The Queen's Hotel. At the commencement of the year a large hotel was talked of to be built on the unoccupied space of Robertson terrace. Five directors were to be appointed in London and three at Hastings. The latter were already named as T. Agar, Esq., of Oakfield Lodge; E. Hayles, Esq. of Belmont; and Robert Hempsted, of 14 Grand parade. On the 7th of March the project was sufficiently floated for an advertisement to appear, inviting shares to be applied for, and on the 14th of May the ground was stumped out for the building. The spot selected old site of the "Shipwright's Arms", kept by a man named Gallop at an antecedent period of more than twenty years, and consequently before the ground was claimed by the Woods and Forests Commissioners. When the month of May had arrived, it was announced that a considerable number of shares had been taken up, and the work would be almost immediately begun. A fortnight later, the ground plan was marked out, and Mr. John Howell had obtained the contract for the foundations. The foundations, together with the cellar arches were made, but the shares were not eagerly sought for, and it was more than twelve months before the tenders were recieved for the erection of the superstructure. The accepted tender and other items will be noticed in Chapter LX.
The Castle Club, better known as "The Peacocks", had their annual dinner at the Castle Hotel on the 11th of February, with Mr. Bromley in the chair. About twenty members partook of the good things there provided. According to report, the viands were of excellent character, the wines superb, and evening altogether most enjoyable.
A Harbour at Hastings, so often proposed and planned was alway abandoned as being too costly and too undesirable for a town like Hastings, whose situation was also not favourable for a harbour of Refuge, the late engineer Robert Stephenson gave it out as his opinion that there was no place on the coast as suitable as Margate - firstly, on account of the bay affording shelter for shipping; and, secondly, because there was plenty of room for an inner harbour.
A Cosmorama was opened in the Caves of the White Rock Bazaar by an enterprising tradesman on the 23rd of May. The exhibition of the Cosmorama and grotto-caves was open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at a charge of sixpence. Admission to the bazaar was at all times free. Mr. Ashdown was the proprietor.
