The Village Squire, 1981-06, Page 8Your hosts
Jimmie
and
Janet Lawrie.
by Elaine Townshend
Blyth Summer Festival attracts more
people each year. Some drive long
distances by car. others arrive by bus;
many are first-time visitors to the area
and turn the trip to the Theatre into a
holiday excursion. They need a place to
stay for a night or two, but the village had
little tourist accommodation to offer until
last year.
"The board of directors of Blyth Centre
for the Arts is made up of many people
with ideas and inspirations," claims
president Mildred McAdam, "and last
year they proposed providing guest
homes for theatre -goers - a type of tourist
accommodation that is growing in
popularity across Canada."
An advertisement in the local
newspaper drew enough responses to
give visitors a variety of settings from
which to choose - cozy homes within
walking distance of the Theatre,
farmhouses in the nearby countryside,
and comfortable rooms in neighbouring
towns. A list of guest homes with
descriptions, directions, telephone
numbers and owners' names was pre-
pared for the Box Office.
"It helps people to know what the
places are like." explains McAdam.
An elderly couple, for example, might
require a one -storey house without steps,
or a young family might prefer to stay
with another family with children.
The visitors were asked to make their
own reservations with hosts. Most called
ahead of time, but a few arrived at the
last minute. Rates were set at $20 for
couples and $15 for singles. To be hosts.
the only criteria were to have a
comfortable spare room or two and be
interested in people and willing to talk.
"I asked the hosts to go to at Zest some
of the plays. so they knew what their
guests were talking about." McAdam
continues. "1 think the hosts of our guest
homes have been good ambassadors for
the Blyth Theatre and the Blyth area...
They've done everything from baby-
sitting to dog -sitting to getting up at four
o'clock in the morning to see their visitors
off."
Some hosts had to quit this year. but
new ones have taken their places to
provide the same number and variety of
guest homes. Co-ordinator for the 1981
summer season is Marion Zinn.
Blyth guest homes are not open to
the general public; they are a service
available to Theatre patrons only.
Last summer Jimmie and Janet Lawrie
welcomed twenty-five couples and
singles to their spacious home just three
blocks from the Theatre. The house has
two bedrooms upstairs to accommodate
two couples, and a third couple could use
another bedroom downstairs. if necessary
Mr. Lawrie. who recently retired as
school custodian in Blyth. has been
involved with the theatre board since it
began and was happy to volunteer for the
guest home program.
"Mildred and Marion knew they didn't
have to worry about me being talkative."
he jokes in his Scottish brogue.
He forgot to mention the idea to his
wife, though. When the first request for
accommodation came. Mrs. Lawrie
wasn't sure what was going on but
promised the gentleman he would have a
place to stay in August.
Coincidentally. a lady from Toronto.
who came with her husband to stay in the
guest home, sang in a church choir in
Milverton with Mr. Lawrie 50 years ago.
Her grandfather had lived in Blyth and
relatives had lived in Lucknow.
Guests came from all walks of life and
represented a variety of ethnic back-
grounds. Among the visitors were the
father and mother. brother and sister-in-
law of the theatre's artistic director.
(cont. on page 24)
PG. 8 VILLAGE SQUIRE/JUNE 1981
immie and Janet