In the Adam Adamant episode where they visit Blackpool, Georgina enthusiastically points out Blackpool Tower as they travel along the Golden Mile in an open top tram. "Oh, yes," Adam says casually. "I opened it." And then adds: "It rained all day."
I rather think John Bickerstaffe would have something to say about that, though of course Adam Adamant may have been present at the opening ceremony. John Bickerstaffe was the Chairman of the Tower Company, so on 14th May 1894 he was the obvious choice to cut the ribbon and allow all the holidaymakers who had paid their 6d into the Tower Building. It was 6d extra to get in the lift to the top of the Tower, and an extra payment for the Tower Circus, which also opened for the season that evening.
In his early days, according to his obituary in the Lancashire Post, he was a member of the local lifeboat crew "and participated in several exciting sea rescues", which makes him sound like the sort of person Adam Adamant would have got on well with.
He made his fortune as the licensee of the Wellington Hotel, got onto the local council and became an Alderman and later, the Mayor of Blackpool. As Mayor, he was responsible for the building of Victoria Hospital, and after that he was Chairman of the Fylde Water Board for 28 years. He was also involved in the local Territorial Army, and recruited men locally for the First World War.
He was knighted for his services to the development of the town of Blackpool and the Conservative Party in 1926, but he seems to have been the sort of old school Tory who believed in public service, who wanted to improve the lives of all the people of Blackpool. He wanted every child to have a decent education and a chance in life, and was also involved in the building of several local schools.
When he died in 1930, at the age of 82, the flags at all the public offices in Blackpool, and the Tower and Winter Gardens, were flown at half-mast.
