Eric Morecambe
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Eric Morecambe
OR:
Eric Morecambe on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

John Eric Bartholomew, (14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984), known by his
stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with
Ernie Wise Ernest Wiseman, (27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known by his stage name Ernie Wise, was an English comedian, best known as one half of the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, who became a national institution on British television, especially ...
formed the
double act A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases f ...
Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman, 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an English comic double act, working i ...
. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984. Morecambe took his stage name from his home town, the
seaside resort A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the Germ ...
of
Morecambe Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea. Name The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), w ...
in Lancashire. He was the co-star of the
BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
's television series ''The Morecambe & Wise Show'', which for the 1977 Christmas episode gained UK viewing figures of over 28 million people. One of the most prominent comedians in
British popular culture British culture is influenced by the combined nations' history; its historically Christian religious life, its interaction with the cultures of Europe, the traditions of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland and the impact of the British Empir ...
, in 2002 he was named one of the 100 Greatest Britons in a BBC poll.


Early life and childhood career

Eric Morecambe was born at 12.30pm on 14 May 1926 at 42 Buxton Street, Morecambe, Lancashire to George and Sarah Elizabeth "Sadie" (née Robinson) Bartholomew. He was christened on 6 June as John Eric Bartholomew. Sadie took work as a waitress to raise funds for his dancing lessons. During this period, Eric Bartholomew won numerous talent contests, including one in
Hoylake Hoylake is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is at the north west of the Wirral Peninsula, near West Kirby and where the River Dee meets the Irish Sea. Historically part of Cheshire, the Domesday ...
in 1940 for which the prize was an audition in Manchester for
Jack Hylton Jack Hylton (born John Greenhalgh Hilton; 2 July 1892 – 29 January 1965) was an English pianist, composer, band leader and impresario. Hylton rose to prominence during the British dance band era, being referred as the "British King of Jazz" ...
. Three months after the audition, Hylton invited Morecambe to join a revue called ''Youth Takes a Bow'' at the
Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
Empire, where he met Ernest Wiseman, who had been appearing in the show for some years as "Ernest Wise". The two soon became very close friends, and with Sadie's encouragement started to develop a
double act A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases f ...
. When the two were eventually allowed to perform their double act on stage (in addition to their solo spots), Hylton was impressed enough to make it a regular feature in the revue. However, the duo were separated when they came of age for their War Service during the final stages of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Wise joined the Merchant Navy, while Morecambe was conscripted to become a
Bevin Boy Bevin Boys were young British men conscripted to work in coal mines between December 1943 and March 1948, to increase the rate of coal production, which had declined through the early years of World War II. The programme was named after Ern ...
and worked as a coal miner in Accrington from May 1944 onwards.


Career


Morecambe and Wise

After the war, Morecambe and Wise began performing on stage and radio and secured a contract with the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
to make a television show, where they started the short-lived show '' Running Wild'' in 1954. They returned to the stage to hone their act, and later made appearances on ''
Sunday Night at the London Palladium ''Tonight at the London Palladium'' is a British television variety show that is hosted from the London Palladium theatre in the West End. Originally produced by ATV for the ITV network from 1955 to 1969, it went by its original name ''Sunday ...
'' and '' Double Six''.


''Two of a Kind'': 1961–1968

In 1961,
Lew Grade Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production began in 1954 ...
offered the duo a series for the London-based
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
station ATV. Entitled '' Two of a Kind'', it was written by
Dick Hills and Sid Green Richard Michael Hills (17 January 1926 – 6 June 1996) and Sidney Green (24 January 1928 – 15 March 1999),Denis Giffor ''The Independent'', 17 March 1999 informally known as Sid Green and Dick Hills, were a British partnership of television com ...
. An
Equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership * Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the dif ...
strike halted that show, but Morecambe and Wise were members of the Variety Artists' Federation, then a separate trade union unaffiliated with Equity. Green and Hills later appeared in the series as "Sid" and "Dick". The sixth Morecambe and Wise series for ATV was planned from the start to be aired in the United Kingdom as well as exported to the United States and Canada. It was taped in colour and starred international guests, often American. Prior to its British run, it was broadcast in North America by the ABC network as a summer replacement for re-runs of ''
The Hollywood Palace ''The Hollywood Palace'' was an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly Saturday nights (except September 1967 to January 1968, when it was seen Monday nights) on ABC from January 4, 1964, to February 7, 1970. Titl ...
'', under the title ''The Piccadilly Palace'', from 20 May to 9 September 1967. All but two episodes of this series are now believed to be lost, with the surviving two episodes existing only as black-and-white copies, bearing the UK titles. The duo had appeared in the US on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...
''. In 1968, Morecambe and Wise left ATV to return to the BBC.


