Palace Hotel – 1874~1941
Palace Hotel – 159 Union Street, with Covered Entrance from GNSR Joint Station Platforms (Link to Enlarged Photograph)
Note the Management of the GNSR Palace Hotel by a Miss McKilliam may have been a relative of the Proprietor of McKilliam’s Restaurant Business in Union Buildings which was later purchased By James Hay of the Royal Hotel & the Royal Athenaeum Hotel
The Hotel was Built in 1874 for Messrs Pratt & Keith, Milliners, who occupied the Street Level Frontage area. Its Upper Storeys were destroyed by Fire on 31st October 1941, with loss of life, and the Building was entirely demolished after the War. The GNSR had mixed success with Hotels including the famous but overly ambitious Cruden Bay Scheme. This started in 1891 with the acquisition of the Aberdeen Palace Hotel. This was modernised and included the then-new idea of Electric Lighting. This was a great Financial success, Built 1874 for Messrs Pratt & Keith, Milliners, who occupied the Shops at the Street level Entrance area, and a Warehouse below. by Alexander Marshall MacKenzie Architect. It operated as 1 of a Chain of LNER Hotels, the Palace Hotel was taken up by the Railway for the benefit of Travellers. It was claimed as damaged beyond repair by the Fire during which 6-Staff lost their lives (5-Chambermaids). It may be that post-War Austerity had a hand in the decision and or the dated aspects of the Interior yet the magnificent Granite Facade was intact. The Fire started in the Grill Room which was to the right of the Main Entrance (see below). Final Demolition took place in 1950 for the doomed C&A Modes Building – now a Travelodge. The Palace Hotel had been a North of Scotland Railway Hotel from 1891 and was taken over by the LNER in 1923. – Ach – Jist Knocket Doon
Palace Hotel: Banquet on 22nd October 1909 in Honour of Charles Sandford Terry – Historian & Musicologist. He was appointed Burnett-Fletcher Professor of History & Archaeology at the University of Aberdeen from 1903 until his retirement in 1930. He served as President of the Association of Scottish History. Terry was also known as a Composer & Amateur Musician. In 1898 he became Conductor of the Aberdeen University Choral & Orchestral Society, with roughly 150-Singers & 70 Instrumentalists; and in 1909 he Founded the Aberdeen & North East of Scotland Music Festival. Terry had a close Professional & Personal association with Sir Edward Elgar, both being involved in the 3-Choirs Festival in the Cathedrals of Hereford, Gloucester & Worcester. Terry arranged for Elgar to receive an Honorary Doctorate D.Mus from the University of Aberdeen in 1906 and 4-yrs later helped with the Proof Reading of the Original Manuscript of the Violin Concerto, which Elgar later Bequeathed to him. Terry later gifted this Volume to his Colleague at the University of Aberdeen Sir John Marnoch, Regius Professor of Surgery.
Aberdeen’s Oldest & Original Music, Drama & Dance Festival began life in 1909 and is still very much alive today. The Festival was Founded by Stanford Terry, in order to encourage Music-making and performance in the North-east of Scotland. Elgar was invited to the 1st Aberdeen Festival and arrived at Stanford Terry’s Pitfodels Home via the then Deeside Railway Line from Aberdeen Joint Station for its Inauguration. The Festival Association adopts the motto of Sir Henry Walford Davies “Not to gain a Prize or Defeat a rival but to pace one another on the Road to Excellence”.
In the early hours of 31st October 1941, 4-Bodies were found in the Debris of the Palace Hotel. The Roof of the Hotel had gone up in Flames, shortly after the Fire was discovered on the Upper Floors just before Midnight. Guests & Members of Staff were spotted in Night Attire fleeing the burning Building, were accommodated in other Hotels in the City. An article published in the Sunderland Daily Echo reads: “The 4-people were found on the Top Floor where the Staff Quarters were situated – at 1st it had been believed that everyone had Escaped. Two Firemen, who were injured in Fighting the Fire, were treated at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.” The Blaze, which was thought to have broken out in the Grill Service Room of the Hotel, spread to the Kitchen at around 11.40-pm. Though Firemen were quick to arrive on the Scene, the Fire wasn’t fully Extinguished until 6.15-am. Later that day, the Body Count had gone up. The Aberdeen Evening Express covered the Blaze, stating: “Six persons lost their Lives in the destructive Fire which badly damaged the Palace Hotel during the Night. It was thought that one of Aberdeen’s most spectacular Blazes had been conquered without Loss of Life.
As well as the 4-Bodies discovered on the Top Floor, 2 more charred Remains were found in the afternoon of 31st October. One Body was found on the Floor below the Top Storey, after presumably falling through the Floor of the Staff Sleeping Quarters. One of the Firemen, Alfred Booth, was saved by Fire Force Commander Coleman who managed to reach him and carry him out of danger. Coleman had a narrow Escape, dodging falling Debris & Tons of Masonry as it crashed down from the above Blaze. These were just 2 of the 100 Firemen sent to the Palace Hotel, who spent 7-hrs battling the Flames. Even Residents of the Hotel reportedly risked their Lives, ensuring any Sleepers were aware of the Situation. One of the Guests of the Hotel at the time was Dr Sleigh Strichen, a prominent Aberdeen County Councillor. He told the Aberdeen Evening Express: “I was awakened by a tremendous Rapping on the Door. “Smoke was coming from everywhere in the Corridor. I went back to my Bedroom, and hurriedly put on my clothes above my Pyjamas and packed what I could find into my Suitcase. I found myself with others on the first floor, and as we were being guided down a Back stairs out into College Street I could see the glare of flames overhead. Glass was falling around us.”
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