Can anyone tell me about the Grand Hotel?

[BBC2]

Sabina please contact Jane about the above :-

 

doctorgisborne@romley.co.uk

 

Sorry I have not done enough posts to go through the Forum process .

[CaptainChaos]

My mother used to be receptionist there and ells a great tale of when Bill Haley stayed, a crowd of fans were trying to get in and were pressed against the doors to the point they were bowed inwards and nearly breaking.

[flightliner]

When the grand was pulled down all the re-usable timber was stored in a yard in Liverpool st Attercliffe to be sold. So anyone who would like to see a "little bit" of the old place have a look for a garage with a flat roof on the Beaver hill estate in Handsworth-- its still there!

[stewpot54]

George Mooney the old gangster always used the Round bar as his watering hole and reminisce about the 'good' old days.

I used to attend City Grammar and one lunch time I saw Churchill going in the main entrance .

[zakes]

During 1968 - 69 at Hurlfield School the boys in my year were split into groups to visit places of interest. Some went to the Gaumont, some to Granville college, some to Sheffield Wednesdays ground and I was in the group to visit the Grand Hotel. The head porter showed us around for a couple of hours and pointed out the various bedrooms to us of famous people who had slept in them, the Beatles, Enrico Caruso, Pablo Picasso etc. His big mistake was showiing us the cellar because some of us managed to smuggle out bottles of Mackeson and Jubilee Stout and also various brands of fags including Sobranie Black Russian.

Another memory was when Manchester United stayed there. At that time I with a few others collected football autographs at hotels. On this occassion two of us went around to the Leopold Street side because we knew from past experience that George Best would come out and nip into the Buccaneer for a swift 'un, we didn't have to wait long and we collared him and he gladly signed several pictures for each of us.

Someone mentioned Tony Oxley, I came across him when i lived in Germany, me in Hannover him in Duesseldorf. I have several elpees of this fine Made in Sheffield jazz drummer.

 

P.S I could write a book about the escapades and tricks we used to get up to collecting autographs of footballers around the country including 'bunking it' on trains costing British Rail a fortune, cadging lifts on team coaches, sneaking into hotels, lifts in players cars, training grounds, free admission in grounds etc. The KGB would have been proud of us! Sorry self-indulgence.

[Swiller]

I apparantly have had in my possession the bell from the desk of the grand hotel (from what I have beenm told!)

[DaveD]

I remember the Grand from my childhood, my father and grandfather used to go for lunch every Thursday and i was taken and I remember the head-waiter ..was it Mr Bird, and I am sure I have a pic of him at a family meal in 1948..... my memory was of the loos ..they seemed to be of solid marble

[Nailbiter]

When I used to go drinking round town with the lads in the 60,s the guy who dropped for a round in the Grand drew the short straw as it was about 3 bob a pint (30 pence) First saw a colour tele in there Violet Carsons ( Ena Sharples from Coro St. was sat watching it) in one of the lounges.

[schoolrdgal]

Didnt go into the hotel but I did have a look at the kitchens. A friend from school went as a chef, his name was Anthony Russell -Ward . As far as I remember he was a pastry chef, dont know if he stayed . This was around 1969 -1970 ish !

[DaveD]

Didnt go into the hotel but I did have a look at the kitchens. A friend from school went as a chef, his name was Anthony Russell -Ward . As far as I remember he was a pastry chef, dont know if he stayed . This was around 1969 -1970 ish !

 

know ARW ..he went on to be in the marines and then into the chemical business..he still lives in Sheffield ...that's if its the same guy but the name is not common lol