The Bell Hotel Leicester

[the_motownman]

a relative worked on the demolition of most of leicester. he gat it from one of the other lads that was collecting bit for scrap.

[dave wainwright]

I worked as a commis chef in the 60s..
under a great head chef ..Mike Dean-Smith
it was a great hotel in those days
would love to hear from anyone who worked there..

[TINAHARRISON]

hi...very interested in any information at all that you remember about the bell...i have been looking for a steve kelly? may have also been a chef in 1968....possibly left in 1969...played the guitar....links to london....do you remember him?also do you know if there are any records with regards to the owner...if you have any photos at all that would be great! have a look on my other searches as i have hadsome feeda back that you may find interesting...also ther are records of the land lords too!! this is a personal and very special search...any help....memories...pics..people would surely help to build the peices that are currently missing from a huge puzzle! hope to keep in touch...happy searching and welcome to leicester fo forum!!!

[dave wainwright]

Hi Tina sorry i cant remember the name...then again its a long time ago...but if i do remember correctly there was a Steve who worked in the pastry section....
at that time the hotel was owned by Trust House.which became trust house forte...
i remember the second chef was named Bill...and came from Antigua..his brother was also the breakfast chef..
there was also a little kitchen porter called Ali....worked ever hour there was apart from when he was praying...lol
if i remember  correctly the head waiter was called Mr Glass.
i do remember a couple of waitresses...one called Jayne Hisllop who was crowned the Miss Rose Of England
at the old palace ballroom..
and another called Doreen Hale who's father owned a garage/service station on the roundabout in Syston..
if you have any other names id love to hear ...may just jog the old memory..
oh that reminds me there was a waiter there was a waiter Mike...Hungarian
who spent most of his spare time at the hungary I coffee shop in charles street..

[TINAHARRISON]

hi dave..thanks for that information!can you remember what year it was and i know it must be difficult to think that far back but was the steve a leicester lad do you recall? i think i may get in  with the trust house forte as i am  that they may have records of employees....wish me luck...will keep you posted!!!

[TINAHARRISON]

these are the names that i have found who were apparently land lords...living there!
hope it jogs some memories....gurtrude and harold fredrick slade?richard strong?frank hillas?joseph bryne?steve.w.bull? George and Margaret freeman...let me know if they ring any bells!!!

[dave wainwright]

Yes the freemans were the managers....and it would have been 1966/67/68.....the chef left and went to work at the Pomme Dor hotel in jersey....
if i remember trust house forte were taken over by grand metrepolatain hotels
ive been trying to remember and i think there was a assistant chef called Hodgson
and there was another called Dave who i do remember as he dropped a large pan of boiling rice allover himself as he slipped on the wet floor...
LOL...funny things that you remember when you start thinking....
and one of the assistant managers (rather overweight) ended up as the manager of the trust house in aberyswith(dont know how to spell it)

[TINAHARRISON]

it all sounds like you have fond memories! the chef that left...was it steve kelly?

[TINAHARRISON]

another person you may have remembered....n hall(a porter)

[dave wainwright]

Sorry but Steve Kelly doesnt ring a bell
neither does hall..
I had a great time working there...
trying to remember and i think there was a Steve
who worked in the dry stores...
he had a handle bar moustache

[TINAHARRISON]

hi..handlebar moustache hey!!! not sure if steve kelly had one of those haha..as i dont have a clue what he looked like its difficult to say fore sure!although i do know that he lived there...a small room on the ground  floor around the back..he was niffty on the guitar...was from posh stock..possibly  londoner.....and as i believe he was  trainee chef was told of an incident when he cut his finger(chopping something)and revelled that he had a rare blood group(strange i know but this may be a clue)thanks for sharing your stories...they are so funny! for me this search is a needle in a haystack...to say the least!!!so if you do happen to g we t in touch with any of your old work pals...bear me in . mind!
happy searching!!!kind regards tina

[dave wainwright]

If i do remember anything ill get intouch although i doubt that will happen these days i need things to jog my memory
with you mentioning the guitar there is something there but its just not clicking but one never knows...
there was quite a few staff rooms out the back....sought of between the hotel and the garage...
 

[TINAHARRISON]

well...fingers crossed ..they say that our memories regress as we get older and recall early memories!!!! keep in touch...all the best!!!

[TINAHARRISON]

thanks..i will have a look!

[TINAHARRISON]

does John burns ring a bell??apparently he was the boiler man at the bell!!