Does anyone recall the seafront building (I think it was a hotel) that used to stand at the west end of the Carlisle pub? Work was being done on the building when the front collapsed, only the scaffolding held it up. A fire engine was placed in the road with its ladder against the scaffold t provide additional support. What was this building called (Gordon Hotel/House?) and what was the explaination?
Hastings Forum
Sea Front Hotel Collapse 1960s
Re: Sea Front Hotel Collapse 1960s
All the buildings to the west of the Carlisle had gone by 1966..Prior to that there were Rossi's,Wilberforce Hotel,Cafe Royal,Rock Restuarant,Marmara Amusements,Criterion Icecream parlour.In 1964 the Marmara was also the Taj Mahal..Taking a quick look back to 1939 I can find no reference to a Gordon Hotel/House..You can find old copies of the Observer in the local Reference Library there will be some item in the paper about this..This reminds of of when they were doing work to the old Demarco cafe in Wellington Place after it had been sold,there was very nearly a collapse during building work_ _ _A lot of those very old buildings were only held up by the wallpaper_ _ _
Re: Sea Front Hotel Collapse 1960s
Thanks for that Patvick, I know about the library, but I without knowing even knowing the year it's gonna be a hard slog. I was hoping to find a short cut or two. The name Gordon House (not hotel) comes from a photo on this site in the in Days Gone By section of a1907 serpia Judges Postcard of Hastings promenade and this does seem to be in the right area. I seem to recall the building had been in a very poor condition for some time, but I was only a kid at the time and as you say, there were many buildings in a bad way back then.
Re: Sea Front Hotel Collapse 1960s
It looks like Gordon House may have changed its name, If I'm right it was at No.8 and 9 Denmark Place and No.8 housed The Colony Club which went bankrupt in 1959 and No.9 was once some sort of bank, but that was in Victorian days. I'm guessing the building remained disused after 1959. Most of the buildings in that row seem to have been board and lodging houses with grandiose names. They appear to all have had some sort of shop or other business on the ground floor. Lewcock's Hotel and Restaurant was bombed in World War Two and destroyed along with the nearby Denmark Arms pub. The Denmark Arms Licence was passed to The Comet Pub in 1955. According to The Observer of Jan 10 1959, the council were considering planning aplications for a building to replace Lewcocks. I'm continuing research into this area, but it's gonna take a while. Good photos of these buildings in their later years seem extremely rare.
Re: Sea Front Hotel Collapse 1960s
Did have a look through those very interesting old postcards on Flickr which you mentioned,and spotted the Gordon,had a look through my Directories but could not find any mention of a Gordon House but there was a Gordon Hotel in Havelock Road, perhaps he had the idea of taking it over ,erected a sign but the deal fell through ? pure speculation_ _ _
Re: Sea Front Hotel Collapse 1960s
I wouldn't read too much into the name, I think Gordon was some sort of historical figure. There's also a Gordon Road. I think the address was 8, 9 and 9a Denmark Place and I'm told there was a small amusement arcade on the ground floor, perhaps the one you mentioned. My only memory of the building is as a derelict and ugly place, but I would only be about 10 years old when it all happened. Sooner or later I'll get around to trawling through those old newspapers, but that task will cure anyone's insomnia.
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Re: Sea Front Hotel Collapse 1960s
I remember it well ,when i was a ' youngster ' back in the 60's i used to work in the Rock Restaurant on the candy floss machine !! it was a summer job as i was still in school ,my Dad used to serve the place with meat ,he was a local butcher, Hopwood of Bexhill Road ,next doot was an amusement arcade with a juke -box at the front ,we all thought this was ' fab ' i watched the Mod's and Rockers from the candy floss window !! what a weekend that was !! such memories !!
- terry_again
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Re: Sea Front Hotel Collapse 1960s
Discovered that Gordon House was one of the Carlisle Villas and therefore demolished in 1930, so it isn't the building I was looking for.
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Re: Sea Front Hotel Collapse 1960s
Edit: Sorry, posted on the wrong topic!
- terry_again
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Re: Sea Front Hotel Collapse 1960s
It happens.
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