We live in the UK’s worst seaside town where TV show is filmed – there’s a sinister side but critics have it all wrong
RESIDENTS who live in a seaside town which was named one of the worst in the UK say while there is a dark side, critics have got it all wrong.
Morecambe, Lancashire, has been in decline for decades as it suffered from the closure of the Super Swimming Stadium in 1975, the growth of cheap holidays abroad and places like Blackpool and Southport giving the town a run for its money.
It was even named as one of the worst seaside towns in the UK in a Which? survey which asked 3,000 visitors to rate the beaches, attractions, scenery and value for money for more than 100 UK seaside towns and villages.
However, the outlook for the town isn’t all bleak and it now seems to be fighting its way back with hopes it can eventually rival tourist hotspots such as places in Cornwall.
It’s prominence, in part, has been helped by being the setting for ITV’s gritty crime drama The Bay.
The town has seen an influx of tourists keen to enjoy the stunning scenery of Morecambe Bay thanks to the hit TV show.
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Hopes for the town’s revival are also being pinned on the construction of the Eden Project North.
The conservation complex, costing £50million, will be located near the Midland Hotel and Winter Gardens and resemble the famous dome buildings at the original Eden Project in Cornwall.
Ray, who runs Edmonson’s Fresh Fish, and has lived in the town for 74 years, says the development with be “good for the local community”.
Just down the road is the family-run ice-cream parlour Brucciani’s which has served the likes of Winston Churchill’s daughter, Bob Hope and King Charles III over the years.
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The store is just a stone’s throw from the town’s historic Winter Gardens which reopened in 2022 after being closed for 40 years.
In its 125-year history the Grade II-listed building has seen the likes of the Who, the Rolling Stones and Vera Lynn grace its stage.
Paulo Brucciani, who currently runs the ice-cream parlour, believes the town has had a “turnaround” in recent years, in part due to the introduction of festivals which have brought live music to the town.
We feel that Morecambe has a second wind. We may not be a destination stay, but day-trippers come here now
Paulo Brucciani
He said that Eden would be the “icing on the cake” for the town.
Paulo said: "We feel that Morecambe has a second wind. We may not be a destination stay, but day-trippers come here now. We're not Blackpool.
"By that, I mean it's not all fun fairs and kiss-me-quick hats and slot machines. I like to think of it as a bit more sophisticated."
While Morecambe might be on the rise, it still has some way to go.
Drugs have been running rife in the town.
Wraps of heroin are sold for just £10, with ketamine, crack cocaine and cannabis sold from the rundown streets of the town’s West End, according to one former addict The Sun spoke to during a visit in March.
DRUGS 'EVERYWHERE'
Cleaner Jennifer Allan, who is not the former drug addict, 64, previously said: “Drugs are everywhere here. You see people wander around out of it all the time.
“But it’s like a lot of seaside towns.”
One mum-of-two said at the time: “My daughter got caught up in it all and took a lot of ketamine.
“You see drug deals taking place in the street.
“And there is a lot of homeless people and drunks around in the rundown areas.
“You get quite a few robberies too.”
Bernie, who has worked at Atkinson’s Fish & Chips for 20 years, loves the town’s relaxed, friendly atmosphere and “wouldn’t live anywhere else”
The 50-year-old admitted the promenade was a bit “run down” when she was growing up but still has fond memories of spending time at the funfair on a Friday night.
She, too, is also hopeful the Eden Project will revitalise the town and put it “back on the map”.
'ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS'
The local authority has also made efforts to clean up the seafront and beach, which now Bernie says is “absolutely gorgeous”.
Sea defences were built in 2018 and dogs are now banned from two bathing beaches with Defra rating the waters as “good” last year.
Reports say there are plans in place to improve the score to “excellent”.
Transport has also been improved with the addition of the Bay Gateway, which links Heysham to the M6, creating a direct route for tourists to visit Morecambe, without having to go through Lancaster.
Keen bird-watcher Tony Vettese, who owns The Old Pier Bookshop, says the town has been gaining more visitors in recent years.
He told : "In the last 15 years, Morecambe has been getting busier year on year. My business has improved, and I know other people's businesses have as well."
Tony is also hopeful the new Eden Project will have a positive impact on the town.
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He added: "We've been waiting for this a long time. [...] It will change Morecambe completely. Not just a seasonal town but twelve months a year."
Eden Project North is due to open partially in late 2025.
