Well-known Rochdale actress Sue Devaney visited Milkstone to unveil the latest plaque dedicated to late star of the stage and screen, Dame Gracie Fields.
The plaque, at 2 Milkstone Road, marks the site of the former Schofield’s Off Licence, where Gracie often stayed with her friends Ada and Bertha Schofield when she visited Rochdale. It is the third of a set of eight plaques, which will form part of a Gracie Fields trail, to be completed in summer.
Sue said: “Playing Gracie is a dream job. She was so popular, sometimes when she finished a show she would be paraded through the West End, but she always stayed down to earth. So many talented and creative people have come out of Rochdale; not just Gracie, but Anna Friel, Michelle Holmes and others. It’s fantastic that the council is choosing to celebrate the great cultural tradition of the borough by creating this trail and erecting the Gracie Fields statue.”
Further plaques will be placed in and around Rochdale town centre in the coming months, with Rochdale Town Hall, St Chad’s Church and Champness Hall all set to feature in the story of Gracie’s life. The Rotary Club of Rochdale East and the Gracie Fields Appreciation Society have both worked with the council to create the trail.
Councillor Janet Emsley, Cabinet Member for Culture, Health and Wellbeing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Gracie went from the mill floor to the international stage, but she remained wedded to her hometown and these plaques mark the many places in Rochdale which are integral to her phenomenal story. The trail is really taking shape and I’m looking forward to the completion of both the trail and the statue’s installation this summer.”
‘Our Gracie’ is currently showing at the Oldham Coliseum and runs until 26 March. For tickets, please contact the Box Office on: 0161 624 2829.
18 Mar 2016