Editing Eric Morecambe (section)

==Health problems==
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In a diary entry from 17 August 1967, when Morecambe and Wise were appearing in [[Great Yarmouth]] as part of a summer season, Morecambe observed: "I have a slight pain on the left side around my heart. It's most likely wind, but I've had it for about four days. That's a hell of a time to have wind."<ref>Eric Morecambe Unseen: The Lost Diaries, Jokes and Photographs – William Cook – 2005.</ref>

He suffered a near-fatal heart attack late on 7 November 1968 after a show, while driving back to his hotel outside [[Leeds]].

Morecambe had been appearing with Wise during a week of midnight performances at the [[Batley Variety Club|Variety Club]] in [[Batley]], Yorkshire. Morecambe and Wise appeared there in December 1967 for a week, making £4,000 ({{Inflation|UK|4000|1967|r=-3|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}{{Inflation/fn|UK}}<!--ref deliberately inside brackets as it applies only to the conversion, see [[MOS:REFPUNCT]] Exceptions-->).

Since the beginning of the week Morecambe noticed he had pains in his right arm but thought little of it, thinking the pains were [[tennis elbow]] or [[rheumatism]]. That night, he headed back to his hotel, and recounted in an interview with [[Michael Parkinson]] in November 1972 that, as the pains spread to his chest, he became unable to drive. He was rescued by a passerby as he stopped the car. The first hospital they arrived at had no [[Accident and Emergency]]. At the second one, Morecambe admitted himself and a heart attack was immediately diagnosed. Morecambe was due to appear at the [[London Palladium]] with his partner Ernie Wise on 18 November 1968 but had to miss the performance as he was recovering in hospital. The comedian [[Frankie Howerd]] and impressionist [[Mike Yarwood]] were both late stand-ins for them instead.

After leaving hospital on 24 November 1968 under orders not to work for three months<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediastorehouse.co.uk/memory-lane-prints/mirror/0400to0499-00470/eric-morecambe-leaves-hospital-home-21667112.html|title=Print of Eric Morecambe leaves hospital for home, November 1968. Comedian Eric Morecambe}}</ref> Morecambe gave up his cigarette habit and started smoking a [[Smoking pipe (tobacco)|pipe]], as he mentioned that he was trying to do in August 1967. He also stopped doing summer and winter seasons and reduced many of his public engagements. Morecambe took six months off, returning for a press call at the [[BBC Television Centre]] in May 1969. On 27 July of that year, Morecambe and Wise returned to the stage at the [[Bournemouth Winter Gardens]], and received a four-minute standing ovation.

Morecambe suffered a second heart attack in March 1979<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/morecambe_and_wise_2.htm|title=ERIC MORECAMBE AND ERNIE WISE – PART 2 – A TELEVISION HEAVEN BIOGRAPHY|website=Televisionheaven.co.uk|access-date=28 January 2018}}</ref> and underwent bypass surgery in June.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.morecambeandwise.com/viewpage.aspx?pageid=351|title=This Is Their Life|website=Morecambeandwise.com|access-date=28 January 2018}}</ref>