Photographs of the Winchester Guesthouse in 2007
By Lauren Mccurdy
Mrs M Bird ran the Winchester Guesthouse with the help of her daughter in-law from 1951 to the 1990s. During that time they modernised the guesthouse as peoples expectations of their accommodation changed. They sold the business to Greg and Samantha Haddon who continue to run it as a guesthouse.
Portrait of Greg and Samantha Haddon in the entrance hall of their guesthouse
Martin Figura
Portrait of Greg and Samantha Haddon with their son Tom in the entrance hall of their guesthouse
Martin Figura
Detail of the original stained glass window in the entrance hall of the Winchester
Martin Figura
The original 1950s sign and visitors indicator in the Winchester
Martin Figura
Portrait of Greg and Samantha Haddon in one of the guesthouse bedrooms
Martin Figura
View of one of the guesthouse bedrooms
Martin Figura
The sink in one of the guesthouse bedrooms
Martin Figura
Audio transcripts
Transcript for 'Oral history clip from an interview with Mrs M Bird & Mrs D Bird':
We first stated running the Winchester guesthouse in 1951, mostly people came from the Midlands, there used to be a special train, which ran from Birmingham to Great Yarmouth and bring all the visitors. At that time we used to have three meals a day, breakfast 8.30, dinner 1.00 and high tea at 5.15. That continued for quite a few years. For breakfast you'd have cereal and bacon and egg. For lunch you'd have three courses, soup to start with, main course and desert and coffee if they wanted it. High tea was a salad or sometimes smoked haddock or pie and chips.
We use to get up about 6.00 in the morning to get the water on and the breakfast cooked, because we used to take in 42 people and we only had 2 bathrooms for them all, they had to manage like that. We had hot and cold running water in each room. The guests used to come down at 8.30 and everybody was served together. Then we'd prepare the dinner. Then in the afternoon we had to get the salads ready for the evening meal. Then after that get ready for breakfast in the morning again. We were working all day 7 days a week.