Memories of the Garden House Hotel

My parents, Squadron Leader David Gordon & Mrs June Gordon, moved with us children, Nicholas, David & Julie, to take over the running of the Garden House Hotel during the winter of 1962/63. My father's parents, Kenneth & Mavis Gordon, had founded the hotel back in 1922-23, having purchased the building, built in the mid-19th century, formerly known as the St Nicholas School for Gentlemen's Daughters. He built the 'Garden Cottage' in about 1923, using top quality oak for the floors and banisters, and special window glass designed to keep out UV rays, donated by my grandmother.

Painted white, the hotel was dazzling, but one entered a dark, cavernous hall full of heavy furniture that smelled of polish. Once inside visitors were directed to the reception desk and the smiling face of my grandfather, who in the early days also owned the Clifton Hotel. It was this that was the source of the family legend that recalled a customer arriving at the hotel enquiring about a room for the night. Upon being told that the hotel was fully booked, he asked whether there were any other good hotels in the area. "Yes", said grandfather, "you might try the Clifton", whereupon grandfather would race around and appear as if by magic behind its reception! Globe-topped columns flanked the drive and the sign proudly read 'Garden House Hotel' in green letters. Directly behind the sign on a grassy knoll sat a white painted bench where one could sit and watch the world go by. The flowerbeds were filled with sweet-smelling roses and my father grew geraniums in his greenhouse and on the patio in front of the cottage.

According to the headed paper, all the rooms had "running water and gas or electric fires". They also had a bell-push which when depressed, rang a bell on an indicator board on the backstairs landing of the relevant floor. On these landings the chambermaids had everything they needed for serving morning tea except hot water which was obtained from the main servery and carried up the stairs. Linen was kept in cupboards on each landing as well and dirty linen was taken to the basement linen room where it was bundled up for collection. Repairs to linen and other fabrics were carried out there too by domestic staff. Also in the basement was a washing room complete with mangle that was great fun for me!

Every Christmas my grandfather organised an 'event' for the entertainment of the residents, and this carried on until the mid-1960s. He wrote the music and lyrics for a large number of songs that were performed by him, the family and staff. My father changed the format and starting bringing in the rising stars of the day including Rod Hull and Emu, Norman Whitehead (BBC pianist and composer) and Norman Caley ('The Mad Earl') to name but a few. In the 1970s we had such bands as '10cc', 'Thin Lizzy' and 'Sandgate' staying in the hotel while they appeared at the Leas Cliff Hall.

Having run the hotel for a few years it was decided that it needed updating and the residents were given notice to leave. Many found alternatives locally, but one lady, a sturdily built retired GP with a penchant for gin, refused to budge. We still laugh at the sight of her as she answered her door wearing nothing but her slippers and holding a glass of her favourite tipple! With the residents gone, the staff were given the option of staying on to help, or leave. The lounge with its sprung-floor, formerly the school gymnasium was fitted out with a bar, and the dining room was completely redecorated. The kitchen was re-equipped and the linen room was converted into the bar cellar. Recently, as the building was demolished five barrels of very flat cider were retrieved from this room. The New Wing was added to increase the number of bedrooms and all of them were updated to include some en-suite facilities. Though the external structure retained its Victorian elegance, the interior had metamorphosed from comfortably out-of-date to garishly commercial. The 1920s lift with its polished wood and mirrored car, decorative ironwork and scissor gates, was however, retained.

In the late 1970s the family sold up for personal reasons and we all dispersed. I found a flat in Trinity Gardens and then in the mid-1980s married and we spent our wedding night in the hotel. Throughout the 1990s I didn't take particular notice of the building until the mysterious fire and then after that it wasn't until earlier this year that I contacted the current owners to go and have a final look round. I wished I hadn't It was a stinking shell, water-sodden, rotting and full of pigeons. Now it's a pile of rubble; the bricks and slates have been shipped to London and metal scrap sold off locally. When the buildings have finally gone, the memories will linger on.