25 years today.

Today, Sunday March 30th 2025 is the 25th anniversary of when I collected the keys and entered Hamiton Hall for the very first time as it's new owner, guardian and keeper, and a great deal has happened in those 25 years.

Naturally I haven't aged 25 years, no, not at all, - at least I keep telling myself that.

I knew that life in London as a very successful escort was coming to an end, as I had had a couple of premonitions that ' time was up' and it was time for a change for - while I may have been the top, the best, the busiest and the most successful gay sex worker in the country at the time, and while I had been doing it full time for 15 years, and paid tax - I knew it was time to either give it up, before it gave me up, and before it did too much damage to my mind, body and soul, - as any long term career can do - ESPECIALLY - when you know there is more in you than to stick where you are - even if it is safe - and I KNEW there was something more important for me to be doing, and so put my house in Hammersmith West London on the market and eventually, moved to Bournemouth, the town I grew up in.

I spent a couple of months looking around for a property as the original venue I had made an offer on, fell through and I was staying with my family, with my cats in a cattery, my furnishing all in storage and I was homeless until I walked into Hamilton Hall for the first time and the house spoke to me, IT ACTUALLY DID SPEAK TO ME - asking ' And what are we going to be doing together ?' and I knew this was the place for me.

It was a complicated sale as the estate agent lied and bullshitted me and I had to take him to one said and tell him to stop the lying as if he couldn't offer me a professional honest service, I would report him to the legal body, and in business, I expect professionalism as I will offer in return, and if you cannot be professional, THEN GET ME SOMEONE WHO CAN AS I REFUSE TO DO BUSINESS WITH LIARS, and he was very embarrassed and apologised and avoided me after that.

I was, after all, a cash buyer with a great deal of money to spend and Hamilton Hall was a big deal, not just some small one bedroom flat but a 11 bedroom venue - and I expect to be treated in a certain manner if I am paying the bill and I don't care who you are or what you do, being polite and professional is what is expected and when not offered, we do have choices.

I also expect - in business, to be called Mr. Bellamy or even Sir and not mate.

Got the keys and my first night - all alone - going from room to room 'smudging' the whole place, cleansing any past vibes and cleansing the venue of any negative energies - creating a clean slate to start my new life within, and I was naked the whole time, introducing Hamilton Hall to sexuality, after being a Care Home for the elderly for the last 10 years and a boarding house / hotel since it was built in 1887, and I knew the house was to be experiencing a whole new lifestyle under my ownership and I truly felt the house was receptive to change and welcomed me affectionately, and it was a mavelous evening, all alone, and with my new home, going from room to room and as it was equipped as a hotel, I was interested to see what I had bought, what bedding, what furniture, what kitchen equipment... even though 90% was replaced with new, I was still fascinated to see what I had bought.

It's been a long journey from that first evening 25 years ago March 30th 2000 .... and I find it hard to believe it has been 25 years.

So This weekend I am celebrating 25 years at Hamilton Hall My 70th Birthday on April 18th.

End of April is my 40th anniversary of when I returned to live in the UK from America. And it is Mothers Day.

Some hated us right from the start, wanting to ' turn my head' and give them the venue , make it into something THEY wanted and not what I wanted, and some of the gay groups were really antagonistic to start with and have played childish games ever since, and I just ignore and get on with my own thing and their attitude has been shameful over the years. No working together, No sharing and while I have put myself out there to the gay world, it is the most horrible and dangerous place to reside and run a business within. Patronising and appalling condescention from the likes of Gay Times and Pink Paper - and nothing but resentment and jealousy from many, and this shocked me as I saw HH as being a place for the people, and not one where ' the people threw hatred and venim at us.

So I have nothing to do with them and have ' done my own thing; and it shows I was right as - where are these other grous and those who pulled away - now - and I am still here, still doing my own thing and still as a NOT FOR PROFIT VENUE and NOT from ego, which sadly too many word through.

Now - the Customers have made it all worthwhile. the thousands of regulars who come year afer year. The people who have atteded multiple events and become part of the family and who we look forward to seeing again and again. Those whose lives were changed because of Hamilton Hall and those who used us as a 'last little bit of heaven on earth' in their declining years leading to their demise from this world, - ( they died ... ) and even the sweet and thoughtful letters we get ' from beyond the grave' saying their final goodbyes and how much we meant to them.

I tear up when thinking about these people.

Jimmy - Norman - Terry - The Magician - Tom - Bernard - Darrel - and many more... sadly no longer with us - but will always be remembered affectionately.

And the various staff members over the years, far to many for my memory to recall but Dale - several Davids, Robert, and even several other John's besides myself and of course these last 5 years - Gary and now Woody - who while being brothers are very different to each other and both have become part of my family and my heart.

Many staff members have been superb, others, like Dumb and Dumber - OMG - useless and just awful.

I remember saying to one guy looking for a job here - which he did not get because as I told him - he was 'More Blackpool than Bournemouth.' - and I never considered it rude until someone else told me after, through laughter, that it was, and while it may have been, it was true. Mind you, we did laugh...

There has been the laughter and the tears, the mistakes and the mayhem. There have been people with expectations way beyond resonable and there have been so may smiles, and laughter, and fun, and sex, and sharing, and friendships and relationships begat here, and I am at the centre of it all and very often, oblivious to much of it, but pleased and thrilled that so many remember us with such affection.

This is where I was meant to be and this is where I am at.

BIG THANKYOU to all those who have stayed with us, shared with us, been a part of our family even if just for one night. Every little helps and thank you to all those who have helped and guided over this last quarter century.

I don't think I shall be here another 25 years as that would make e 95 years old but who knows. You never know it is over until the fat lady sings.

Here's to the next decade at least.

Live Long and Prosper.

John Bellamy

www.hamiltonhall.info

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