With the BBC: 1968–1978

While Morecambe was recuperating from a heart attack, Hills and Green, who believed that Morecambe would probably never work again, quit as writers. Morecambe and Wise were in
Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
at the time and learned of their writers' departure only from the steward on the plane.
John Ammonds John Ammonds, (21 May 1924 – 13 February 2013)Graham McCanObituary: John Ammonds ''The Guardian'', 15 February 2013.Retrieved 16 February 2013. was a British television producer of light entertainment programmes. Ammonds was born in Kenning ...
, the show's producer, replaced Hills and Green with
Eddie Braben Edwin Charles Braben (31 October 1930 – 21 May 2013) was an English comedy writer and performer best known for providing material for Morecambe and Wise. He also worked for David Frost, Ronnie Corbett and Ken Dodd. Life and career Brabe ...
. Theatre critic
Kenneth Tynan Kenneth Peacock Tynan (2 April 1927 – 26 July 1980) was an English theatre critic and writer. Making his initial impact as a critic at ''The Observer'', he praised Osborne's ''Look Back in Anger'' (1956), and encouraged the emerging wave of ...
stated, Braben made Wise's character a comic who was not funny, while Morecambe became a straight man who was funny. Braben made them less hostile to one another. Morecambe and Wise did annual
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
Christmas shows from 1968 to 1977, with the 1977 show having an estimated audience of 28,385,000, although at a time when there were only three UK television channels. They were one of the most prominent comedy duos in
British popular culture British culture is influenced by the combined nations' history; its historically Christian religious life, its interaction with the cultures of Europe, the traditions of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland and the impact of the British Empir ...
and in 1976 were both appointed OBEs. (Morecambe's wife, Joan, received an OBE in 2015 for her work with children's charities.)


With Thames Television: 1978–1983

The pair left the BBC for
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
in January 1978, signing a contract with the London station
Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...
. Morecambe suffered a second heart attack at his home in
Harpenden Harpenden () is a town and civil parish in the City and District of St Albans in the county of Hertfordshire, England. The population of the built-up area was 30,240 in the 2011 census, whilst the population of the civil parish was 29,448. Har ...
, Herts on 15 March 1979; this led to a
heart bypass Coronary artery bypass surgery, also known as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG, pronounced "cabbage") is a surgical procedure to treat coronary artery disease (CAD), the buildup of plaques in the arteries of the heart. It can relieve chest pai ...
operation, performed by
Magdi Yacoub Sir Magdi Habib Yacoub ( ar, د/مجدى حبيب يعقوب ; born 16 November 1935), is an Egyptian retired professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Imperial College London, best known for his early work in repairing heart valves with surgeon ...
on 25 June 1979. At that time, Morecambe was told he only had three months to live. Morecambe increasingly wanted to move away from the double act, and into writing and playing other roles. In 1980, he played the "Funny Uncle" in a dramatisation of the
John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, ...
poem "Indoor Games Near Newbury", part of an ITV special titled ''Betjeman's Britain''. Produced and directed by Charles Wallace, it spawned the start of a working relationship that led to a follow-up in 1981 for
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
titled ''Late Flowering Love'' in which Morecambe played an RAF major. The film was released in the UK with ''
Raiders of the Lost Ark ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronal ...
''. In 1981, Morecambe published ''Mr Lonely'', a tragicomic novel about a stand-up comedian. He began to focus more on writing. They also appeared together recalling their music hall days in a one-hour special on ITV on 2 March 1983, called ''Eric & Ernie's Variety Days''. During this time Morecambe published two other novels: ''The Reluctant Vampire'' (1982) and its sequel, ''The Vampire's Revenge'' (1983). Morecambe and Wise's final show together was the 1983 Christmas special for ITV. Morecambe and Wise worked on a television movie in 1983, ''
Night Train to Murder ''Night Train to Murder'' is a 1985 British comedy television film, directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Morecambe and Wise. It was the last work that Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise worked on together before Morecambe's death in 1984 (the come ...
'', which was broadcast on ITV in January 1985. Continuing his collaboration with Wallace, Morecambe also acted in a
short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...
comedy film called ''
The Passionate Pilgrim ''The Passionate Pilgrim'' (1599) is an anthology of 20 poems collected and published by William Jaggard that were attributed to " W. Shakespeare" on the title page, only five of which are considered authentically Shakespearean. These are two ...
'' opposite
Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the Fourth Doctor, fourth incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Wh ...
and
Madeline Smith Madeline Smith (born 2 August 1949) is an English actress. After working as a model in the late 1960s, she went on to appear in many television series and stage productions, plus comedy and horror films, in the 1970s and 1980s. She is perhaps ...
, again directed by Wallace for MGM/UA. It was released in the cinema with the James Bond film ''
Octopussy ''Octopussy'' is a 1983 spy film and the thirteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. It is the sixth to star Roger Moore as the MI6 agent James Bond. It was directed by John Glen and the screenplay was written by G ...
'' and later with ''
WarGames ''WarGames'' is a 1983 American science fiction techno-thriller film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film, which stars Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood, and Ally Sheedy, follows Dav ...
''. Wallace and Morecambe were halfway through filming a fourth film when Morecambe died. It was never completed.


