A menu dated 1899, branded crockery and chamber pots and a resignation letter dated 1916 are just a small sample of items which have been uncovered during the £40million restoration of the Grade II-listed Grand Hotel in the centre of Birmingham – reports the Birmingham Post.

The 1899 menu offers guests ‘plaice a l’Orly’, ‘ox tails a la jardiniere’ and ‘gelee au maraschino’.

The renovation which has taken four years so far has also unveiled a fascinating glimpse into life in the building before it closed in 2002.

Developer Hortons’ Estate has been restoring the historic 1879 building in Colmore Row to its former glory. The redevelopment will see new bars and offices as well as the rebirth of one of Birmingham’s most well-known and respected hotels.

Other finds include a note written in February 1960 by 16 year old waiter, Thomas Carmody, and slipped under the floorboards. His message written on the back of a restaurant menu said “I will come back from the dead to see you’. Thomas, if he is still alive, will be 72 years old now or perhaps he is now stalking the corridors of the Grand Hotel.

See details of the rich find uncovered so far at the Grand Hotel in Birmingham.
Details: http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/rare-finds-give-grand-glimpse-11818852