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" Morecambe to Arnside "

Date & start time: Thursday 16th June 2011, 10.30 am start.

Location of Start : Morecambe Bay, Lancashire, Uk ( SD 434 645 )

Places visited : Morecambe, Carnforth, Silverdale, and lunch at Arnside.

Walk details : Short strolls along the seafront at Morecambe and Silverdale.

Walked with : Ann and the dogs, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Beautiful sunshine and a slight breeze.

 

" Morecambe to Arnside " at EveryTrail
 

[ Alter the settings to zoom or change the Map, use Everytrail to download the Gps route ]

 

A trip to Lancaster allows us a leisurely drive back up the coast to Arnside,

including a long awaited visit to Morecambe which has been revitalised with many beautiful artwork features.

We're into Dave Brown country today and find ourselves on Morecambe seafront where we take a short walk along the promenade

and enjoy the many new artistic features that have been added to this traditional holiday town.

The Midland Hotel, which sits at a very prominent position in the front of town, has had a complete make-over recently

and forms the centre point of the new seafront development.

The tall structure is the old 'Polo Tower' . . . all that remains of the original structures of the Morecambe fairground site.

Flocks of Golden Plovers adorn the fences around the seafront park.
Curlews strutting their stuff.

Cormorants fly across the Midland Hotel.

More sculptures on the rocks . . .
. . . and on the buildings at the Stone Jetty.

High tide at Morecambe as we walk along the promenade.

The fibreglass boat in the bay is a replica of the old Morecambe Fisherman's lifeboat " The William Priestley"

A two dimensional view of the distant Cumbrian Fells.

The sculpture owes more to artistic licence than actual reality as I could not match anything with the distant horizon.

Time . . . for a snack . . . but not for us today.
I seem to recognise that chap up there .....
   

John Eric Bartholomew OBE (14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984)

better known to millions under the name of Eric Morecambe

is commemorated here in a wonderful bronze sculpture on the seafront of this holiday-resort town

from which he took his iconic stage name.

The promenade around the statue is covered with quotes from the Morecambe and Wise Show . . .

" What do you think of the show so far . . . Ruggish !"

The pavement stars are adorned with one-liners and the names of celebrities who appeared on the Morecambe and Wise show over the years.

His partner, Ernie Wise retired from show business in 1995 and sadly died, aged 74, just four years later.

You've just got to do it !!
The most photographed resident of Morecambe . . . and Ann
I take my turn to admire the statue close up.

[ Hold your cursor over the picture of me to join in the spirit of the place.]

The granite steps in front of the statue are engraved with the words of Eric and Ernie's theme tune

Join in if you remember the tune . . .

" Bring me Sunshine, in your smile, Bring me Laughter, all the while,
In this world where we live, there should be more happiness,
So much joy you can give, to each brand new bright tomorrow,

Make me happy, through the years, Never bring me, any tears,
Let your arms be as warm as the sun from up above,
Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love. "

[Words Words - Sylvia Dee, Music - Arthur Kent ]

I challenge anyone not to feel happier after a visit to this memorial to one of TV's most iconic stars.

- - - o o o - - -

Leaving the seafront we travelled a short distance north to Scalestones Point where we stopped once again.

“Venus and Cupid” sculpture of a woman swinging her baby . . . Artist Shane Johnstone.

Looking back at the town seafront from the 'Mother and Child' statue.

After driving up through Carnforth we took the coast road to Arnside

and recognised this view of Jenny Brown's Point from pictures posted by Dave and Edith

Silverdale seafront has a good little car park . . . but take care, it floods at high spring tides.

We get out to stretch our legs.

This is Ann and Harry with Grange over Sands in the background.

A view back to the headland and in the distance are the buildings of the Heysham Power Station.

We were blessed with lovely sunshine and a high tide which showed the area off to its best.

Houses at the back of the bay have a wonderful view today.

Areas of peaty clay on the shoreline reminded me of the Bristol Channel coast.

Harry looks out to the distant Arnside Knott, further up the coast.

A short drive inland brought us round to the town of Arnside

which looks out on the River Kent as it enters the sea at the top end of Morecambe Bay.

Lunch seemed a good idea and "The Albion" seemed like as good a place as any to enjoy it.

Soup and a rather nice sandwich . . . washed down with a rather fine local ale.

( sorry about the funny face but if I smiled the beer would dribble out and make me look even sillier !)

Our lunchtime view up river was of the Kent Railway Viaduct with Whitbarrow Scar behind.

The small stone jetty that the fisherman stands on

also featured in the first photo I took as we entered the town.

 

It was built by the original railway company

as the viaduct effectively blocked the passage of larger boats

that used to travel up river to the old port of Milnthorpe.

 

Nowadays the river channels are so silted up

I doubt if you could get a boat of any reasonable draft up into

Milnthorpe or even into the entrance of the River Bela itself.

There are no trains crossing the viaduct at present because it is undergoing major reconstruction.

A delightful lunchtime was enhanced further by watching the maintenance gangs transporting bridge sections out on bogies

to be lifted off by the red gantry cranes and placed carefully in place across the pillars.

Another (white) section is held in the air as the transporter bogie and crane are moved away.

It was dropped into place a short time later.

British Rail are offering a replacement bus service for a short while.

The tide has turned and waits for no man as they say . . . and it was time for us to be off too.

We had plans for a short walk down here in limestone country before we return home.

We'll tell you all about it in our next report.

- - - o o o - - -

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Canon 75 or my Canon G10 digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . sunshine and sea.

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Previous walk - 11th June 2011 Coniston Challenge ~ Carron Crag

A previous time up here - Nothing on line as this was all new territory for us.

Next walk - 16th June 2011 (pm) A Limestone Walk on Scout Scar