Memories & Photos of Morecambe Bay Holiday Camp Music is a plinky-plonk version of 'the happy wanderer' which was always played to call campers at mealtimes.
I have good memories of MBHC. Was there in 1967 and recall the children's entertainer 'Uncle Jimmy' (Jimmy Tyson), a talented magician - still have a photo of him standing next to me in one of those hand-held viewers. By '68 he'd been replaced by 'Uncle Tizzy', who dressed as a clown. Last visited as a 15-year-old in August 1972. Won that week's putting competition and still have the trophy!
Went there every year from 1955 to 1970. My pal Roy Lussey was heartbroken when in 1972 the camp returned his booking form, as they'd closed. Of its time, but packed with fond memories.
Thank you! I remember all this. We first went when I was 6, in 1966, and returned every year until the early seventies. I was very sad to hear that it had gone. And, yes, I remember that jingle for mealtimes.
I had two holidays at MBHC in the late sixties with my mum and sister. Perhaps the best two weeks of my life. When I visited many years later and found a housing estate I was distraught. This wasn't Pontins or Butlins it was quaint and genuine. I still miss it and have chronic nostalgia about it. Alan.
I went as a kid in the early 60s , i loved it the corn flakes for brekky were the best we went full board ,my mum & dad must have saved all year to go away for 1 week , the swings ,the slide & the see saw , the glitter ball in the ballroom ( i still remember the tune it played a lot ) the cold swimming pool the weather must have been a lot better than now , i loved it ,was very sad when it closed ... Butlins was ok but my heart belonges to Morecambe bay holiday camp were my mum & dad won trophies from ping pong ..lol happy days
This brought back many happy memories every year you would either be a saint or a sinner and the camp would play the village cricket team. I think we started going about 158 or 9 and then went every summer for about 9 or 10 years. I remember latter on staying in Glouster court and before that in the main building. I can remember waiting for those sliding doors to the dining room opening. Kids had to be out of the ballroom at a certain time and My Mum would take me into the cafe for a bowl of chips for my supper. I remember one year my Mum won the jackpot on the one arm bandit in the cafe, lots of tanners my Mums hand bag was full and my Dads trilby. I go back many times in my dreams, I can remember it vividly and I'm 63 now.
As a child may whole family would go every year. I remember winning the James Bond competition. The entertainment manager, Johnnie Spillers and his wife, were my late brother's Godparents in 1964. Been unable to trace them on the internet. I believe their real family name was Spitters. The camp had a real family atmosphere which is why we loved it. I remember going up the spiral stair case to the top of the tower. As a child everything seemed so big. Years later when my wife and I took our own children to Morecambe on holiday I took a trip to visit the old site. The buildings were all gone but the foundations of some were still visible. I couldn't get over how small it really was. The TV rooms were upstairs in the main building and one year they even had colour which was a big attraction as the two weeks of our local wakes coincided with Wimbledon fortnight. Happy times back then.
we went there for many years such a wonderful holiday , i remember dad winning tombola and they tied his pants at the bottom and filled with coins more than he earned in a week , fantastic memories , me and my sister loved it here lots to do wish it was like that now lots of friendly people and they all talked . howard oakley
I worked a season at MBHC, (or 'Heysham Tower's', as it was also known), as a Dining-Hall waiter in 1967, and it was the best Summer of my life!...(I ended up staying in the area for four years, living locally!). If you're still chronically nostalgic, Alan, check out the 'Francis Frith' site, mate...there are so many posts in there about MBHC, (including my own story), I'm sure it will help assuage your nostalgia, ;).
Thank you for sharing these lovely memories. I too went as a child and thought it was the most wonderful place. I remember you were either a saint or a sinner and any comps you won went onto the final tally at the end of the week to see who won. My mum entered me into holiday princess comp which I hasten to say had no chance of winning and didnt. A lasting memory is of the bus waiting to take us to the train station at the end of the week. I was heartbroken it was like a bereavement. My dad gave me a sixpence to put in a slot machine in the cafe that was like milk bar there is a picture of it on your presentation. I won the jackpot and they had to hold the bus up while I collected all the sixpences that had fallen onto the floor.Uncle Jimmy waved us of. I have also a memory of someone who owned the camp being in some shipping tragedy. We once went on world cup day 1966 my dad didnt like football we had a car then and he thought it was wonderful because no one was on the roads. When we arrived at the camp they were all in the bbc and i think itv rooms upstairs in the main building. I was very sad when I heard it was gone and there is not much evidence around of it ever existing apart from you well done.
Thats really interesting i think the person you mentioned may have been my father Christopher Holden who was the son of one of the directors there was an article in the local paper about how he had gone missing abroad,which i still have. he turned up eventually with my mother who he met in morroco I really wonder if thats who you mean ?
I remember that slot machine in the cafe. I managed to 'hack' it (as a ten year old), so that it gave unlimited goes for just a single payment. I 'bought' a table lamp with the tokens I won. By the next day, the management had fixed the machine so that it operated as intended. LOL.
I have a very distant memory of going there for a holiday when I was in short trousers. Must have been about six or seven at the time (circa 1962-63). I remember nettle beer too which, if memory serves, wasn't an alcoholic drink at all.
