Quote:
Originally Posted by eastsussexred
Confirmation that the first permanent MRS was built and opened in 1854 with additional works carrying forward into 1855.
The additional works included the erection of a new betting ring, and a weigh-in room and offices for race officials in The Turf Tavern. The Tavern had briefly been renamed as The Grandstand from the end of the 1840's through to 1851. This might have been done to promote a fund which had been started by race officials, to rise money for the construction of the new permanent stand. The stand was completed, just as the the church had raised its efforts to have the annual races stopped, with local clergy writing in local newspapers in 1855 and petitioning the council, who in-turn sent a request to Sir W.W. Wynn to have the races stopped. W.W.Wynn pulled the plug in 1857, although a much smaller meeting also took place in 1858, before officials decided to abandon the idea in 1859. The races gradually re-appeared in a new format, initially with donkey and Pony racing added to the The Autumn Athletic Sports meetings, at the end of the 1860's, but were finally revived in 1873
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All that work to build a stand and 2 years or so later, they stopped the races.
Great work as always ESR.
