The Postcard
A postcard that was published by the R. A. P. Co. Ltd. of London EC4 on behalf of the Whitsand Bay Hotel.
The card was posted in Plymouth, Devon in the 1930's, although the exact date is not legible.
It was sent to:
Mrs. A. H. Bailey,
26 Boileau Road,
Ealing,
London W5.
The message on the divided back of the card was as follows:
"So glad to hear all the
latest developments, they
should be fine, but why not
a window like the staircase
on the back of this!
I hope the 'size' of the cream
I last sent was more to your
liking.
I have been ever so queer
all weekend, so have had to
stay in bed most of the time.
Love F."
Cream retailers in Devon and Cornwall would send cans of clotted cream by post to a nominated address.
The Whitsand Bay Hotel
On the 10th. December 2018, Cornwall Live ran an article about the hotel with the following headline:
'110 Year-old Whitsand Bay Hotel Closes and Sells all its Furniture on Facebook.
Plans to Turn the Grade II Listed Building into 18 Apartments Have Been Submitted to Cornwall Council'
The article then went on to say:
One of Cornwall’s oldest hotels has closed after almost 110 years of welcoming guests from far and wide. Whitsand Bay Hotel closed last month after seeing "A signifcant downturn in trade" in recent years.
Earlier this year, plans were submitted to transform the 32-bed hotel into 18 apartments.
Following its closure, the hotel is now selling a range of items, including sofas, chairs, tables and mirrors, via Facebook Marketplace.
Previously, Paul Phillips, owner of Whitsand Bay Hotel at Portwrinkle, said a proposal to convert the Grade II listed building into flats had turned him into a local “Public Enemy Number One”. He added that a nearby housing development by the former owner, Jess Earle, had contributed to killing off the business.
But Mr Earle, whose family owned the hotel for 45 years, condemned the redevelopment plan, and denied that his work was to blame.
Property developer Christina Kusytsch has submitted a planning application to convert the 32-bedroom Whitsand Bay Hotel into 18 one and two-bedroom apartments, and is also seeking listed building consent. If the applications are approved, she is expected to buy the hotel for £2.9 million from the Phillips family.
A golf course leased to the hotel has been taken back under control of the freeholder, the Antony estate on the Rame Peninsula, and will continue to operate.
The planning application states:
“Since its relocation to its present situation from
Torpoint in 1909, the existing building has been
used as a hotel, currently with some 32 bedrooms
which are all en-suite.
Over this period, it has been a relatively successful
business keeping pace with the market expectations
and with reasonable profitability, but in recent years
there has been a significant downturn in trade.
In brief the use as an hotel has become uneconomic,
and a new use is proposed as eighteen one and two-
bedroom apartments which would enable the building
to be restored to its former glory.”
The owners said that the hotel is no longer viable as a business, because it needs too much work
The application has received mixed responses on Cornwall Council’s planning portal. Objecting to the plans, Mr W. Honey said:
“This is the only hotel in the area, and once
converted to flats, there would be going back.
The swimming pool is the only one in the area,
and would leave us with no swimming facilities
without travelling a great distance.
The loss of the restaurant and bar would be a
great shame as well.”
Denise Hayes said:
“I have been visiting the hotel with my family
for many years, and often use the restaurant.
We have had many enjoyable celebrations
here.
If the restaurant closes, where are the tenants
and people who are using the holiday flats
going to eat?
The nearest pub is in a residential village with
not enough parking to cover the needs of the
people who live here without encouraging
more traffic, noise and pollution.”
Others have shared their support for the proposals. Justin Bailey said:
“It is obviously apparent over the last few years
that the building is falling into disrepair and needs
a huge cash injection for the hotel to remain viable
in any shape or form.
From what I can see and hear, the hotel will close
whatever in the near future as it cannot be sold as
a going concern, therefore, surely it would be better
to see such a fantastic listed building not become
derelict, like so many others, and still be put to use
and not become an eyesore.”
Philip Batt echoed his sentiment. He said:
“I would hate to see this building go to rack and
ruin. It has decayed significantly over the last 5
years while the owners have battled to make a
go of it, despite the building sites all around.
This proposal to me would seem to be a Godsend,
restoring the structure to its full glory and allowing
the owners to enjoy a well-deserved retirement.
The alternative - a family effectively imprisoned in
a Victorian ruin - is surely unthinkable.”
However Tom Taylor, conservation adviser for the Victorian Society, raised concerns over the loss of historic features. He urged the council to withhold consent and request further information from the developers. In a letter to the council, he wrote:
“This application proposes extensive alterations to
the interior of this Grade II listed hotel. These alterations
involve some demolition and much sub-division, and are
documented at length on the plans provided.
The alterations will clearly have a serious effect on the
character of the interiors of the building and will furthermore
inevitably result in the loss not only of the spatial coherence
and historic arrangements of these interiors, but also many
small areas of historic fabric and decoration.
The insertion of kitchens and bathrooms in areas where
there have never previously been kitchens and bathrooms
is potentially very disruptive to the historic finishes, both immediately, though the insertion of the necessary services,
and in the longer term.”
If anyone out there can provide an update on the current status of the Whitsand, please leave a note.