Lifting the lid on spooky goings-on in Palace Hotel

Posted by Visiter Newsdesk on December 29, 2006 4:32 PM

THE Palace Hotel holds many memories for Sandgrounders, but such is the mystery surrounding the place that many of the myths overshadow the facts.

Since its demolition in 1969 rumours have abounded of ghostly happenings and strange goings-on.

Indeed while the old Birkdale hotel was still in operation, visitors and staff would hear whisperings of spooky stories of death and intrigue.

One concerned the murder of a young girl at the hotel, while others felt that the tortured soul of the building’s architect, who, distraught at the inability of constructors to follow his plans, committed suicide, such was his devastation.

It was against this backdrop that Merseyside Anomalies Research Association (MARA) was invited to conduct research into the now non-existent Palace Hotel.

The main questions put to them asked whether the hotel had been built back-to-front, whether the architect did indeed commit suicide on discovery of the mistake, and whether the lift was haunted.

As workmen carried out enabling projects prior to demolition, a multitude of witnesses reported the continued movement of the hotel’s lift – despite the electricity being disconnected.

The fact that the hotel faced away from the sea led to speculation that it had been built back-to-front, but MARA, who have appeared on BBC’s Inside Out and North West Tonight, considered this “unlikely”.

They say the firm behind the design, Travis & Mangnall, went on to win many other competitions to design flagship buildings in seaside resorts such as Brighton and Colwyn Bay. Further delving in the company records seems to bust our second myth, that the architect committed suicide after discovering his project had been built the wrong way around.

MARA say their research indicates that none of the architects associated with Travis and Mangnall took their own lives.

But stories of the lift seem a little harder to confirm or deny.

There are accounts of the lift continuing to move, long after the electricity supply was cut and while the brakes were on.

MARA’s research suggests that if this continued for any length of time following disconnection, there would appear to be no logical explanation.

And we are left to make up our own minds about the ‘haunted’ lift.

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How Marjorie blazed a trail

Posted by Visiter Newsdesk on December 22, 2006 4:38 PM

THIS Christmas, while most of us are putting our slippered feet up in front of the telly, one group of key workers will remain at their station.

Every year, the men and women of our emergency services put the pull of family and friends to one side to keep us safe during the festive period.

Among them is the fire service, who no longer just react to 999 calls but also carry out vital preventative work.

And it was during one such round of free smoke alarm installations and safety assessments that Southport’s firefighters came across 89-year-old Marjorie Hopwood – a rare lady among the men of Southport’s fire service more than 60 years ago.

The Ainsdale resident joined the service prior to the outbreak of war, but as hostilities intensified she found herself becoming heavily involved in dousing Liverpool’s blazing docklands, and eventually the D-Day invasion..

This is Marjorie’s story: “On September 3 1939 when war broke out we were told to report to the stations.

“The main fire station was on Tulketh Street, now a car park, and I was in the control room.

“There were five substations in Southport then: on Cobden Road, Weld Road, the Reliance garage in Ainsdale, Bradley Street and Lincoln House.

“I was sent to Lincoln House and found the men there spending their time building a fire tender out of a Sunbeam car!

“I was trained to be in a pump crew and all did squad drill – we had one woman at each station.

“During 1940, there was heavy bombardment on the docks in Liverpool and fire crews were sent from Southport to deal with them.”

Marjorie continued her work in the north, but as the combat situation changed, demand escalated in the south of England in anticipation of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

Marjorie said: “In January 1944, I volunteered to go to the south coast.

“I was stationed in the control room of the fire station in Worthing and remained there until the end of hostilities.

“We all slept in dormitories in a house there and the south coast was swarming with American and Canadian troops.

“It was the first time I’d ever heard about nylons.

“I couldn’t help but notice how much better looking the firemen are today.

“Then I remembered that all the younger ones had been called up into the armed forces in my day.

“We were left with all the old men!”

