Suggestions from the past

Thank you to Dr Janet Hollinshead who discovered a historic suggestion book dating back to when we moved to Church Alley from our original building on Church Street. We are currently mining the book for nuggets, and here are some entries which we thought may be of interest to our Proprietors.

8 January 1931 – That House Dinners be not held on Philharmonic Concert Nights, as on 16 Dec. 1930 and 10 Feb. 1931.  Mr Wilson, supported by messrs von Sobbe, Gibbons and Morris. The suggestion was ‘noted’.

We take for granted enjoying coffee or Afternoon Tea in our grand Newsroom, but this was not always the case! April 24th 1931 – That coffee and afternoon tea be served in the Newsroom. This suggestion was ‘Not Approved’.

How would you feel about lowering the chandeliers in the Newsroom? Mr Newton suggested in December 1928 that ‘The lights in the Newsroom should be lowered by about 3 or 4 feet.’ Consideration for this was adjourned. On 16 November 1933 Mr Newton raised the suggestion again this time approval was granted, and the matter attended to on 23 December 1933.

That the coffee room cease to be advertised on the Menu as Reece’s Athenaeum Café. 14 April 1930. This is an interesting one, which suggests the coffee room (which was most probably within the Wine Servery) may have been ran by an outside entity. Athenaeum historians may be able to correct me on this assumption!

A few pages later we begin to receive suggestions which were related to what was going on in the world at the time, namely WWII.

I would suggest that the Sandbags placed in the staircase area less than a year ago have been removed prematurely. The cost of putting them in position and of removing them has had to be borne by the Athenaeum, which I feel can hardly bear such expense at this period. 3 May 1940.

On 30 December 1940 Mr K Richards wrote ‘I would suggest that the question of moving the valuables of The Athenaeum should be reconsidered in view of recent happenings.’ This was backed by a number of signatures, and a note from Mr Thirlwall on 31 December 1940 stating ‘I heartily agree with Mr Richards suggestion, and consider this almost a duty.’ In discussion with the Honorary Curator, Dr Ian Cubbin, Proprietors may be interested to learn that the question was reconsidered and the treasures were moved to two rented prison cells in Denbigh for safe keeping.

Look out on Monday for more suggestions from the past!