Personal life

Eric Morecambe married Joan Bartlett in
Thanet Thanet may refer to: *Isle of Thanet, a former island, now a peninsula, at the most easterly point of Kent, England *Thanet District, a local government district containing the island *Thanet College, former name of East Kent College *Thanet Canal, ...
,
Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
on 11 December 1952. They had three children: Gail (born 14 September 1953); Gary (born 21 April 1956) and Steven (who was born in 1970, but whom they adopted in 1974). In his leisure time, Eric was a keen
birdwatcher Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
, and the
statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...
of him at Morecambe shows him wearing his binoculars. The RSPB named a hide after him at the nearby Leighton Moss nature reserve in recognition of his support. In 1984 the RSPB bought the 459 ha (1,100 acre) Old Hall Marshes Reserve near Tolleshunt D'Arcy in Essex for £780,000 helped by donations to the ''Eric Morecambe Memorial Appeal''. Morecambe was the
nephew In the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a niece or nephew is a child of the subject's sibling or sibling-in-law. The converse relationship, the relationship from the niece or nephew's perspective, is that of an ...
of the rugby league footballer John "Jack" Bartholomew. Morecambe sent a message of support (along with various celebrities) to
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
after she won the 1979 general election, wishing her luck during the 1979 European election campaign. His message ended, "God bless you, Maggie, and good luck in the European Campaign and it is your round next."


Health problems

In a diary entry from 17 August 1967, when Morecambe and Wise were appearing in
Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. A pop ...
as part of a summer season, Morecambe observed: "I have a slight pain on the left side around my heart. It's most likely wind, but I've had it for about four days. That's a hell of a time to have wind." Morecambe was a
hypochondriac Hypochondriasis or hypochondria is a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness. An old concept, the meaning of hypochondria has repeatedly changed. It has been claimed that this debilitating cond ...
, but he rarely wrote about his health concerns until after his first heart attack. At the time, Morecambe was smoking 60 cigarettes a day and drinking heavily. He suffered a near-fatal heart attack in the early hours of 8 November 1968 after a show, while driving back to his hotel outside
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
. Morecambe had been appearing with Wise during a week of midnight performances at the
Variety Club Variety, the Children's Charity is a charitable organization founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1927. History On October 10, 1927, a group of eleven men involved in show business set up a social club which they named the "Variety Club". On ...
in Batley, Yorkshire. Morecambe and Wise appeared there in December 1967 for a week, making £4,000 (). After that, they were booked to play a New York City nightclub, the
Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...
and then eight weeks in pantomime the coming winter. Since the beginning of the week Morecambe noticed he had pains in his right arm but thought little of it, thinking the pains were
tennis elbow Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis or enthesopathy of the extensor carpi radialis origin, is a condition in which the outer part of the elbow becomes painful and tender. The pain may also extend into the back of the forearm. Onse ...
or rheumatism. That night, he headed back to his hotel, and recounted in an interview with
Michael Parkinson Sir Michael Parkinson (born 28 March 1935) is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his television talk show '' Parkinson'' from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other talk shows and programmes both in the U ...
in November 1972 that, as the pains spread to his chest, he became unable to drive. He was rescued by a passerby as he stopped the car. The first hospital they arrived at had no
Accident and Emergency An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pa ...
. At the second one, Morecambe admitted himself and a heart attack was immediately diagnosed. Morecambe was due to appear at the
London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...
with his partner Ernie Wise on 18 November 1968 but had to miss the performance whilst recovering in hospital. The comedian
Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...
and Impressionist
Mike Yarwood Michael Edward Yarwood, (born 14 June 1941) is an English impressionist, comedian and actor. He was one of Britain's top-rated entertainers, regularly appearing on television from the 1960s to the 1980s. Early life Michael Edward Yarwood was ...
were both late stand-ins for them instead. After leaving hospital on 24 November 1968 under orders not to work for three months Morecambe gave up his cigarette habit and started smoking a
pipe Pipe(s), PIPE(S) or piping may refer to: Objects * Pipe (fluid conveyance), a hollow cylinder following certain dimension rules ** Piping, the use of pipes in industry * Smoking pipe ** Tobacco pipe * Half-pipe and quarter pipe, semi-circular ...
, as he mentioned that he was trying to do in August 1967. He also stopped doing summer and winter seasons and reduced many of his public engagements. Morecambe took six months off, returning for a press call at the
BBC Television Centre Television Centre (TVC) is a building complex in White City, West London, that was the headquarters of BBC Television between 1960 and 2013. After a refurbishment, the complex reopened in 2017 with three studios in use for TV production, opera ...
in May 1969. On 27 July of that year, Morecambe and Wise returned to the stage at the Bournemouth Winter Gardens, and received a four-minute standing ovation. Morecambe suffered a second heart attack in March 1979 and underwent bypass surgery in June.


