THE POST-WAR YEARS
OLD POSTCARDS
many thanks also
to Aimee for the kind donations
Extract from text presented
to the Peacehaven and Telscombe Historical Society by Douglas
d'Enno - thanks Douglas!
Saltdean's Holiday Palace
A Profile on Postcards
Brighton's biggest hotel is now in its second year of closure
- and gradual deterioration. There are attractive plans
to redevelop the Grade 2 listed structure and it is hoped
these will soon come to fruition.
Following hard on the heels of their new Lido, Saltdean's
Ocean Hotel, opened in July 1938, marked the peak of the
collaboration between Charles Neville - the developer of
Peacehaven, Saltdean and parts of Rottingdean between the
wars and after - and his architect, Richard WH Jones.
In a splendid publicity brochure, the promoters and artist
enthusiastically portrayed the new venture in superlative
terms. Idealised illustrations portrayed the wide entrance
hall, the restaurant with its lofty ceilings and sea views,
the roof gardens and the luxurious ballroom - with its resident
dance orchestra - whose sprung floor accommodated 'a company
of 300 dancers in comfort'.
A hotel guide by one WG McMinnies called Signpost contains
a fine aerial photo of the hotel surrounded by a network
of (then) sparsely built-up roads. The Ocean was, the author
enthused, 'wizard' and he 'spent hours studying the marvellous
place and its visitors. Such a happy, healthy looking lot
of folks dress for riding, bathing, tennis, etc.'
The postcards reproduced below are among a large number
published depicting the hotel. Internal views are less common
but space precludes any from being illustrated here.
A superb pre-war card showing the hotel from the air. It
is a coloured version of a drawing which appeared as a b/w
illustration in promotional literature and predated the
building's opening to the public since it states on the
reverse 'It is hoped to open the doors of the Hotel to visitors
on July 1st, 1938'. The official opening ceremony took place
three weeks later. A full description is given of all the
facilities on offer at 'the most modern seaside hotel in
Britain', with inclusive terms from 3½ guineas (£3.67).
The Ocean Garage at top left was used after the war as a
petrol station, motor workshops and other light industrial
purposes. It was demolished in 1985.
Another early 'official' promotional card, with the steps
to the diving board artistically framed. The text on the
reverse encourages enquirers to write for an illustrated
brochure with full particulars. The features mentioned include
first-class cuisine, licensed premises with an American
bar, the most comfortable box spring beds, indoor sports
and the children's nursery and paddling pool. The full-size
pool depicted here was covered in 1986.
A very typical 1960s coloured view of the façade
in its days as a Butlin venture. Billy Butlin took over
the Ocean in 1952, paying a quarter of a million for it.
It was re-opened as a holiday centre on 2 May 1953 and run
by the company until 1972, when it was taken over by the
Rank organisation. They sold out in 1999 to the Grand Leisure
Hotel Group and the building became the Grand Ocean Hotel
until final closure in January 2005. The Fifties and Sixties
were the heyday of the Ocean and this card, published by
Elgate Postcards of Margate (the only one I have ever seen
of the hotel by that publisher) is pure Sixties - yet it
must presumably still have been on sale at the hotel two
decades later when posted by a guest on 11 July 1985!
Please look here for an opportunity to buy photos and maps on the web.
OJ1,T!ZBMWv8!S!jg~~_12.jpg)
A collection of various Images
I have found over time on eBay and on the net.
I find them very interesting.
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