Albert Hotel
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The Albert Hotel on the junction of Queen's Road and Albert Road opened as a Temperance Hotel in 1881; this part of the building's history lasting 3 years before going into liquidation due to many competing temperance businesses in the town. New owners gained a liquor licence and managed to resurrect the business until licensing issues led to the building being sold to a new owner in 1890; this owner having no experience of the hotel trade and similarly to its first owners going into bankruptcy in 1891 - the building being sold out of the hotel trade by 1893. The building itself then survived in a number of guises until its eventual demolition by 1993.
Opening[edit]
The Hastings and St. Leonards Albert Temperance Hotel to give the establishment its full name opened on Tuesday the 15th of November 1881 and was situated on the north corner of Albert Road and Queen's Road. Canon Wilberforce laid the foundation stone for the Coffee Palace Hotel Company there in 1881. A seven-course meal was held at the opening event, chaired by the Rev. Dr. Cross DCL, with many of the town's notable residents present; the menu being shown below[1].
Soups: Oxtail and Julienne
Fish: Codfish and Oyster Sauce, Fried Soles
Entrees: Jugged Hare, Lobster Patties
Releves: Boiled Fowls, Ham, Roast Beef, Saddle Mutton
Roasts: Pheasants
Entremets (Desserts): Plum Puddings, Meringue a la Crème, Fruit Jellies, Castle Pudding, Timber Pastry, Apple Puffs
Dessert: Grapes, Pears, Apples, Filberts
The premises featured an east-west corridor on each of its five upper floors and had between thirty and forty apartments, with the main coffee room overlooking the Central Cricket Ground and Town Hall. The tables were marble topped and provided, together with the gas-lighting and other fixtures by Mr. G. J. Fellows of 42 & 43 St. Andrew's Road. The premises were operated by a manager - Mr. White[1].
The Bicycle and Tricycle Club, which formed in 1876 was headquartered at the hotel towards the end of the 19th century[2], and was also the birth place of the Hastings Chess Club in 1882.
In 1884 it went into liquidation with its shareholders complaining there was too much competition in the town for the temperance trade.
New Owners[edit]
The next owners - a partnership between Mr. J. Bell and Mr. E. H. Langley - gave up temperance and applied for a full licence in 1885[3], this being granted in 1886. The partners took out a lengthy editorial in the Hastings & St. Leonards Observer where the hotel was described as having a dining room capable of seating up to 60 people, with coffee, smoking and meeting rooms on the first floor. The floors above the first were occupied by thirty suites and rooms. The manager - the same Mr. White as previously - reported that more than 90% of the hotel's previous patrons wanted to consume alcohol whilst staying at the hotel and it had built a good reputation for providing cheap but good quality meals[4]. Business dramatically increased when it started serving alcohol to customers from the Gaiety Theatre next door.
Bomb Scare[edit]
A scare was caused by means of an 'infernal machine' - a bomb - being visible from one of the windows of the Albert Hotel on the 9th of January 1885. The 'device' was described as consisting of a box labeled 'Dynamite, dangerous' with what appeared to be a fuse leading from the box. Upon investigation by the police, which involved watching the exits of the town for suspicious characters, it was found to be a hoax - the box being filled with various bits of rubbish[5].
Licencing and removal of licence[edit]
The licence was not renewed in 1888 because of opposition from the Globe Tavern two doors away. “This is not a normal hotel”, said the Globe manager, “it has been turned into an ordinary public house”. The magistrates noted that “there were the usual coloured glasses hung up around the bar, two barmaids and customers ‘tossing for beer’. The area is a perfect plum pudding of public houses”, they said. There were apparently 36 public houses within a quarter mile radius of the hotel.
The licence was granted again in August of that year on the conditions that the door from the billiard room to Russell Street was to be closed up and the doorway from the bar to Albert Road was also to be sealed, with the bar removed; alcohol was only to be served with food[6]. By September, the case was again in front of the magistrates; it being stated that Mr Langley (the licensee at the time) had not complied with the directions given in the previous hearing - the bar continuing its trade as primarily a public house and not that of a restaurant. This time, the licence was again refused and the licensee gave an indication that he intended to appeal - the loss of the bar side of his business was crippling to him financially[7]. In August of 1890, we have mention of a meeting to discuss the slow progress being made in the drainage work being carried out on Queen's Road[8].
New Management and Bankruptcy[edit]
By November 1890, the hotel was under new management - Mr. G. N. Cox[9]. This did not last long - Cox having no experience of running a hotel; he having previously being a bank clerk living in Croydon as reported to the Bankruptcy Court on the 9th of March 1891. He had purchased the business for £1,425 (of which £70 had been borrowed), with the premium of the lease being £800 which he intended to have paid by utilising the takings of the business. His wife had some money from property belonging to her, and had paid for the furnishings of the hotel. Cox blamed his inability to pay on poor takings during the winter season[10].
Closure, Sale of building and demolition[edit]
The Albert closed in 1892/3, reference to it having been sold in August of 1893 being made in the Observer[11].
The building was demolished for the widening of Albert Road in 1992/3.
Images[edit]
- Images
Albert-Road-c1962
Hastings St Leonards - 1980s Footage Albert Road1 YouTube
References & Notes
- ↑ a b British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 19 November 1881 Pg. 0003
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Advertiser 27 September 1888 Pg. 0019
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Advertiser 27 August 1885 Pg. 0005
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 9 August 1884 Pg. 0006
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 10 January 1885 Pg. 0003
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Advertiser 27 September 1888 Pg. 0004
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Advertiser 30 August 1888 Pg. 0005
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 23 August 1890 Pg. 0007
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 15 November 1890 Pg. 0001
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 14 March 1891 Pg. 0012
- ↑ British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 5 August 1893 Pg. 0007
