Blackpool Imperial Hotel - Part Two

 During the second world war, the hotel was taken over by the government as were many of the other Blackpool hotels for office accommodation and when the directors regained possession 11 years later many costly improvements (including over 7 miles of carpeting! ) this was carried out with a total expenditure of over £100, 000.

With the new influx of renovation and regeneration the Imperial’s appeal as a first class hotel and centre for social events and conferences. Every bedroom in the hotel now had its own bathroom suite, each with telephone, television, radio and fire alarm. The old banqueting hall at the north end of the basement which was created in 1904 was transformed into a full Masonic suite, with an appointed temple. This suite comprised in addition to the temple a dining room, lounge, bar and two changing rooms and a few years later another dining room added which was known as the Rutherford room was added.

The unused old Turkish baths in the south wing of the basement were dealt with in two phases. In 1956 the area was cleared and equipped as a children’s play area. In 1962 was changed into five stock rooms called the ‘Ducal rooms’ which had direct access to the car park. In 1965 two further well furnished meeting rooms were added behind the site of the old Turkish baths. At the end of 1958 saw the whole of the hotel provided with central heating, the old coal fire boilers in the basement were replaced with modern oil fired boilers. Another added bonus was the installation of a new modern passenger lift for the guests.

More changes happened quite rapidly with the walls of the Imperial, 1958 ladies powder room, 1961 new cocktail bar, 1963 the old billiards room and bar known as the old Snug were amalgamated to form a new bar called the Oregon. 

As time progressed more and more guests were using a car to travel about, so the Imperial having well over 200 spaces was ideal. In its former days the land now occupied was used to play lawn tennis, croquet and bowls.

It is worth recalling that the Imperial in its early days as a hotel often found its guests and visitors coming to stay for a month or even 7 to 8 weeks. These early holidaymakers often would come with a large entourage of staff which included ladies maids, nurses for the children, coachmen, carriages and horses. They were often people of great wealth and Claremont Park which provided a distinctive charm for them as it was a private area. For those who wished to visit found Toll gates near Carlton Terrace and the Gynn and a charge was made to pass through. The toll houses were abolished under the Blackpool Improvement Act of 1899 and can be remembered by older residents and of course on the Blackpool’s Past group run by Juliette Gregson.

In 1961 the first meeting of the George Formby society was held at the Imperial with only just 56 members, they later moved to the Winter gardens around 1990 and then went back to the Imperial again in 1990, the meeting are still held today and very popular.

By the 1970’s the Imperial had its own night club called ‘Trader Jacks’ ( I remember this vaguely ! ) this ran until the mid 1980’s and even boasted Polynesian theme nights and early 2am breakfasts. I seem to recall this all being round a swimming pool and worrying if people may get drunk they would fall in.   

In 1977 AC/DC played at the Ballroom on the 20^th of February as part of their High Voltage tour of the United Kingdom some say their first proper tour.

In 1987, the Imperial underwent one of her biggest face-lifts, with a £700,000 clean-up involving re-pointing brickwork, windows and guttering replaced, and 14 new bedrooms created in old staff quarters on the top floor. A £5m revamp took place in the early 90s – including a new health and fitness club.

Around 10 years ago, work has carried out on the hotel to restore it to its former glory – which included works to the front façade, the stunning carved ceiling in the Washington Suite, and the oak panelling and fireplace discovered in the Churchill Suite.

 

Over the years, there have been a whole host of famous faces staying at the Imperial. They have included various politicians and prime ministers – including Harold Wilson, Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, and John Major, Fred Astaire, the Beatles, Princess Margaret and Princess Anne since it launched in the 1860s. Royalty such as the Queen Mother has stayed there, not to mention film and pop stars including actress Gracie Fields, at Christmas 1955, and singer Harry Belafonte.

In more modern times, in 2015 , Blackpool Civic trust volunteers have been working to uncover the hidden tiling in the former Turkish Baths at the Imperial. Now one room of ornate ceramics has finally been revealed, and work is well underway on the other two rooms, which in their heyday were a magnet for well-to-do Victorian holidaymakers wanting to partake of the benefits of Blackpool seawater.

 In 2017 The Hotel Collection, represented by Savills, sold the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool to Singapore-based Fragrance Group for £12.8 million, and now the iconic hotel is now undergoing a 2-5 year sympathetic renovation.

The Imperial hotel is a true reminder of Blackpool’s Victorian heyday, combining 19th century opulence and glamour with contemporary style and modern facilities.  The successful restaurant, with health club and conference facilities. It has certainly done much to put Blackpool on the map with such a historic background. 

( This has also been published in Blackpool Heritage News )