As one of the oldest literature festivals in the country, LitFest has attracted a variety of audiences since 1978.

This year the theme of the event is 'exploring the past, creating the future with authors Cynthia Murphy and Frank Cottrell-Boyce among an impressive guest list.

All events in Litfest 2023 are free, whether in-person or online.

The Poetry Collaboration project this year is called “From Source to Sea” and celebrates the rivers of the region with the event led by Cumbrian author and poet Katie Hale.

Hear from organiser Dr Natalie Sorrell Charlesworth and Katie Hale in this edition of the podcast. 

Plans for Morecambe Bay to host a film festival are being drawn up with organisers confident the event will lead to celluloid success for the area.

Already 300 short films from producers based in 43 countries have been submitted for The Bay Film Festival which will be held at the end of October.

Students from Lancaster University are involved in curating the films and it's hoped the event will be start of a long term association.

Anna Kumacheva, an award-winning filmmaker, lecturer and PhD student at Lancaster is the co-founder and coordinator and says the event won't just be limited to Morecambe.

Subscribe for free now to hear the full podcast. 

Morecambe is back on television as ITV’s hit crime drama The Bay returns for a new series.

Set against the backdrop of Morecambe Bay, the drama has brought the town’s landscapes and communities to millions of viewers. In an earlier episode of the Morecambe Bay Podcast, creator Daragh Carville revealed how the idea for the series came about and what it takes to turn an idea into a successful TV drama.

Now we hear from Daniel Ryan, who plays DI Tony Manning.

Daniel talks about his career, what it’s like to work on one of ITV’s most popular crime dramas and, perhaps most importantly, his genuine affection for Morecambe.

Go behind the scenes of The Bay and meet the actor bringing one of Morecambe’s newest TV detectives to life

ITV's hit drama series The Bay, based in Morecambe, returns to our screens next week.

It's the fourth series of the production created by Lancaster-based writer Daragh Carville. You can hear him discuss the programme in an earlier edition of the Morecambe Bay Podcast.

DI Tony Manning is played by actor Daniel Ryan who explains how his association with Morecambe has made a lasting impression.   

Subscribe for free now to hear our full conversation in the podcast which comes out on Sunday 5th March.

Do you remember the early days of The Bay, the radio station that served Morecambe Bay from 1993?

Enjoy some memories from presenters Mike Shaft and Trevor Thomas 30 years on! 

Thirty years ago, The Bay arrived on the airwaves — becoming the first radio station to serve the whole Morecambe Bay area.

It quickly built a huge audience and a reputation for creativity, punching well above its weight against bigger and longer-established stations. Although The Bay is no longer broadcasting, its launch marked a memorable moment in the region’s radio history and left plenty of listeners with fond memories.

In this episode, two of the station’s early pioneers look back at those exciting first days.

Mike Shaft recalls how he nearly ended up working for Radio 1, the nerves surrounding The Bay’s launch party and what made the station so special.

Trevor Thomas remembers the phenomenal reaction from listeners and the atmosphere inside a brand-new station finding its voice.

A nostalgic trip back to the birth of The Bay — and the people who helped put Morecambe Bay on the radio map.

It’s one of Morecambe Bay’s most dramatic natural spectacles — and for surfer Ben Rogers, it’s a wave worth travelling hundreds of miles to ride.

The Arnside Bore is a powerful surge of tidal water that sweeps up the River Kent as the tide comes in. It’s one of around 20 tidal bores found in the UK, and while most people watch it from the riverbank, Ben wants to ride as many of these unusual waves as he can.

His latest challenge brought him from his home in Bristol to Arnside, where the conditions, timing and sheer power of the bore made for a very different kind of surfing experience.

In this episode, Ben explains what makes tidal bores so appealing, why surfers are prepared to travel huge distances to find them and what it feels like to ride a wave that travels inland.

Forget the coast — this is surfing Morecambe Bay from the inside out.

You can see some of his other achievements here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvGTgDNKhHgwv4p2jxVteCw?app=desktop

Morecambe Bay is constantly changing. Twice a day, the tides sweep across its vast sands — but the landscape is changing too, and researchers want to understand what that could mean for the people, wildlife and communities around the Bay.

A new research project led by geographer Dr Catherine Oliver from Lancaster University is asking local people to become part of the research.

You don’t need to be a scientist or a birdwatcher. Walkers, community groups, charities, organisations and anyone who spends time around the Bay could have valuable observations to share.

In this episode, Dr Oliver explains what researchers are looking for, why everyday observations could help reveal how the Bay is changing and how local knowledge could contribute to understanding its future.

The Bay is changing. You’re already watching it. Now you could help researchers understand it.

The shifting sands of Morecambe Bay have uncovered a remarkable piece of industrial history.

At Hest Bank near Morecambe, the River Keer has scoured away huge amounts of sand and vegetation, revealing the remains of a stone and wooden jetty believed to have been used by cargo ships in the 18th century.

At the time, the nearby canal provided one of the quickest ways to transport goods north and south — and the wharf would have been a busy part of Morecambe Bay’s industrial landscape.

Now, more than 150 years after it was last regularly used, the structure is emerging from the sands in a way not seen for generations and has quickly become a fascinating attraction for visitors.

Local historian and lifelong Morecambe man Mark Carroll — a former lifeguard who once helped promote the town as a tourist destination — explains the story behind this extraordinary discovery.

A hidden harbour, shifting sands and a forgotten chapter of Morecambe Bay’s industrial past — brought back into view by nature.

Watch the drone footage of Hest Bank Wharf