![[FULL EP.16] เซียนพาลุย "เผือก-ฟรอยด์" กรี๊ดลั่น จนปูหนี | เฮ็ดอย่างเซียนหรั่ง | One Playground](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FsqUvwS3b-Y/mqdefault.jpg)
I have good memories of MBHC. Was there in 1967 and recall the children's entertainer 'Uncle Jimmy' (Jimmy Tyson), a talented magician - still have a photo of him standing next to me in one of those hand-held viewers. By '68 he'd been replaced by 'Uncle Tizzy', who dressed as a clown.
Last visited as a 15-year-old in August 1972. Won that week's putting competition and still have the trophy!
Went there every year from 1955 to 1970. My pal Roy Lussey was heartbroken when in 1972 the camp returned his booking form, as they'd closed. Of its time, but packed with fond memories.
Thank you! I remember all this. We first went when I was 6, in 1966, and returned every year until the early seventies. I was very sad to hear that it had gone. And, yes, I remember that jingle for mealtimes.
I had two holidays at MBHC in the late sixties with my mum and sister. Perhaps the best two weeks of my life. When I visited many years later and found a housing estate I was distraught.
This wasn't Pontins or Butlins it was quaint and genuine. I still miss it and have chronic nostalgia about it. Alan.
I went as a kid in the early 60s , i loved it the corn flakes for brekky were the best we went full board ,my mum & dad must have saved all year to go away for 1 week , the swings ,the slide & the see saw , the glitter ball in the ballroom ( i still remember the tune it played a lot ) the cold swimming pool the weather must have been a lot better than now , i loved it ,was very sad when it closed ... Butlins was ok but my heart belonges to Morecambe bay holiday camp were my mum & dad won trophies from ping pong ..lol happy days
This brought back many happy memories every year you would either be a saint or a sinner and the camp would play the village cricket team. I think we started going about 158 or 9 and then went every summer for about 9 or 10 years. I remember latter on staying in Glouster court and before that in the main building. I can remember waiting for those sliding doors to the dining room opening. Kids had to be out of the ballroom at a certain time and My Mum would take me into the cafe for a bowl of chips for my supper. I remember one year my Mum won the jackpot on the one arm bandit in the cafe, lots of tanners my Mums hand bag was full and my Dads trilby. I go back many times in my dreams, I can remember it vividly and I'm 63 now.
As a child may whole family would go every year. I remember winning the James Bond competition. The entertainment manager, Johnnie Spillers and his wife, were my late brother's Godparents in 1964. Been unable to trace them on the internet. I believe their real family name was Spitters. The camp had a real family atmosphere which is why we loved it.
I remember going up the spiral stair case to the top of the tower.
As a child everything seemed so big. Years later when my wife and I took our own children to Morecambe on holiday I took a trip to visit the old site. The buildings were all gone but the foundations of some were still visible. I couldn't get over how small it really was.
The TV rooms were upstairs in the main building and one year they even had colour which was a big attraction as the two weeks of our local wakes coincided with Wimbledon fortnight.
Happy times back then.
My husband and I spent our honeymoon there, many fond memories
we went there for many years such a wonderful holiday , i remember dad winning tombola and they tied his pants at the bottom and filled with coins more than he earned in a week , fantastic memories , me and my sister loved it here lots to do wish it was like that now lots of friendly people and they all talked . howard oakley
I worked a season at MBHC, (or 'Heysham Tower's', as it was also known), as a Dining-Hall waiter in 1967, and it was the best Summer of my life!...(I ended up staying in the area for four years, living locally!). If you're still chronically nostalgic, Alan, check out the 'Francis Frith' site, mate...there are so many posts in there about MBHC, (including my own story), I'm sure it will help assuage your nostalgia, ;).
superb. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing these lovely memories. I too went as a child and thought it was the most wonderful place. I remember you were either a saint or a sinner and any comps you won went onto the final tally at the end of the week to see who won. My mum entered me into holiday princess comp which I hasten to say had no chance of winning and didnt. A lasting memory is of the bus waiting to take us to the train station at the end of the week. I was heartbroken it was like a bereavement. My dad gave me a sixpence to put in a slot machine in the cafe that was like milk bar there is a picture of it on your presentation. I won the jackpot and they had to hold the bus up while I collected all the sixpences that had fallen onto the floor.Uncle Jimmy waved us of. I have also a memory of someone who owned the camp being in some shipping tragedy. We once went on world cup day 1966 my dad didnt like football we had a car then and he thought it was wonderful because no one was on the roads. When we arrived at the camp they were all in the bbc and i think itv rooms upstairs in the main building. I was very sad when I heard it was gone and there is not much evidence around of it ever existing apart from you well done.
Thats really interesting
i think the person you mentioned may have been my father Christopher Holden who was the son of one of the directors
there was an article in the local paper about how he had gone missing abroad,which i still have.
he turned up eventually with my mother who he met in morroco
I really wonder if thats who you mean ?
I remember that slot machine in the cafe. I managed to 'hack' it (as a ten year old), so that it gave unlimited goes for just a single payment. I 'bought' a table lamp with the tokens I won. By the next day, the management had fixed the machine so that it operated as intended. LOL.
I have a very distant memory of going there for a holiday when I was in short trousers. Must have been about six or seven at the time (circa 1962-63). I remember nettle beer too which, if memory serves, wasn't an alcoholic drink at all.
I don't know if someone hacked this but the music was in tune when I posted it.
Was this a different place to Middleton Towers at Heysham?
I think Middleton Towers was further down the coast towards Sunderland Point. It was designed to look like a ship.