On a beautiful, bright Friday lunchtime, 30 members of the local St Anne’s on the Sea community that included shopkeepers, market stall tenants, civic dignitaries, historians and Masonic brethren gathered outside the door of St Anne’s Palace building for a very special and quite unique ceremony.
This was to witness the unveiling of a blue plaque by the Mayor of St Annes on the Sea, Councillor Karen Harrison, to recognise the significant contribution that St Anne’s Palace building has made over many decades to the local Fylde community.
After a brief introduction by the Chair of Lytham St Annes Civic Society Sue Cornah, the Mayor of St Annes on the Sea, Councillor Karen Harrison opened the blue velvet drapes that had been carefully installed by St Anne’s Palace Maintenance Director, Chris Thompson.
In full view was the 400mm diameter, cast metal blue plaque complete with raised characters and numbers detailing the numerous functions that St Anne’s Palace building has undertaken over the last century. Starting out in 1900 as an entertainment venue and later incorporating a cinema, ballroom and café. In 1957 it became a Masonic hall taking charge of the retail outlets and indoor market on the ground floor.
The 30 strong group then moved into the St Anne’s Palace building to reconvene upstairs in the delightful blue room of the Masonic hall. There, waiting for the group to assemble was St Anne’s Palace steward John Nicholls and his wife Pamela. John and Pam, with champagne flutes at the ready, served prosecco and orange juice, prior to the serving of canapés that included roast beef and horseradish mini Yorkshire puddings, mini rarebit bites, cheese and onion tartlets, black pepper scones with smoked salmon and dill crème fraîche. The food had been created and displayed by the extremely talented Lee Munro and staff of Masonic Event Catering, who are based in-house in the adjoining kitchens.
During the reception, numerous visitors were keen to walk around the lodge room, to learn something of the layout of the room and to find out more about Freemasonry on the Fylde coast and how to become a member.
John Flanagan of Lytham St Annes Civic Society was particularly interested in the display boards outside the lodge room and he received a detailed explanation from John Topping of the photographs and media content, which featured various community engagements along with the charities and how it all comes together within a strategic media focus, enhancing a strong, positive reputation within and across the Fylde coast communities.
