Cliff House Hotel

This hotel was run for a time by my Grandmother's brother Fred Gildersleeve. I have a christmas programme and tariff for the hotel for 1947. Interestingly, the radio celebrity and actor, Valentine Dhial, famous as the Man in Black, was staying at the hotel for the Christmas and New Year period (1947/48) as he was in Pantomime in Hastings.
Incidently, my father's band, The Rythm Aces, played at the hotel that New Years Eve.
Mike

This hotel was run for a time by my husbands Grandfather Victor L R Phillips. I also believe his mother ran it for a time possibly with her Husband. Originally her name was Elsie Mary Groom though at some point she became Elsie Mary Gildersleeve.

I have just read the comments above and i believe we are related

I believe your husband grandfather is my grandfather too....

My grandmother Hilder May Phillips bought the hotel next door which was called the golden pheasant and was knocked through to cliff house making it a larger hotel!
She was wife to Victor Phillips and he was the son of Elsie Mary Gildersleeve "was groom"
I/we would be so happy to hear your stories.

Is it still standing?

This was my mother and father hotel there I grow up with 5 brothers so pleased it in the history books c Smith

I can add a little more around Elsie and Fred Gildersleeve.

Godfrey Frederick S. (Fred) Gildersleeve was born in Hastings in 1893. He married Vida M Barden in 1916 and they had a son Godfrey Julian S (Julian), born 2nd August 1927. Vida died in 1936.
Elsie M Groom was born in 1894. She married Alexander L. Phillips in 1917 and they had Victor, Ruth and Reginald.
Fred and Elsie then married in 1938. I'm not sure whether Fred already had the hotel by then, but they definitely did shortly after, as following the death of her husband William in August 1937, Elsie's mother Grace Groom sold the house in London and moved in to the hotel with them.
Fred died in 1953.
Grace died in 1955, at the age of 96, I believe still living in the hotel up until her death. Elsie then appears to have moved away shortly after - anecdotally she may have died in Suffolk circa 1990.
Julian died in 1970 in Battle. I am not sure whether he had ongoing involvement with the hotel following the death of his father.

I am descended from Elsie's older sister Amy.

I am Elsie Mary’s grand daughter, my father was Reginald Phillips. Elsie moved to Canada with my family in 1967, and Uncle Vic soon followed. All are buried in Toronto. We landed in the Toronto Beach area where Elsie lived with her first husband after WW1.

In addition Elsie moved to Allassio Italy in the late 1950’s/early 1960’s before coming to Canada. Elsie also had a daughter Ruth who lived in Florida.

I am the granddaughter of Victor this was my grandads hotel. This is where my mum and uncles grew up. I still live close and walk past often telling my children the past history of the building and how our family lived there. My Grandad Victor and Great Gran Elsie moved to Canada where my great uncle Reg also lived.