Rochdale to get Gracie Fields statue

Rochdale town centre is set to get a life-sized statute of Gracie Fields, located on The Butts.

As well as the life-sized statue, eight blue plaques marking key places in Gracie’s life will be put on place to create a heritage trail.

A memorial currently located on Molesworth Street to mark Gracie’s birthplace will also be refurbished as part of the plans.

Leader of the Council, Councillor Richard Farnell is welcoming the plans after campaigning for a more permanent memorial for some time.

He said: “I am really pleased that the Council is getting moving on this. I have been working with officers for two years on this project, which will mean Rochdale recognising in a serious way the life and career of our most famous daughter. It’s long overdue.

“We must keep alive the memory of Gracie and just what an international phenomenon she was. Our young people should know just what a massive superstar she was. Gracie was the Madonna of her day and the highest paid female entertainer in the world. Her music and films were not to everyone’s taste, but that’s not the point. She was a huge, huge star and she came from Rochdale.

“The Gracie Fields’ Blue Plaque trail will commemorate the key Rochdale landmarks connected to Gracie. There will be eight plaques unveiled at ceremonies over the coming months.

“Talks are well advanced with the owner of the Molesworth Street site for a proper and fitting memorial to mark Gracie’s birthplace.

“And we are talking to with private sector investors and grant-awarding bodies to secure funding for an impressive statue to Gracie to be erected in the town centre. This is long, long overdue. I am also working hard to secure a permanent exhibition of the hundreds of items of Gracie memorabilia the town holds of Gracie.

“I would like to thank the Gracie Fields’ Appreciation Society and Rochdale Rotary Club for all their help with pushing this project forward. They have worked so hard and their determination has helped bring this exciting project to fruition.”

The statue should be approved at the Rochdale Township Committee meeting on Wednesday (16 July).

The Rotary Club of Rochdale has also welcomed the plans. Rochdale Online Director and member of the Rotary Club, John Kay said: “I certainly hope that the township committee approve these plans as I think that this is very good news and will certainly be good for Rochdale. It is very good news and will hopefully bring people in to the town.”

Graham Knox from the Rotary Club of Rochdale East added: “We are very pleased to hear that this is going ahead. Our chairman initially started the idea a few years ago and I think if we had gone ahead on our own and done it, it is something that would have been on a lot smaller scale. We are very pleased with the news.”

Gracie Fields was born above a fish and chip shop in 1898 and made her first stage appearance in 1905. Gracie had a lifetime in show business including a number of appearances on the west end and 10 appearances on the Royal Variety Show.

Even though she went on to live in Italy, Gracie never forgot her roots and would often visit Rochdale. She was made a dame in 1979 – a few months before she died at the age of 81.