Citylife in Lichfield August 2021

Moor Hall
Memories
By Kristen Lackajis
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This year local entrepreneur Mr Michael ‘Mick’ Webb, the owner
of prestigious 4-star luxury spa hotel Moor Hall, is celebrating
his ‘diamond jubilee’ of ownership. We spoke to him about how it
all began and the changes he has seen over the last 60 years.
It all started on a skiing trip in Austria. Mr Webb, his family and
friends were enjoying the après ski hospitality after a day on the
slopes when it was remarked upon that there was nothing of this
nature back in his hometown of Sutton Coldfield, and what the area
could really benefit from was somewhere that offered some late-night
dancing, drinking and general entertainment. From this tiny acorn of an
idea grew a very large oak indeed!
On his return, Mr Webb began looking for available properties in
which to bring his brainwave to life, however the initial searches
proved quite fruitless.
“Someone suggested Moor Hall as the perfect venue,” he explains. “I
approached them and told them I wanted to buy it and they agreed –
it wasn’t even for sale!”
At the current time Moor Hall, which was once the home of Bishop
Vesey in the sixteenth century, was a 17-bedroom licensed hotel and
being used as a gentleman’s residence, providing somewhere for the
recently retired or widowed to stay. Three of the bedrooms had
private bathrooms and there were also 22 staff bedrooms.
On acquisition of the stately home, Mr Webb set it up as a private
members club as this was the only way to serve alcohol after hours.
Subscription cost was £2 guineas per year, payable by banker’s order,
and there are still a few members today who pay this annual fee!
Mr Webb installed a bar area and converted the Charter Room
(now the Ladywood Room) into a dancing room, with live bands most
nights and a disco on Wednesdays and Sundays. Late night drinking and
dancing was hugely popular in the swinging sixties and it wasn’t long
before Moor Hall became known as the place to be seen.
“I had one resident gentleman approach me after a few weeks,” he
remembers. “He gave me his notice and said he would be moving out
with immediate effect as it was now too noisy and not like it used to
be! I said that was fine, and then he asked what we should do about
the bathroom. The bathroom I asked? Yes, he replied – I paid for my
bathroom to be installed. Well, I retorted, feel free to take it with you
then! He eventually left with the mahogany toilet seat!”
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