'Really lucky' museum puts Morecambe items on show

Eric Morecambe's school reports and licence to perform as a child entertainer have gone on display after a "really, really lucky" museum secured them at auction.

A lifetime of showbiz memorabilia and personal items was put up for sale after the comic's widow Joan died in March 2024.

Pop star Robbie Williams bought Morecambe's trademark glasses and TV presenter Yvette Fielding got his desk and typewriter, but Lancaster City Museums also manged to secure some items with its £2,000 budget.

Lancaster City Councillor Nick Wilkinson said the fund came from generous donations from locals and the council was proud to lay on a space where people could connect with "the man behind the laughter".

A council representative said the successful bids meant it now owned two of Morecambe's school reports from 1936 and 1938.

It had also secured Morecambe's licence to perform as a child entertainer - issued by the Morecambe and Heysham Local Education Authority in 1939 - and "a whole pile of handwritten sketches and jokes, which include the opening sketch for Morecambe and Wise season six in 1971".

Museums manager Mel Cookson-Carter said they had been "really, really lucky and we are so happy with what we managed to get hold of".

She said it was "fantastic" to have items from Morecambe's school days and "some incredible sketches from the peak of Morecambe and Wise from the 70s".

"The two school reports are so funny," she said.

"In 1936, he's been absent 20 times, he's missed most of his exams and he only scored 55 out of 240.

"His mum wrote on the back, 'I am disgusted with this report and would be obliged if you would make him do more homework as I would see he did it here'."

Morecambe was born John Eric Bartholomew in 1926 in the Lancashire resort he took as his stage name.

Ms Cookson-Carter said his mother, Sadie Bartholomew, was "the real driving force" in his childhood and early career and may have been instrumental in improving his grades.

"You see from his 1939 school report that he was only absent twice [and] he's done really well in his exams," she said.

"I'm wondering if his mum had a bit of a talking to him and said 'there's no way you're going into entertainment unless you do a bit better at school'."

She said the licence also offered a glimpse into the past.

"It is very strict," she said.

"He can't do any work after 10 o'clock, he can't do any work on school days, he has to leave whichever theatre he's working in 15 minutes after his act finishes."

The comedian died of a heart attack aged 58 in 1984 and is celebrated by a statue in his former hometown.

The council said the licence and one of the school reports were now on display at the Lancaster Maritime Museum and it was hoped the remaining items would be exhibited in the future.

Wilkinson said the council was "delighted to welcome Eric Morecambe's treasured objects back to his hometown, where they will take pride of place in our museum".

"These items, deeply rooted in his legacy, offer a unique glimpse into the life of a comedy legend who brought joy to millions and we are proud to provide a space where visitors can connect with the man behind the laughter," he added.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.