Early attempts by the WMCIU to provide a Holiday Home.
A house was rented at £60 per annum, at 2 Royal Place, Margate, and was furnished, at a cost of £120. Donations totalling about £120 were received and the house was formally opened on 2 September 1878.
It would appear that no attempt at the provision of food was made, as the charge to a single man for one week was 3s 6d for a bed, and to married people with children 6s 6d for a room.
"From April to June 1879, a considerable number of married persons with their children availed themselves of this advantage", says the report for that year. But "the necessity of making the House self supporting and the fact that while the expense of maintaining it continues through the year visitors use it only in has obliged the Council to charge more than was originally intended". Outgoings totalled £108 whilst the amount raised from residents was only £23. Even with another £24 in donations the home was not viable. The Council was disappointed and suggestions to move to Brighton considered.
The report for 1880 does not mention the home but only gives the accounts as Income £15, expenditure £94. A further mention of "sale of furniture at ditto, £15 sealed the fate of this adventure.