A spokesman for Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service added: “It’s amazing the sort of stories we come across while carrying out community fire safety work.

“Our advocates and firefighters meet people from all walks of life, this was particularly nice as they were able to see how the fire service had changed over the years.”

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Valuation joy for collector

Posted by Visiter Newsdesk on December 15, 2006 4:47 PM

ONE of Southport’s most prolific postcard collectors has just received a valuation on his extensive collection from experts Warwick and Warwick.

Sandgrounder John Tate has been adding to his haul of cards for decades and estimates he has more than 800 in his possession.

Although unwilling to reveal their value, he did say it came as a “surprise”.

Mr Tate told LookBack: “Prices vary from postcard to postcard.

“People from all over the country - and the world - had postcards after 1870.

“Some of the most popular postcards were the artist’s postcards, where they signed their signature on the picture and it is transposed into a postcard.

“But really it’s dependent on the type and state of the card, and the type of subject.”

Pictured above is In the Swim by Mabel Lucie Attwell, a beautifully realised illustration that contains a drop down selection of photographed Southport scenes.

The date in the bottom corner indicates it was created in 1837, but it was during the inter-war years that these images enjoyed their widest popularity.

John said: “She was a real artist of children’s drawings.

“She did illustrate books and going back years used to do a Mabel Lucie Attwell calendar which was very well known in the day.”

Produced in a similar vein is LB Martin’s work, entitled Just Arrived.

The card fits with the mid-twentieth century penchant for amusing seaside images.

On this occasion a well-to-do couple have arrived at Southport beach, complete with luggage and sports equipment, and appear to be peering earnestly in search of breaking waves.

It’s an image that could be accurately replicated today.

Moving into slightly more risque territory is the colourful picture showing a gentile couple strolling through the sand dunes.

All around are courting pairs hidden among the sand and marram grass, as the moon hovers above the Irish Sea.

The catchline asserts that, ‘a day or two in Southport, makes us want a little bit more’, which, in the context, could be taken to mean any number of things.

But one of John’s favourite cards was sent by serving WW2 soldiers to a class of school children.

John said: “The card was sent from the soldiers to the children of a particular school.

“In those years, smoking was encouraged and the pupils at this school had collected cigarettes for the troops and sent them out.

“A very hard to come by card and an unusual one - just to think that the children provided cigarettes!”

Which goes to show, it’s not always about the picture.

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St Philip's provides great history lesson!

Posted by Visiter Newsdesk on December 8, 2006 5:01 PM

ST PHILIP’S Church of England School has seen plenty of change in its 130 year history, but is now looking forward to life as ‘a school for the 21st Century’.

The Hampton Road primary has changed shape dramatically in the intervening time and is calling on all ex-pupils to make contact before a balloon launch on January 8 marks the beginning of a £500,000 investment in the future.

Although it was formed in 1876, the foundation stone of the present school building wasn’t laid until May 1 1893, by the largest landowner in the area, Charles Scarisbrick.

The development of a centre of learning became necessary as Southport spread and expanded beyond the amenities that were then in place.

Such was demand that, forsaking any notion of political correctness, an inspectors’ report of the time noted: “A new school in an outlying and increasing part of Southport has been erected.

“The infants are backward and show only moderate intelligence.”

Imagine the outcry if such an observation were made today!

But of course it wouldn’t, as the testimony of parents and ex-pupils makes clear.

George Whalley attended St Philip’s between 1940-1947 and his strongest memories range from the slates used as notebooks, to swimming lessons in Victoria Baths and the occasional caning if you stepped out of line.

George, who went on to work in insurance, said: “I remember we used to have to write with white chalk on a slate.

“There would be about 40 of us, and only 20 or 30 of the slates were smooth and the remaining 10 were rough.

“There would be a rush to get in early to make sure you got a smooth slate because it was so hard forming letters on the rough ones.”

He fondly remembers his involvement in shows and particularly the Christmas pantomime, but gave a sharp reminder of how strict schooling, and the headmaster, was just 60 years ago.

