Morecambe Bay : Images of England

Throughout the first twenty-five years of this century, before the widespread use of the telephone, the picture postcard was the principal means of communication. At the same time, the popularity of Morecambe as a holiday resort was at its zenith. Thanks both to the enthusiasm of collectors and to an enduring fascination with the past, these postcards now provide a window on the lives and times of our ancestors.

In 1847 the North Western Railway Company began works on the line linking Skipton and Lancaster, at the same time the Morecambe Harbour and Railway Company sought approval to build a line from Morecambe Harbour to Lancaster. Thus Morecambe was established as a tourist resort.

Throughout the summer months trains brought holidaymakers from industrial Yorkshire, who were joined by others from south and east Lancashire after the opening of the rail link from Blackburn to Hellfield. The following period was one of spectacular growth, and by the time the picture postcard arrived, Morecambe had never been more popular.

The views in this delightful selection bring to life an era that has now all but disappeared. They include villages in the Lune estuary and in the bay as far north as the Kent. As well as reviving memories for those old and lucky enough to remember Morecambe''s golden age, it will provide modern residents with a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of the 1990s.