Winter Gardens: meet the family of four all working at the resort’s beloved entertainment venue

It’s exotic floral hall, the decadent plaster work, the glorious ballroom all encompasses the show biz essence of the Winter Gardens. A building which plays host to some of the most star studded and glamorous people in the world, embedded in Blackpool’s town centre, a fusion of theatre and just about anything you can think of.

The Winter Gardens is more than any entertainment centre, it is Blackpool itself. From its timeless, iconic legacy and world-renowned visitors there is no questioning why this place crept into the heart, of now, one of its leading ladies.

Enter, Lynda Baker, now guest services manager at the Winter Gardens and her three children, Kelly Jessica and Jamie also work there. A family force behind the scenes. Lynda too fell in love with this magical place. We spoke to Lynda to hear her own little love story with the Winter Gardens.

“So, I started at the Winter Gardens when I was 18, in October 1987”, she said. “I had come to Blackpool because I followed my heart, my then boyfriend was working here at the time, I had just finished a summer season at Butlins. I had met some people the night I arrived that had offered me a job on the Galleon Bar. So, I worked a shift, stayed the weekend, then went home to Rochdale, packed a bag and I have never been home.”

Lynda described that it was a: “Goosebump moment”. “I saw the arch and the blue neon, and I looked at it and I thought wow. I felt like I was coming to the right place at the right time.” Now since being at the Winter Gardens for over 35 years Lynda’s role in the establishment has significantly change, working across all departments, putting her hand to just about everything bar the performance on stage. Her passion and respect for the building and its history most certainty have not.

Working her way up in the ranks, in what was then a male dominated workplace, she is now head of the front of house. A team in which standards are high and help is never far away. But your average day in the Winter Gardens is quite the contrast from the normal 9-5. She said: “No two days are ever the same, today for instance we are hosting the Champions of tomorrow, with international visitors, for a dance festival and it’s absolutely brilliant. I am just in love with this building. People often will say that I am married to my job which is interesting but there you go.”

The Winter Gardens has employed a mass of Blackpool residents over the years and according to Lynda, they always cherish their time working in the beautiful venue. “People often come back to visit us. You don’t forget your time here and it is very true.” Lynda never set out for her children to follow in her footsteps, by working at the Winter Gardens but they share that same love and passion for one of Blackpool’s most beloved buildings.

Daughter Jess added: “My first memories of the Winter Gardens where with my brother after school coming to get an ice-cream and watch ten minutes of a show. It’s great working here because my mum is one of best friends, we have a great working relationship. But by having such a boss woman as my mum it makes me want to be a woman in power too, also to see her work her it’s so fun, the people she gets to meet and so on.”

One of Lynda career highlights is when the Winter Gardens hosted the Royal Variety Performance in 2020. Lynda oversaw taking Her Majesty the late Queen Elizabeth to her seat.

And Lynda’s wise words for women in business would be: ‘Listen, take note, learn and don’t hold back.” Lynda will not be stopping any time soon and will remain at the heart of establishment that really is at the heart of Blackpool.