“We got the cane from Mr Rimmer for fighting and would be brought out and whacked on the hand in front of the rest of the school.

“We wouldn’t do that again!”

Today’s headmaster, Mr Johnson is certainly cut from different cloth, and the school try to foster an environment that delivers young people who are “happy, well-rounded, successful and fulfilled”.

An aim parent of two current pupils and one ex-pupil, Shelley Hughes believes they achieve.

She added: “It’s such a friendly school and really gives them confidence.”

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Rooms full of memories

Posted by Visiter Newsdesk on December 1, 2006 5:15 PM

TO Andrew Ogilvie, the ballroom was a football pitch, the stairs were mountains and the lift was a space ship.

But to his uncle, Ken Archer, The Clifton Hotel was a family legacy he was determined to continue expanding as one of the leading establishments in the increasingly popular resort of Southport.

The Clifton had been founded in 1895 by Ken’s great grandmother, Elizabeth Archer who was one of seemingly many strong-willed Victorian matriarchs.

Starting life as a temperance hotel, the popularity of Elizabeth Archer’s afternoon teas – then a rarified delicacy – saw the Clifton grow and absorb adjoining Promenade properties from a humble two-bedroom beginning.

Ken, 81, said: “She made afternoon tea a feature, particularly in those days when it was very much more important than it is now.

“She would stress that it brought a lot of trade in and was quite fashionable at the time.”

Another pivotal decision Elizabeth Archer made was to order the construction of the ballroom, which opened on Boxing Day, 1935 and shares the same architect – and art deco windows – as the Floral Hall across the road.

As war started, the hotel was commandeered by British forces and Mrs Archer found herself moving out to Birkdale, where she opened a small boarding house and had the business nous to take her residents with her.

Ken, on the other hand, was in the Royal Air Force and forced to spend the last two-and-a-half years of his service in hospital after injury.

Once fit, he returned with grand plans for the hotel.

Ken, who now lives in Cumbria, said: “I came out in 1947, and gradually took over.

“The place had been totally unlicensed until that time because Elizabeth didn’t approve of alcohol.

“I had to get a licence and Southport had at that time not given a full licence in about 50 years.

“So I got a QC who specialised in hotels and bars and we got it granted.

“That led to loads of functions, and eventually the bar.”

The opening of the bar in 1959 was a break with the past and Ken soon realised that customers wanted more than just a bed for the night.

He said: “We started sports and entertainment for people staying here, and had tennis courts and a croquet lawn.

“It was really the beginning of the drive to provide attractions.”

And soon Ken had the thought which must be the holy grail for all hoteliers.

He said: “I remember coming down the lift and thinking, the dining room’s full, the bedrooms are full, the ballroom’s full – it’s working, it’s real.”

During this time, Ken and his family were living in the top floor of the building, along with nephew Andrew and his family.

Andrew, now 55, said: “I was born in the building and lived here until I was 23, with my brothers, sisters and cousins.

“The lift was a spaceship for us and we’d cycle along the corridors and play football in the ballroom.

“Uncle didn’t quite understand how the glass chandeliers kept getting broken!”

In January 1977, The Clifton amalgamated with The Royal next door, formerly owned by the Prince of Wales Hotel, to become Southport’s largest hotel.

And in 1984, Tim Timmerman, managing director of Southport’s oldest bakery, Mellors, took possession of the building and continues to operate the 111 bedrooms and suites to this day.

FOR A young Andrew Ogilvie, the hotel’s proximity to the Floral Hall further along The Promenade provided a rare glimpse of the up and coming rock ‘n’ roll culture.

He said: “In 1964, I got The Rolling Stones’ autographs, but when my mother came in she just stared at them in shock and said they looked as if they’d just been beating people up!
"We had The Who here too, and I asked Pete Townshend why they smashed all the gear up in hotel rooms and he said, ‘well, we get tax relief’!”

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