Bodega Bar

From Historical Hastings
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The Bodega in Robertson Street and having an entrance on Havelock Road was a wine bar operated by the national chain known as the Bodega Wine Company and opened in 1884, the premises previously having been West's Cellars. The premises run by Mr. James Elphick (formerly of the Havelock Hotel) featured a reading room at the rear of the bar and a billiards room on the upper floor[1] By 1902 the bar was advertising sandwiches, and during the run up to Christmas offered hampers containing selection of the wines and spirits sold at the bar. The premises were prominently marked with a painted sign on one of the walls facing the town centre. In addition to the on-site sales, the bar was known to supply wine and other liquors to a number of hotels, such as the Albany Hotel, and eating establishments that did not have their own license.In 1916, there was an injunction served against the national chain by Bovril preventing them from passing off other meat preparations (namely by selling Oxo[2]) as being Bovril[3]During WW2 the cellars of the premises were used as an Air raid shelter with a capacity of 80 people[4]. A number of firms were reported as having re-located their offices, typewriters and all to the premises during the war. One one occasion, some seventy persons were sheltering from an air raid in September 1940 when a bomb hit the ​building​ and all survived[5]

Licencees

1884- : James Elphick
1887: William Stanton
1916:Reginal Burge (Mr. Burge was also granted a limited exception from service during WW1, by nature of his employment)[6]
1917-1951: Bert Hyner (-1954)[7]

Images


References & Notes