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An honour and a privilege
THE woman even the council calls Mrs Blackpool, now MBE, has her feet up. Elaine Smith's feet should be listed... grade two, we'd suggest... for services to heritage. They have pounded Blackpool's beat for more than 10 years now in defence of endangered buildings and to promote the best of new designs.
Even on this day, Elaine's one self styled day off, although she's 73, and retired in 1998, she's already
hammered out umpteen emails, and cornered Blackpool Council's chief executive Steve Weaver. "A lovely man," she says, "but he does look wary whenever he sees me."
Time was when Blackpool could get away with losing vast chunks of heritage without consultation.
Blackpool Civic Trust chairman Elaine reckons the Palace –the
theatre, that is, rather than the place where she's attending a garden party next month – would have stood a lot longer if the present civic trust had got a word in.
Local theatre impresario Duggie Chapman would agree. He was awarded an MBE the other day too. It's supposed to stand for Member of the Order of the British Empire. Proud locals reckon it means
Member of the Blackpool Empire.
"What happened to the Palace was civic desecration," she admits, " I think that's why the council consult us today on pretty much anything."
They've got bigger fish to fry, in civic trust ranks today, such as the threat to the Winter Gardens - against which even the loss of the Palace Theatre pales in comparison.
Duggie's a champion too – he helped revive the Pavilion, a glorious little gem of a theatre in the Winter Gardens complex, and regularly brings the big names to the Opera House, too.
Derbyshire-born Elaine admits she's not a historian in the academic sense, nor even a thespian. She's a former hotel landlady, queen bee of the Tupperware party scene, who started her own fashion chain, out of a suitcase, and turned it into several stores.
She is a realist and a pragmatist. A businesswoman, at heart, head and soul ... but that heart beats for
Blackpool.
Elaine won't keep a heritage
building simply because it's a
heritage building – but because it's got an ongoing role to play or should, in an ideal world.
Fire has claimed a high profile
heritage casualty in recent months – Yates's gone. Heartbroken Elaine hopes for a phoenix to rise from the ashes. She attended Devonshire Road school - the original, which was destroyed in an arson attack.
"Just look at what's been rebuilt there, a beautiful school, loved by pupils and staff. I'm a big fan of
modern architecture."
The group she chairs bridges
public and council and Leisure Parcs – fighting the community's corner to preserve the Winter Gardens, Opera House, Empress Ballroom and Pavilion Theatre, which we all love, but seldom visit.
Use it or lose it, cautions Elaine. "Make heritage vibrant, living, breathing." The policy works for some. The Art Deco cafe in Stanley Park, for example. It's in a legal
battle with the council right now but at the heart of the dispute is what was promised under the heritage facelift of the park
Elaine's chairman of Friends of Stanley Park, strategy committee member of the Volunteer Centre there, management team,
operational review group, lynchpin of the visitor centre. It helps she lives barely a stone's throw away.
It's not for nothing that Elaine's known as Mrs Blackpool in council ranks. She's a woman who knows just who to call and, more importantly, how to ask when she wants to get things done.
Everyone needs an Elaine in their organisation. At least 12 local groups, trusts, strategies, initiatives, forums must count themselves lucky. And while the national Civic Trust is on its uppers, the resort trust forges on, uniting a disparate band of
historians, watchdogs and worthies into a unique fighting force for heritage.
Elaine's impressive organisational skills are born of a shrewd business brain – it started with her parent's guesthouse, then her own, with late husband Jim and two close pals, then the Tupperware parties, and fashion chain, and don't forget she ran the Old Coachhouse which her son Mark put on the culinary map as chef
before moving into the hotel
business (the No 1's) with his wife Claire.
Only hubby Jim's failing health and the fact it was "horrendous – we're too alike" to work with her son moved her into semi retirement.
Jim got her into the civic trust, and that, in turn, pulled her through her husband's death in 2000. Now she's a full time volunteer – and
joyfully awash with tears after her MBE news.
Beryl Radcliffe, who started the nomination process, says "Elaine IS Blackpool." And Blackpool Council's Built Heritage Manager Carl
Carrington adds: "She is the
ultimate ambassador for the town.
"She gives virtually all of her free time away to community activity, and has been responsible for the Trust receiving national recognition as a leader amongst Civic Societies, for its healthy critical friendship with the Council and continuing development of its awards scheme."
Elaine (as ever...!) has the last word: "No matter how many people knock us, Blackpool is loved and it doesn't take much talking to make them know that we are on our way back up to the top again.
"I say ' come and see our building site now, or you won't know how much work has been done if you wait until it if finished.'
"I love it - warts and all!"
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Weather for Blackpool
Wednesday 30 May 2012
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Temperature: 12 C to 20 C
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