DELVING into the history of the Fir Grove Hotel has turned up an interesting twist.

Hotel management wanted to uncover the building's past for its 100th anniversary - only to discover the centenary was over 40 years ago.

Vicky Swinden, sales and marketing manager, said: "We don't know why it's got a date stone for 1897 because it was around in 1854 when it was a private house. A Mr. George Crosfield lived there in 1854."

From 1865 to 1939, inhabitants included Mrs. Arden, Mrs. Bamber, John Hatton and Peter McLachlan, as well as Annie White and Frederick Walter White, the couple who first used the Fir Grove as a hotel. If any of these names ring a bell, contact Vicky on 267471.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.