50 years of family ownership
To show how Moor Hall has developed over the last 50 years we have put together a timeline which includes some things that we have done and achieved that you may not know about!
We hope you will find it interesting, and please do get in touch if you can think of anything we should add!
1960s
On 21 June 1961 Michael Webb and the Hildick family (who owned Whittalls Wines), completed the purchase of Moor Hall from Mrs Streather. The buildings comprised of 17 guest bedrooms, 3 of which had private bathrooms, and 22 staff bedrooms.
The formal opening week was 16th – 19th August 1961. From this time until 1972 Moor Hall was a Members’ Only Club, as this was the only way to serve alcoholic drinks on a Sunday. The subscription for members was £2 guineas, payable by banker’s order. Whilst subscriptions increased each year, those original members continued to pay the £2 guineas. There are still members who, to this day, revere their membership cards and continue to pay the annual £2 guinea subscription fee.
In the 1960s and 70s Moor Hall employed a gardener who not only looked after the grounds but also grew some of the vegetables for the kitchen. At this time we also kept hens for eggs and there was an orchard with apple and pear trees.
During the 1960s Moor Hall rocked to the sounds of the swinging sixties every night of the week in the original Charter room (now the Ladywood room and Leisure Club reception) - late night drinking and dancing was fashionable and the breathalyser hadn’t been invented! Various bands played every night until late and discos blared out on Wednesdays.
The special events at the hotel included international gourmet dinners, dances, wine tastings, painting exhibitions and jazz evenings. There was also an annual firework display and bonfire (free to members) which one year was transmitted live on ATV with Chris Tarrant as the host.
1967
In 1967 the Interchange consortium was formed by 5 hotels in the UK.
Moor Hall joined soon after and there was a steady growth in numbers to
40 hotels in 1971 when Interchange became a limited company. Michael
Webb was appointed chairman in 1970.
Click on these thumbnails to take a closer look at some ads and brochures from the 1960s.
