Sunday 3 April 2011

Travelling M.N.D. bands go posh ?



Last year I watched a really interesting series on the the television documenting the restoration of the Savoy Hotel in London.The Savoy was the first luxury hotel to be built in Britain and is situated on the Strand in the city of Westminster in central London-it took five years to build, finally opening its doors on the 6th of August 1889 .It was built by impresario Richard Carte with the profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas ,it caused a great sensation at that time as it was the first hotel in London to be lit by electricity, it had the first electric lift and later became the first hotel to provide bathrooms en suite
Artists Whistler and Monet both used views from the hotels windows for their work. Oscar Wilde with his friend Lord Alfred Douglas, The Prince of Wales and his coterie were all frequent visitors-The likes of Noel Coward ,George Gershwin,George Bernard Shaw and H.G.Wells frequented the American Bar.
Art Deco and Jazz and the Savoy were made for each other-The iconic stainless-steel sign over the Savoy court was erected in 1929.Top jazz musicians from America came to play and a hydraulic lift system installed to raise the dance floor and turn it into a stage for cabaret acts.The stars loved the Savoy-England`s own Vivien Leigh was first introduced to her future husband Lawrence Olivier in the hotel`s front hall - From America Al Jolson, Errol Flynn and Katherine Hepburn,From France Josephine Baker and Coco Channel, Winston Churchill frequently had lunch with his cabinet at the hotel during WW2 and attended his Savoy club, The other club ,until his death in 1965.Once peace was declared The Savoy quickly regained its air of glamour and luxury ,Princess Elizabeth was first seen with Lt Philip Mountbatton in public at a Savoy reception.
The new Elizabethan age saw a new generation of actors ,films ,stars and politicians.
Elizabeth Taylor [honeymooned there ]Sophia Loren ,Marilyn Munroe.The Savoy swung into the sixties with Louis Armstrong, Marlon Brando,and Jane Fonda to the Beatles and Bob Dylan !
In 2007 began the most extensive restoration that would re-launch The Savoy in 2010,
The hotel conducted a sale of 3,000 of its famous furnishings and memorabilia -which is something I personally felt quite sad about, for me [if I ever got the opportunity that is ]of going to the Savoy for afternoon tea ,the joy of being there and soaking up the atmosphere-wondering who had sat in that exact same spot-parked their bottom in that same chair and used the same china would be all part of the enjoyment for me ![ romantic old fool that I`am ] Having said that-the glass dome which was covered during WW2 was never uncovered until the renovation -The rooms have been modernised but decorated in period styles - I couldn`t help but feel it had been spoilt- once you had walked through the doors you could have been at any top class hotel anywhere in the world- but I guess you need to move with the times-I really am a bit of a grumpy bum - I hate change !
The hotel checked in its first guest- Actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry at 10.10am on the 10/10/10 after a refurbishment cost of 220 million pounds [ 110 m over budget]
Butler service was re-introduced .I would still love to stay the night at this hotel-who wouldn`t ? Sigh ! Our travelling bands go to the nicest of places !

9 comments:

Sharon said...

Sounds very posh and over the top for me, they probably wouldn't let me in. :-)

Sara Diana said...

It would be lovely to spend the night there ! sigh!

JohnD said...

Only discovered last night that Richard morgan, the actor who played Terry Sullivan in the Australian family Sit-Com "The Sullivans, died of MND aged 40 in 2006.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/sullivans-richard-morgan-dead/story-e6freuzi-1111112755162

Terry said...

Great write-up. I really enjoyed reading about this historic hotel. Now tell me, who's lucky arm is that in the photo?

Janet said...

Hi John - thats so sad , The Sullivans rang a bell with me but I couldn`t remember the sitcom until I read your link -then I remembered it.

Hi Terry ! sister Ann travels to London frequently on business -its her arm you can see-though the budget doesn`t stretch that far unfortunately as to be able to stay there !

Diane said...

Hope you get your wish to go and stay. It looks really posh! x

Tracey said...

When I win the lottery, we will go together for a week! xxx

Jim said...

Janet, this is precisely why I love blogging! I get to learn so much from people who have a panache for writing and making it interesting. Nice job! And what a great hotel the Savoy must be. I'll ask my Dad if he ever saw it during the war....he was stationed in London. thanks for this.

Maura @ Kisiwa Creek Photography said...

What a wonderful description of the Savoy Janet! I loved reading this...oh the history it has behind it. I feel the same as you do about change...especially when something has had such colorful past. Too bad the lobby lost something with the change. Thanks for sharing this bit of history with us!
Maura :)