Death

Morecambe took part in a charity show, hosted by close friend and comedian Stan Stennett, at the
Roses Theatre The Roses Theatre is an arts centre located in the centre of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England. Its main auditorium seats 375 and accommodates 35mm film / digital projection as well as live performance. It offers patrons music, theatre, film ...
in
Tewkesbury Tewkesbury ( ) is a medieval market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town has significant history in the Wars of the Roses and grew since the building of Tewkesbury Abbey. It stands at the confluence of the Ri ...
, Gloucestershire, on Sunday 27 May 1984. His wife Joan, who was in the audience, recalled that Morecambe was "on top form". After the show had ended and Morecambe had first left the stage, the musicians returned and picked up their instruments. He rushed back onto the stage to join them and played various instruments making six curtain calls. On leaving the stage for the final time as the house tabs fell, he stepped into the wings and collapsed with his third heart attack in 16 years. He was rushed to
Cheltenham General Hospital Cheltenham General Hospital is an NHS district general hospital in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, run by Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It provides general hospital services including Accident and Emergency. History The Cheltenh ...
, where he died just before 3 a.m on Monday 28 May. His funeral was held on 4 June at
St Nicholas Church, Harpenden The church of St Nicholas in Harpenden is a parish church in the Church of England. It is a Grade II* listed building. Background It is the oldest known church in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. It was originally built as a Chapel-of-Ease in abou ...
with the principal address delivered by
Dickie Henderson Richard Matthew Michael Henderson, OBE (30 October 1922  – 22 September 1985) was an English entertainer. Early years He was born in London. His father, Dick Henderson (1891–1958), was a music hall comedian and singer famous for his ...
. There was a private cremation service at Garston. His ashes were later returned to the church for burial in the Garden of Remembrance. Ernie Wise said in an interview, "I think I had two sad days, I think - when my father died and, actually, when Eric died."


