Some history of the Park Hotel at Smethwick in the county of Staffordshire.

Staffordshire | Smethwick | Park Hotel

More information on the Park Hotel at Smethwick to follow. I probably created the page as I had a link to the Park Hotel from another page. When building the site it is easier to place links as they crop up rather than go back later on. I realise this is frustrating if you were specifically looking for information on the Park Hotel. There is information on Smethwick and Staffordshire dotted around the website - click here for a suitable starting place.

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"A sad bathing fatality occurred near Bournemouth Pier, on Wednesday, resulting in the death of Dennis Coley, manager of a large confectionery establishment at Smethwick. Coley, his wife, and child, went to Bournemouth last Monday, accompanied by Edward Clark, professional tenor, of the Park Hotel, Smethwick. On Wednesday, Clark and Coley [who was an expert swimmer and popular athlete and footballer in the Midlands] went down for a bathe before breakfast. They hired bathing machines and entered the water together. The sea was rather rough, with a stiff ground swell, and a heavy surf. Coley swam out beyond the breakers, calling on Clark to follow, The latter swam out some distance, but, seeing Coley was ahead of him, returned, not being such a good swimmer. He then looked round for his companion, and failing to see him, asked the bathing machine attendant if he had come ashore. Nothing had been seen of him, and a boat was put out in search. Nothing further was seen of Coley, and it is surmised that he was seized with cramp or heart failure, and went under before he had time to cry for assistance. A high tide was running, and the body has not yet been recovered."
"Sad Bathing Fatality at Bournemouth"
Bromsgrove & Droitwich Messenger : August 24th 1901 Page 5