Oh No! The location plot thickens....

[Heathbury The First]

http://www.jenner-group.co.uk/history

The Royal Oak Motel, Europe’s first motel was built by C Jenner & Son at Newingreen Nr Hythe and is famously the location of the first ever scene in the television programme Crossroads.

HELP!

[Heathbury The First]

http://www.dover-kent.com/Royal-Oak-Newingreen.html

That Georgian house does look very much like that Tish Hope drawing

[Heathbury The First]

Not to mention a huge flagpole.

What do we reckon?

[Mike of CAS]

Hmm Reg Watson has described how he opened episode one and that makes sense now.

You hear the phone ring, you hear Jane Rossington (and she always says it was OOV) say her first line, then the theme plays, with the opening caption card, and 'coming in' through the doors with a camera behind her is Nolly's mother. So it does suggest the opening part was outside.

The plot thickens... which is more than it was in epsiode one... bar Meg getting a dirty blouse as the cliffhanger.

[Mike of CAS]

BTW, just checking my "motel" collection (Which I started when first looking for what became Walford Hall) this Motel was pretty famous in 1964.

A court case in the summer concerned itself with a couple staying at the Royal Oak Motel who had committed a murder. They said they were in Chalet 5 on the night of the event, but it became clear they were not. It has something to do with a boat sinking with someone on it.

From a fact file on Motels released in 1961:

"The Royal Oak Motel, Newingreen, Kent, built around an old inn off the A20 Dover road, 65 miles from London and close to the Folkstone, Dover and Lydd on the cross-Channel tourist route.

It has been running for eight years and was the first Motel in Britian. As the tourist season was starting an advanced booking ensured my one-night reservation. Charges were 32s, 6d per person. This includes a light breakfast. Reductions are made when large motel chalets are shared.

A linked bay of single and double storey, sloping roofed chalets is joined to the main inn and restaurant by a covered corridor.

My room was bright, clean and well furnished. Fitted with a radio, telephone, electric heater and built-in cupboards. A studio couch supplemented the divan bed. Bathroom and toilet opened off the entrance hall.

Large picture windows provided a rural outlook - out of earshot of passing traffic. For families of five or six there were three-roomed chalets surrounding Cadillac-sized garages. The natural wood construction had withstood eight years' wear and tear exceptionally well - and with accommodation for 30 to 45 people this motel sleeps 9,000 a year.

The core of the business, oddly enough, still centres on the original inn, retaining its local custom, while the restaurant specialises in good cuisine, nicely balances the turnover. Dinner is served 7 to 11.30pm, but hungry arrivals can obtain food at almost any hour of the day or night. After an early breakfast in my room I was away by 7a.m."

The bit about the covered over linking roof is interesting as the TV World drawing of the motel (and indeed the cartoon version on the reception wall) has a covered over linking roof, with a large yellow 'Crossroads' sign above it.

[Heathbury The First]

Just wondering... would Jenner have any records that they could share?

[Mike of CAS]

I've checked the local council website for any info, the chalet blocks were approved for demolition in 2000, despite either them or the old biuilding or both having a 'listed' status on the site.

Well Jenner seem to think its a famous fact, be interesting where they got the fact from.

[paul ross]

Do we have the first episode on dvd?

[Mike of CAS]

Episode 1 survives only in photograph stills (or did! I should say).

[Mike of CAS]

Newingreen,Hythe,Kent,CT21 4JA brings up the location, the only modern bit is the part joined to the old building.

[Maria No. 1.]

Very interesting, but the first thing I thought was that The Royal Oak wasn't in The Midlands.  Alot of logistic problems for filming, although maybe not because of ATV having facilities down South.

[Mike of CAS]

I guess if it was only going to run six weeks they could shoot at a motel anywhere within reason as it wouldn't be needed again.

But yes does seem a strange location to go to. But with this "murder" investigation there isn't anything to say they didn't use a still from ITN or such of the motel.

[Maria No. 1.]

That's quite true Mike, Crossroads was only supposed to run for 6 weeks.

With the real life murder investigation, the plot thickens doesn't it.  That is quite feasable using a still taken from the News.  It wasn't as far-fetched for Crossroads storylines as some may have believed that murders don't happen at motels.

[Mike of CAS]

I guess being the first Motel in the UK couldn't even save those old chalets, although most end up looking an eyesore in the end.

Can't find anything in ITN for the 1964 court case, although I don't think they have every story ever covered on there yet, and it may have been originally sourced from was it Southern or Westward who did that area, one or the other. I know the Noele Gordon funeral report is actually HTV recorded footage used by ITN.

[Heathbury The First]

Something like this do we think?