Building opened by Amy Johnson set for demolition

Not only was Amy the darling of the nation - songs were written in honour of her record-breaking flights - her legacy to the town was to formally open a building that became part of the town's motoring heritage.

Now the building she came to open is about to be demolished.

Morris House was purpose designed and built to strict company specifications to be a flagship showplace for the Morris motor company's products.

Sir William Morris himself - later Lord Nuffield - gave his blessing to the opening of the splendid new building on the corner of Sackville Road and Marina.

The opening date was June 19, 1931.

Later, Morris House was merged with adjoining Buck's Garage to form one imposing complex.

Successive owners have included the Caffyns group and the locally-owned Westfield group.

Now Bexhill Auto Centre, the last of the series of occupiers, has vacated the premises and transferred operations to Bridgeway at St Leonards. Planning permission was obtained by developer Hamayun Khan for redevelopment with luxury flats. He subsequently sold the site with the benefit of planning permission.

Don Phillips is undertaking the major project of collating and preserving Bexhill Museum's collection of local architectural plans.

Among them are a complete set for Morris House, re-traced by the late local architect Roy Harrison for a conversion he designed in 1964 for the building.

The original plans for the Art Deco design were drawn by A.J. MacPherson of MacPherson and Butler of Colchester in September, 1930.

Don Phillips says: "It's certainly an interesting building and with a strong historical association though it is not something that we could state should not be demolished.

"However, it is a nice Art Deco design. The central part is s steel structure. Considerable care was taken over features like the windows.

"The showroom was a single storey feature fronting both Sackville Road and Egerton Road.

"As originally designed, it had a very large recess for the main doorway."

Like many commercial buildings in Bexhill and in other towns, Morris House was requisitioned by the Government and turned into a "shadow factory" during the Second World War. Parts for both Supermarine Spitfire and de Havilland Mosquito aircraft are known to have been made there together components for barrage balloons.

The Observer reported of the opening ceremony: "Great interest attached to the visit yesterday of Miss Amy Johnson, C.B.E., the first woman to accomplish a solo flight from England to Australia, for the opening of Morris House, 68, Sackville-road, Bexhill.

"An imposing addition to the many fine business premises in the town, Morris House, through the enterprise of Mr. P. G. Page, who comes from Colchester, will form another link in the chain of depots throughout Great Britain for the service and sale of Morris cars.

"A commodious building, it offers striking testimony to the initiative of Mr Page at a time when those engaged in many industries are inclined to pessimism regarding the future of trade in this country.

"Situate on a corner, Morris House has fine display windows fronting both Sackville and Egerton-roads, and in these are shown various models of the range of cars turned out from the famous works of Sir William Morris, while there is also provision for the display of used models.

"The lofty interior of the building provides accommodation for many vehicles, and the equipment for repairs is of the latest type, and calculated to help work in the most expeditious fashion.

"Both sales, repairs and maintenance service will be carried will be carried under the authorisation of the Morris Company, and the depot will be fully stocked for the provision of spare parts."

The opening was preceded by a luncheon presided over by Mr Page at the Metropole Hotel, which then stood on the opposing corner.

The Observer noted: "Miss Johnson arrived just as the speechmaking concluded. She was given a rousing reception and apologising for her late appearance she said she had intended flying down but had to abandon the idea at the last moment owing to a terrific thunderstorm and come by car..."

She added: "I came along in my M.G. which has given me excellent service since it was given to me by Sir William Morris.

"All I can wish for this district, besides having Morris cars, is an aerodrome."

The Observer added: "For more than an hour before Miss Johnson's arrival a crowd of some hundred strong gathered outside Morris House, the ranks of eager spectators overflowing from the broad pavement well out into the roadway.

"Naturally, the feminine element predominated, but there was also a large number of men who were in no way less eager to get a glimpse of the famous airwoman.

"When Miss Johnson stepped from her car, which bore a silver model of her aeroplane, "Jason," on the bonnet, she was given an enthusiastic reception."

Within living memory the site had been a small-holding where sheep and goats grazed.

The Bexhill 100 Motoring Club is currently researching the history of the site as part of the town's motoring heritage.