New tribute to remarkable woman who saved the Royal Hall in Harrogate and charmed our future king
There has been a new tribute to the much-missed Harrogate woman who played a key role in saving the Royal Hall even though she was gravely ill.
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.
While 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.
Built in 1903 as a 'Kursaal', a multifunctional entertainment venue, by 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 £6 million Heritage Lottery Grant and a commitment of £2m by the then Harrogate Borough Council, there was a shortfall of around £2m if this jewel in Harrogate’s crown was ever to reopen to the public.
The redoubtable Lilian Mina 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 current Women Winning project.
The success of her campaign to reopen the building back in the Noughties amazed 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’.
“Prince Charles was to reopen the now fully restored Hall on January 22, 2008 but, by then, Lilian was gravely ill,” said Lynne.
"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’.”
Lilian Mina’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.
A listed Grade II* building designed by Robert Beale and Frank Matcham, the Royal Hall was originally opened as the Harrogate Kursaal on May 28, 1903.