments such as the eleven million pounds spent on the Midland Hotel the town’s iconic art deco hotel. However some of redevelopment projects have been less successful and are the bane of the residents such as multimillion pound spenditure on the importation of sand which now covers most of the promenade and the nearby grass. Though it will take more than a nip and tuck to solve the issues with the resort, much of the money is being spent refurbishing some of the dilapidated old building such as the Winter Gardens which despite all the money raised is still in need of reconstructive surgery to bring it up to form.
This isn’t the first attempt to update the town or to make it appeal to a more youthful demographic. On the seafront there used to be a swimming pool which attracted many of the residents and The Morecambe Dome which hosted many an event and even attracted bands such as the Artic Monkeys. Both now have been torn down nothing in their place, just tarmac and the occasional travelling fairground.

Morecambe could reach the level it once was but given the financial state the town is now in it may take another generation or two to become the resort it once was. Given how Morecambe is dependent on Lancaster to help them out when they get into financial issues, it may be best just to focus on to the natural beauty of the area instead of trying to revive the dying town.