British Transport Hotels in the 1970s & 80s

Gloster said:

No stars. It was only a ‘hotel’ for some legal reason: it did its best to discourage short-term visitors. The office was only open for a few hours a day and the rest of the time access was through a gate, to which you had to have a key. Breakfast was just a coffee and a bread roll (specially bought in) that was consumed at a table in the corner of the office (which would not yet have opened when it was served); long-term residents sorted out their own food. Anybody who did persist would be shown one of the cleaner rooms. However, they would probably be put off by the worn stairs, basic toilet arrangements and the other occupants if they encountered them. You had to either be absolutely desperate (and remember they were not open in the evening so people who found every other hotel full couldn’t get in to ask) or really wanted to study low-life. It was an interesting couple of years.

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More seriously, obv an interesting experience - starts to sound a bit more like the sort of experience Orwell relays in Down and Out in Paris and London IIRC.

mailbyrail said:

Two copies of Carter's book available on Abebooks website, but only one in the UK - price £25 + £4.75 p&p

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Just bought a copy from world of books for £6.75 free p&p!!

Stayed in the GW Royal on a trip to London many years ago, but it might well have been just after the sell off. Can remember the mustiness, and uneven floors!
I've stayed since, and many of the Art Deco features remain in the public areas. A nice refurbishment.

Had a work gathering with Mrs D to the St Pancras hotel after refurb.
Drink and (in)famous stairs resulted in her giving it a full on zigazig ah

Wow such memories with this topic. In the early 80’s whilst working for an oil company I got transferred down to London during the hook up. Very soon found that down or up to London on a Monday morning and back on a Friday from Darlington was costing me. Myself and a couple of others searched for a cheaper way of doing things and the travel agent found in Baker Street came up with the brilliant idea of using ‘Golden Rail’ holidays. Cheaper and possible first class rail journey and staying in one of the BR hotels seemed like a great idea. As a consequence and not to alert hotel management we used to rotate between Paddington, Charing Cross, Victoria and Kings Cross. Never had a complaint in any of them. We later then transferred to another rail inclusive holiday called Londoners which besides the cheap first class rail, different hotels and a visit to a London Show and or a restaurant.
We used to travel back on the Fridays 15:30 from the Cross which had just been added to High Speed Trains schedule but due to the problems encountered at that early stage with the Paxman engines sometimes meant the stock had a late substitution of carriages with a 46 or 45 peak at its head. For me that was an added bonus to the end of the working week. Magic pure magic….

Geoff

Nice one!

Rescars said:

In regard to Grumpy's experience with the cars at Turnberry, there used to be a plaque in the Midland Manchester commemorating the first meeting between Rolls and Royce. The rest is history of course.

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It's still there (the plaque).

Is there a plaque commemorating the first date between David Beckham and the future Posh Spice as well?