Towering mission for true champion

And particularly with a place as unique as Blackpool, it takes more than a business degree from even the best establishment in the land to really understand what makes this town tick.

So when Iain Hawkins departed for pastures new after successfully steering the Merlin cluster of attractions since the company was appointed to run the Tower and Madame Tussauds, there may have been some trepidation about who would fill his boots.

But step forward Kate Shane – because if anyone has Blackpool running through her blood it is Kate.

She has taken on the role of head of the Blackpool cluster after being general manager of Blackpool Tower since 2011.

It is a role she could only have dreamed of when her family moved here in 1979 to run a b&b in Charnley Road.

She said: “I remember I could see the Tower from my bedroom window and even before we moved, we came here for day trips and I remember going to the Tower as a child.

“So to be part of it now in its contemporary form is brilliant.

“I genuinely love the town. It’s such a great place and the impact it has on people, and the memories they take away from it, are amazing.

“You see someone who has just come out of Madame Tussauds and they immediately want to show round their photos, or you are at the Circus and you see kids laughing their heads off at Mooky and Boo.

“So it’s a great job, it’s a dream.”

Kate had in the past worked in the finance departments for both First Leisure and Leisure Parcs, previous owners of the Tower and Winter Gardens.

But in 2010 Blackpool Council bought the attractions as part of a £40m deal partly funded through government and European grants.

Securing the resort’s tourism ‘jewels’ was seen as key to protecting and growing the town’s economy, and Merlin Entertainments was appointed to operate the Tower and the Golden Mile Centre.

Since then Madame Tussauds and the Blackpool Dungeon have been introduced, while going up the Tower has been transformed to create The Tower Eye experience.

Merlin keeps its cards close to its chest in regard to how well its operation is running in Blackpool in financial terms – but certainly chiefs seem happy with the performance of their brands in the town which also include the Sea Life Centre.

Revenue – some of which is shared with the council – has also been ploughed back into improving the venues, with work such as the careful restoration of the Tower entrance on the Promenade.

There is still plenty to do –and projects in the pipeline currently include the opening of new dining establishments.

On the day of my visit, Harry Ramsden’s had opened one of its famous fish and chip restaurants on level 5 inside, while work is underway to open another Harry Ramsden branded restaurant in the old Tower Lounge part of the building.

Many folk were upset at the loss of the nightclub which had almost legendary status in the resort but a family restaurant was felt to fit better with the ethos of the attraction.

It is due to open this summer and will have a wider menu and more contemporary feel.

Meanwhile tradition remains the priority in the ballroom where afternoon tea goes down a storm with older visitors.

So looking after the whole lot is a challenge for anyone.

Kate said: “Having worked in finance in depth, it gives me the perfect starting point for this job of being in charge of the whole Merlin cluster in Blackpool. I am so passionate about all of it, and about the town as a whole and the teams we have are so good that they make it easy.

“The council also really cares about the success of the resort and we work closely with Visit Blackpool.

“We need to get more people to put Blackpool on the agenda as something to do – and not just as a day trip – but as somewhere to stay over.

“If people buy one of our Big Passes, or a Resort Pass, you can’t do it all in one day so people need to stay overnight.

“When you add up everything in this town, no-one can compete with us.”

Kate loves Blackpool’s past, which is demonstrated as she brings out a set of black and white photographs showing streets as they looked in years gone by, but she is even more hopeful about its future.

She said: “Our focus is the entertainment of our guests and making sure they have a good time.

“We are working to get as many people as we can to come to Blackpool, and for them to visit a Merlin attraction when they get here.

“Blackpool has existed for a long time before Merlin, but Merlin provides a wonderful opportunity because our global brand is phenomenal and getting further afield as more and more attractions open for example in the States and in Asia.

“It brings confidence because when guests are with us, we focus 100 per cent on giving them a good time, and then they tell other people and people come back for a week or a day.”

2016 has already proved momentous – with the scaffolding coming off the Tower after eight years of repairing and repainting the steelwork.

This autumn will see the release of the Hollywood blockbuster Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, which was partially filmed at the Tower whose famous Circus plays a pivotal role in the plot.

It was a surreal experience to look on as the film crew and director Tim Burton took over the landmark while scenes were being shot, with Kate called upon to escort movie star Samuel L. Jackson to the top of the Tower at one point.

“The endorsement of the town like this, together with what we are all doing for the people who live and run businesses here, is all coming together and making Blackpool a compelling proposition for people to come here,” says Kate.

Let’s hope 2016 is the year this potential is thoroughly fulfilled.