Editing Eric Morecambe (section)

==Personal life==
Eric Morecambe married Joan Bartlett in [[Margate]], [[Thanet District|Thanet]], [[Kent]], on 11 December 1952. They held their wedding reception at the Bulls Head pub in Margate. They had three children: Gail (born 1953); Gary (born 1956) and Steven (who was born in 1970, and whom they [[adoption|adopted]]  in 1974). Joan Bartlett Morecambe died on her 97th birthday on 26 March 2024.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-68677852 |title=Eric Morecambe's widow Joan dies aged 97 - 40 years after husband |publisher=BBC News |date=27 March 2024 }}</ref>

In his leisure time, Eric was a keen [[birdwatcher]], and the [[Statue of Eric Morecambe|statue]] of him at Morecambe shows him wearing his binoculars. The [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds]] named a hide after him at the nearby [[Leighton Moss RSPB reserve]] in recognition of his support. In 1984 the RSPB bought the {{convert|459|ha|acre|abbr=off}} Old Hall Marshes Reserve near [[Tolleshunt D'Arcy]] in Essex for £780,000, helped by donations to the ''Eric Morecambe Memorial Appeal''.<ref>RSPB Birds magazine, ''Old Essex Coast: Old Hall Marshes'', p. 50 (Spring 2005)</ref>

Morecambe was the nephew of the [[rugby league]] player [[Jack Bartholomew|John "Jack" Bartholomew]].<ref>Tom Mather (2010). "Best in the Northern Union", pp. 128–142. {{ISBN|978-1-903659-51-9}}</ref>

Alongside various other celebrities, Morecambe sent a message of support to [[Margaret Thatcher]] after she won the [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979 general election]], wishing her luck during the [[1979 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom|1979 European election campaign]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.margaretthatcher.org/archive/1979-cac-releases-1.asp |title=Transition to power |publisher=Margaret Thatcher Foundation|access-date=23 February 2016}}</ref> His message ended, "God bless you, Maggie, and good luck in the European Campaign and it is your round next."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/18571C4EE5504F98867695BDF539C16E.pdf|title=Letter of support|publisher=Margaret Thatcher Foundation|access-date=22 October 2021}}</ref>