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From the South London Press, Saturday, 23 July, 1881.
Moore Park Hotel. INAUGURAL DINNER.
The Moore Park Hotel is a building of some modern architectural
pretensions, cleanly and substantially built, as viewed from the
exterior, and stands about midway on the left of Grove Vale, about
three minutes from Honor Oak station on the high-level line of the
London, Chatham, and Dover Railway. It has been built not only for
the usual accommodation of the inhabitants of the vast improving
Moore Park estate, but also for the accommodation of visitors, the
sleeping accommodation being especially good.
Ascending a handsome flight of well-carpeted stairs, the visitor
finds before him on the first floor a most commodious assembly room,
well lighted, ventilated, and decorated. On the same floor are
ante-rooms and well-furnished private sitting-rooms, while just
below is a magnificently arranged billiard-room. On the floors above
are bedrooms fitted en suite, and from these windows there are most
charming views. The culinary department seems to have been devised
with special care and thought for the providing of large dinners;
while at the rear there is stabling accommodation for 25 horses.
On Friday evening a dinner was given in the large room to celebrate
the opening, when about 40 gentlemen sat down, amongst them being
Messrs. Moore, Bye, sen. and jun., G. and C. Acock, Stokes, Finch,
Watts, G. Pilgrim, Pankhurst, Toll, Dean, Etheridge, Glushier,
White, Stinchcombe, Johnson, Brown, Blinkard, Goettler, Temple,
Armitage, E. Freeman, Pardue, sen. and jun., Stebbings, Hopekirk,
Dawre, &c.
The chair was taken by Mr. Bye, sen., and the vice-chair by Mr.
Temple. The speeches were very brief, the company preferring some
excellent vocal music, contributed by Messrs. Finch, Pankhurst,
Temple, Pilgrim, T. Armitage, Hopekirk, and Master J. Bye, who gave
a charming rendering of “In the gloaming,” which evoked a warm
encore, and at the special request of the company the hostess sang
two capital songs.
Mr. Stokes said they were all met to do honour to their old friend,
Mr. Bye, and were spending with him a most pleasant evening. He,
therefore, proposed “Success to the Moore Park Hotel,” which having
been drunk with musical honours, the chairman responded on behalf of
Mr. Bye, jun., the proprietor, and concluded by proposing
“Prosperity to the Moore Park Estate and Success to its Tradesmen,”
to which Mr. Pankhurst replied. "The Visitors" was proposed by Mr.
Pardue, and responded to by Mr. Moore in an excellent speech, who
later on also proposed the health of the vice-chairman, saying that
although it was the first time he had seen him, he could tell he was
a “fine old English gentleman." Mr. Temple briefly acknowledged the
compliment, and the rest of the evening was devoted to harmony. |
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