Brighton Bombing: Gosport man recalls how he was nearly killed along with Margaret Thatcher
A night porter working during the Brighton Bombing at the Grand Hotel in 1984 has recalled how he was nearly killed before escaping the debris - along with the IRA’s main target, prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
Chris Hill, who now lives in Gosport, has recalled his memories from the night of October 12, 1984, in what has been described as "the most audacious attack on a British government since the Gunpowder Plot".
Chris, 63 now but just 23 at the time, told The News how he was rough sleeping under the pier before he landed a job as a night porter at the nearby Grand Hotel. However, his apparent good fortune nearly led to him being killed. The passionate gay rights and homeless campaigner said he “never would have taken the job if I’d known Thatcher was going to be at the hotel”. He said the UK’s then leader was a woman he “hated” after blaming her for stamping over gay rights.
On the night of the assassination attempt on members of the British government, Chris said he was going about his business when he heard an “almighty bang” around 1.45am before he was suddenly left “buried under several floors of rubble”.
He said: “The alarms were going off, the lights were off…people were screaming. I got myself out of the rubble and because I knew my way around I was able to get out through the fire escape.
“Tables and chairs in the restaurant had been pushed out the way to help people get out. I was able to help people escape. Firefighters helped Thatcher get out.”
Chris said he even had an outer body experience during the carnage. “I thought I was dead at one point. I was hovering over myself. I was like a spirit on top of myself and I saw myself lying there,” he said.
“But I had to get back into my body to carry on my work for gay rights. I ended up helping get gay rights changed in 2017 through the European courts with a case I was involved in.
“There is nothing worse than being a victim of a bombing when it was aimed at someone I detested more than anyone. I detest what she did to gay people in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. I saw her a couple of times before the bombing and handed her a lot of post. I should have checked it in case it was a letter bomb. But that’s how much I hated her.
“I had no feelings towards the Brighton Bomber. I despised Thatcher, though.”
Chris was taken to hospital before making a full recovery. He was one of the lucky ones. The explosion killed five people and injured 34. The force of the blast broke through the roof and dislodged a five-ton chimney stack, which crashed through multiple floors.
The IRA planted a bomb in room 629 which was hidden under the bathtub and was set to detonate on the day of Thatcher's speech.
Patrick Magee, an IRA volunteer, planted the bomb and was tried and convicted in 1986. He was sentenced to eight life sentences, but was released in 1999 as part of the Good Friday Agreement.
The bombing was a key moment in the Troubles, the conflict in Northern Ireland between unionists and republicans over the constitutional position of Northern Ireland.