Day by Doris Day


Sunday 17 June 2012 As you know Doris turned 88 this year so I'm presuming that her fans grew up with her so would either be in the same age bracket or younger (maybe older - who know how many of those are left), so the idea of performing Doris' lovely songs to her contemporaries seems like a really good idea especially ones that aren't so mobile anymore. We were invited by a lovely lady Jennie to sing to the residents of Miramar Care Home based in Herne Bay. So Simon, the guitarist and I, in full costume of course (Simon in his usual black and white and me in a purple strapless, full length gown and lilac striped shoes - sorry, no photo!) played to everyone in the living room, on a beautiful sunny day (which was fathers day). It was a select gathering and it was a new and enjoyable experience for me as the residents sang along, one gent tapped his glasses in time to the music, someone danced and there was swaying in the room - especially to Que Sera Sera. I hope we manage to go back there again. While trawling the internet I came across a website called Seasidehistory.co.uk and found that the Miramar was once a hotel and people had written about their experiences in the 50s so I have reproduced it below as it seemed to tie in so nicely: Herne Bay in the 1950s I am writing this as I see someone has written about how he enjoyed his visit to my old home 'The Miramar hotel' in Beltinge, a holiday for me from 1954-1969. It was such a enjoyable family run hotel. The staff all joined in the fun and even some of the guests, who came to stay every year, enjoyed helping out. For my brother and myself it was a great life. I can remember lying on the flat roof of the dinning room with catapults aiming just near to where the old World War 1 pensioners sat in their deck chairs while reading their newspapers. The expression on their faces when they heard a small stone drop near to them was a great laugh for us young kids. Catherine H More from Herne Bay in the 1950s That's where, as visitors from Ireland, we had our honeymoon back in 1955. We naturally enjoyed our stay at the quiet, cosy and comfortable Miramar Hotel on Reculver Road, East Beltinge (still have their postcard). There was a minor crisis when we saw that our room had twin beds (we should have warned them!) but it was soon sorted... and gave us many laughs later. Even still, in nostalgic mood, we occasionally start breakfast with the morning greeting of the then young waiter: "Tea and toast?" We would lie on the grass on the hill overlooking the pebbly beach to marvel at the USAF B-52's (?) skimming overhead. 'Twould be nice to make it back (now from the U.S.) to the Miramar for our 50th, if it's still there............. Joe and Margaret O'Brien Miramar Hotel message for Joe and Margaret O'Brien from Catherine Holman Just in case you read your message again. I thought you would be interested to know that I visited my mother today who mentioned that she has the story in her memoires about that awful mix up we gave you on the day of your honeymoon at my father's hotel! Editor's note: We have had so many memories about the Miramar in Herne Bay that we thought we ought to find out if it was still there. The good new is it is - but it has been converted to an old peoples' home.

Sunday 17 June 2012

As you know Doris turned 88 this year so I'm presuming that her fans grew up with her so would either be in the same age bracket or younger (maybe older - who know how many of those are left), so the idea of performing Doris' lovely songs to her contemporaries seems like a really good idea especially ones that aren't so mobile anymore.

We were invited by a lovely lady Jennie to sing to the residents of Miramar Care Home based in Herne Bay. So Simon, the guitarist and I, in full costume of course (Simon in his usual black and white and me in a purple strapless, full length gown and lilac striped shoes - sorry, no photo!) played to everyone in the living room, on a beautiful sunny day (which was fathers day).

It was a select gathering and it was a new and enjoyable experience for me as the residents sang along, one gent tapped his glasses in time to the music, someone danced and there was swaying in the room - especially to Que Sera Sera. I hope we manage to go back there again.

While trawling the internet I came across a website called Seasidehistory.co.uk and found that the Miramar was once a hotel and people had written about their experiences in the 50s so I have reproduced it below as it seemed to tie in so nicely:

Herne Bay in the 1950s

I am writing this as I see someone has written about how he enjoyed his visit to my old home 'The Miramar hotel' in Beltinge, a holiday for me from 1954-1969. It was such a enjoyable family run hotel. The staff all joined in the fun and even some of the guests, who came to stay every year, enjoyed helping out. For my brother and myself it was a great life. I can remember lying on the flat roof of the dinning room with catapults aiming just near to where the old World War 1 pensioners sat in their deck chairs while reading their newspapers. The expression on their faces when they heard a small stone drop near to them was a great laugh for us young kids.
Catherine H

More from Herne Bay in the 1950s

That's where, as visitors from Ireland, we had our honeymoon back in 1955. We naturally enjoyed our stay at the quiet, cosy and comfortable Miramar Hotel on Reculver Road, East Beltinge (still have their postcard). There was a minor crisis when we saw that our room had twin beds (we should have warned them!) but it was soon sorted... and gave us many laughs later. Even still, in nostalgic mood, we occasionally start breakfast with the morning greeting of the then young waiter: "Tea and toast?" We would lie on the grass on the hill overlooking the pebbly beach to marvel at the USAF B-52's (?) skimming overhead. 'Twould be nice to make it back (now from the U.S.) to the Miramar for our 50th, if it's still there.............

Joe and Margaret O'Brien Miramar Hotel message for Joe and Margaret O'Brien from Catherine Holman

Just in case you read your message again. I thought you would be interested to know that I visited my mother today who mentioned that she has the story in her memoires about that awful mix up we gave you on the day of your honeymoon at my father's hotel!

Editor's note:
We have had so many memories about the Miramar in Herne Bay that we thought we ought to find out if it was still there. The good new is it is - but it has been converted to an old peoples' home.