Harrogate’s irreplaceable Lilian Mina MBE, saviour of the town’s Royal Hall, had a favourite tree The Wedding Cake Tree, which is why her family planted one in her memory in her beloved Valley Gardens and in sight of her apartment on Valley Drive.
Whilst the tree lasted for more than a decade, it eventually became diseased and North Yorkshire Council had to remove it last year but promised to replace it with another Wedding Cake tree which has now been done ready for this spring. The tree has been rededicated by the group of ladies behind Harrogate’s Women Winning a 12-month project for International Women’s day whose aim is to bring Harrogate’s inspirational women to new and wider audiences.
Lilian’s family also provided a bench in the Valley Gardens with the inscription ‘Like the Pied Piper we followed her magic’. That inscription alluded to Lilian’s biggest legacy, the saving of Harrogate’s Royal Hall which earned her an MBE and the Freedom of Harrogate.
In 2001, the Royal Hall was facing permanent closure because its foundations after 100 years were deteriorating so much with concrete corrosion it was in danger of collapse.
Despite a £6m Heritage Lottery Grant and a commitment of £2m by the then Harrogate Borough Council, there was a shortfall of around £2m if it were to reopen to the public. Although £8m would carry out the necessary structural repairs and enable public access and usage, there was no funding under the core scheme to provide a theatre bar, new dressing rooms, new soft furnishings such as carpets and drapes and, very importantly, to restore the interior decor which at this stage had become extremely dilapidated.
From stage right, front and centre came the redoubtable Lilian Mina. She formed a charity, the Royal Hall Restoration Trust, and did what she promised to do with never a doubt by raising a staggering £2.1m to cover this part of the restoration.
Lilian was already well-known in the town first as a local councillor then Chair of Harrogate Civic Society which is now partnering the Women Winning project. But the success of her campaign to reopen the building surprised everyone. From charming the then HRH Prince Charles to becoming the Trust’s Patron, she inspired millionaires to minors and all in between to help save this much-loved building.
Lynne Mee, one of the lead co-ordinators of Women Winning and current Administrator of the still active Royal Hall Restoration Trust, says it is testament wholly to Lilian when you step inside this once again ‘glittering golden palace’.
Lynne Mee said:
Prince Charles was to reopen the now fully restored Hall on 22 January 2008 but by then Lilian was gravely ill. But she found the strength to be there and looked as glamorous as always.
Who can ever forget how Prince Charles gently took Lilian’s arm to help her to her ‘pride of place’ seat. Or his opening words that ‘…we are here today to honour not one but two Grand Dames’.
Sadly Lilian died soon after and never saw the opening concert sponsored by luxury watch brand Breguet.
Yet you will see her beautiful portrait in the entrance, her likeness in one of the Trust’s restored murals in the Grand Hall and, by kind permission of the council, Lilian’s ashes were lovingly placed upon high by her daughter Mitzi reaching from a very useful cherry picker. Lilian’s presence is there in every fibre of this beautiful building.
We are proud to remind people of who Lilian was and how much we have to thank her for.
For more information about Women Winning https://www.harrogatefilmsociety.org/women-winning
