Bristol Hotel

A family connection

By Jennifer Drury

The very dapper gentleman on the right is Lawrie Sargeant, grandfather of Tim Sargeant, who very kindly donated these photographs. Lawrie and his wife Flo took over the Bristol Hotel on the seafront in 1938, moving in at about Whitsun.

Extensive refurbishment
When they took over the hotel it had just had an extensive refurbishment and was extremely smart. Although the Bristol Hotel was a very prestigious establishment, the Sargeants took it over at an inauspicious time. By 1941, due to the seafront being declared a military area, the blackout and the curfew, they were forced to move away from the bombs.

The Bristol Bar today
Today the Bristol Bar is still doing business and is a busy seafront establishment.