Reader’s letter: The hidden radical history of Eastbourne’s View Hotel

Regarding reader letter When Britain Did Elegance click here to read here is the story behind the View Hotel:

The View Hotel started life as the Transport and General Workers Union Convalescence Hotel and Conference Centre. At the time of its creation in 1922, the TGWU was the largest and most ambitious amalgamation brought about within trade unionism.

Later, following various talks between unions, a merger with Amicus was agreed and Unite the Union was created in 2007. Unite is my union and, I am very proud to be a trade unionist.

This reader’s lazy Stalin/union wise-cracking is typical of a type. What interests me here though is not the banal unoriginality of the comment, but its echoing back to the xenophobic rumours put about when the hotel was first opened ie that the design was based on the Communist Party Headquarters.

Remember, this was before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Cold War. Remnants of McCarthyism.

The architect was British. Travis. A British firm. A main feature of the design was that all the materials in its build and furnishing would be of British origin, thus supporting British industry and workers. Hence, the use of ceramics from Staffordshire Potteries; aluminium windows and framing by British Alcan; and the beautiful heather slate on the frontage.

The slate quarry was saved from closure by the size of the order for the slate which was extensively used on the ground floor and first floor both inside and out. (Sadly, much of this has been covered over in recent ‘modernisation’). Even the cutlery was specified as being of British manufacture despite its higher cost.

The building was dual purposed, ie a workers’ recuperation and holiday centre, and an education and conference centre for the union. The first stone was laid in September 1974, and later opened in October 1976, by Jack Jones, a great trade unionist.

Jack Jones left school at 14 and after a few jobs joined his father as a Liverpool docker. He became an active member of the TGWU and later became the General Secretary of this union from 1968 until 1978.

He became a socialist after by reading The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.

Jack once explained how that book “was passed from hand to hand among people in the Labour movement and had a remarkable effect on our thinking”.

If you visit The View you will find some photos of its trade union history on the mezzanine level.

This floor was created during the recent refurbishments.

It replaced a long balcony overlooking the dining area. An 89 foot long mural used to span that balcony. The International Workers Mural. But that’s another story.

I am very proud of the trade union history at The View.

Some of us are working hard to ensure this history is better known.

Eastbourne has much radical history we could all be proud of. The View is one just one part of this rich hidden history.

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