Legacy

* A larger-than-life statue of Morecambe, created by sculptor Graham Ibbeson, was unveiled by
the Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...
at Morecambe in July 1999 and is surrounded by inscriptions of many of his favourite catchphrases and an exhaustive list of guest stars who appeared on the show. The statue was vandalised in October 2014, having had one of its legs sawn off, it was moved to London for repair and was restored on 11 December 2014. * In
Harpenden Harpenden () is a town and civil parish in the City and District of St Albans in the county of Hertfordshire, England. The population of the built-up area was 30,240 in the 2011 census, whilst the population of the civil parish was 29,448. Har ...
in Hertfordshire, where Morecambe and his family lived from the 1960s until his death, the public concert hall is named after him, with a portrait of Morecambe hanging in the foyer. Morecambe often referred to Harpenden in his comedy, with a band once appearing on the show named ''The Harpenden Hot-Shots'' and in a Casanova sketch he introduced himself as Lord Eric, Fourth Duke of Harpenden "and certain parts of
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...
". Morecambe was the guest of honour, and performed the opening ceremony at the 75th Anniversary Fete of St George's School, Harpenden. Commenting openly to the headmaster, after his opening speech, "Right, now that's over, can we go and get an ice cream". * A West End Show, ''
The Play What I Wrote ''The Play What I Wrote'' is a comedy play written by Hamish McColl, Sean Foley and Eddie Braben, starring Foley and McColl (the double act The Right Size, playing characters named "Sean" and "Hamish"), with Toby Jones, directed by Kenneth Br ...
'', opened in 2001 as a tribute to the duo. Directed by
Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...
, each performance featured a different guest celebrity. In March 2003, the show transferred to
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
, and then toured the UK in 2003. * In 2003, Morecambe's eldest son Gary released ''"Life's Not Hollywood, It's Cricklewood"'', a biography of his father from the point of view of his family, using family photos and extracts from previously unseen diaries. The book revealed Morecambe as a toned down version of his on-screen persona, prone to occasional bouts of mild depression and overwork. *
Kenilworth Road Kenilworth Road is an association football stadium in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. It has been the home ground of Luton Town Football Club since 1905. The stadium has also hosted women's and youth international matches, including the second ...
Stadium, the home of
Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1885, it is nicknam ...
, has a suite named after Morecambe. He was a supporter and one-time president of the club. *
J D Wetherspoon J D Wetherspoon plc (branded variously as Wetherspoon or Wetherspoons, and colloquially known as Spoons) is a pub company operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company was founded in 1979 by Tim Martin and is based in Watford. It o ...
opened a public house called ''The Eric Bartholomew'' in Morecambe in 2004. * At the
Roses Theatre The Roses Theatre is an arts centre located in the centre of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England. Its main auditorium seats 375 and accommodates 35mm film / digital projection as well as live performance. It offers patrons music, theatre, film ...
in
Tewkesbury Tewkesbury ( ) is a medieval market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town has significant history in the Wars of the Roses and grew since the building of Tewkesbury Abbey. It stands at the confluence of the Ri ...
, the Eric Morecambe Room is used by local and national companies for conferences and meetings. * There is a
bird hide A bird hide (blind or bird blind in North America) is a shelter, often camouflaged, that is used to observe wildlife, especially birds, at close quarters. Although hides or hunting blinds were once built chiefly as hunting aids, they are now commo ...
named after him at
Leighton Moss RSPB reserve Leighton Moss RSPB reserve is a nature reserve in Lancashire, England, which has been in the care of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds since 1964. It is situated at Silverdale near Carnforth, on the edge of Morecambe Bay and in the ...
, which is on Morecambe Bay, near Carnforth, Lancashire. * The play ''
Morecambe Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea. Name The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), w ...
'' was created as a celebration of the life of Eric Morecambe. It played at the Edinburgh fringe festival in 2009 and subsequently transferred to London's West End before embarking on a UK tour in 2010. * In February 2016 Morecambe's 1968
Jensen Interceptor The Jensen Interceptor is a grand touring car which was hand-built at the Kelvin Way Factory in West Bromwich, near Birmingham in England, by Jensen Motors between 1966 and 1976. The Interceptor name had been used previously by Jensen for the ...
, which he had bought for £4,500, was offered for sale at £150,000.


Bibliography

* ''Mister Lonely'' (novel) by Eric Morecambe (1981) * ''Stella'' (novel) by Eric Morecambe (completed by Gary Morecambe) (2012)


References


Further reading

* ''Morecambe and Wife'' – Joan Morecambe and Michael Leitch (1985) * ''Morecambe and Wise : Behind the Sunshine'' – Gary Morecambe, Martin Sterling (1995) * ''Morecambe & Wise'' – Graham McCann (1998) * ''Memories of Eric'' – Gary Morecambe and Martin Sterling (1999) * ''Eric Morecambe : Life's not Hollywood, it's Cricklewood'' – Gary Morecambe (2003) * ''Eric Morecambe Unseen : The Lost Diaries Jokes and Photographs'' – William Cook (ed.) (2005) * ''You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone : The life and work of Eric Morecambe'' – Gary Morecambe (2009) * ''Eric Morecambe Lost and Found'' – Gary Morecambe (ed.)(2012) * ''Who Killed Eric Morecambe? (the decline & fall of British television)'' – Charles Wallace (Nov 2012) * ''Driving Mr Morecambe : A Chauffeur's Story'' – Michael Fountain, Paul Jenkinson (2013) * ''Morecambe and Wise: Bring Me Sunshine'' – Gary Morecambe (2013)


External links


The Morecambe & Wise homepage

Morecambeandwise.com News Reviews And Information

Eric Morecambe website run by daughter Gail Morecambe

Find a Grave Eric Morcambe
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morecambe, Eric 1926 births 1984 deaths 20th-century English comedians 20th-century English male actors BAFTA fellows Best Entertainment Performance BAFTA Award (television) winners Bevin Boys Birdwatchers British male comedy actors Burials in Hertfordshire Comedians from Lancashire English male comedians English male television actors English miners Hypochondriacs Luton Town F.C. Morecambe and Wise Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Morecambe Television personalities from Lancashire