A leading light in the Island’s hotel and tourist scene for around half a century, Pamela Bailey, has died, aged 90.
Born in North London on October 23, 1926, she came to the Island with her parents and five siblings to forge a new life after the Second World War.
Initially living in Ventnor, she moved to Ryde after marrying Lionel Bailey in 1948, and together they began their long and memorable careers as hoteliers.
Their initial venture was at the London Hotel, Ryde, before moving down the hill to the Crown Hotel. Further advances were made on the town’s hotel scene when the couple bought the Royal Esplanade Hotel on the seafront in 1954.
By the 1960s, they had opened a very stylish and innovative cellar bar at the Esplanade, and the local youth movement soon poured in to enjoy its trend-setting jukebox, along with such delights as cappuccino coffee, chicken in a basket and, excitingly for those days, French wine.
After her husband’s death in 1975, Mrs Bailey went on to manage, single handedly, a hugely successful hotel business before her son, William, took over the reins as managing director in the 1990s.
On one memorable bank holiday in the 1950s, she marched into her bar and confronted a group of Hell’s Angels.
They could no more stand up to her than the hot dog van owner who had parked outside the Esplanade’s restaurant window. Having initially failed to remove the vehicle, she threw a bucket of cold water over the owner.
She was always captivated by the latest trends, not least in clothes. She wore Mary Quant outfits in the 1960s and became something of an icon when she invested in a fashionable black Max Mara suit, bought, so she said, because so many of her friends were ‘popping their clogs’.
She leaves three children Annei, Nicky (who with her husband, Nick, ran the Seaview Hotel for more than 20 years) and William, owner of the Royal Hotel at Ventnor, together with nine grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
Mrs Bailey remained indomitable to the end, living in her own flat in Pier Road, Seaview, stubbornly refusing any help but supported by her family and David Holland, her devoted partner for more than 40 years.
A celebration of her life is to be held at St Peter’s Church, Seaview, on July 10.