'Goodbye Redbeck! We've gone out with a bang'

A motel which has served generations of customers and played host to music icons including Sir Tom Jones, Diana Ross and Shirley Bassey has closed its doors after more than half a century.

The Redbeck Motel, in Wakefield, was a popular haunt for celebrities in the 1970s and 1980s, but plans to demolish it and build 90 homes on the site were approved at the end of last year.

Managing Director Peter Worth JP said he was deeply moved by the loyal support customers had shown over the years - and especially touched by the many who attended Sunday's closing celebration.

He said: "It's just the best way we could do to finish it off. We've gone out with a bang, it's been absolutely fantastic."

Renowned for its breakfast special, the business on Doncaster Road in Crofton was established in 1969 and was open 24 hours a day.

Danny La Rue and The Three Degrees were also among the acts to have stayed at the hotel in its heyday, and it featured on shows such as Emmerdale and other TV dramas.

Worth told the BBC the business could not continue "in its present format" and plans for demolition were produced in 2024.

He said that although the Redbeck would disappear, its legacy would live on through the new development, which would include street names referencing the motel.

"The Redbeck is gone, but it's not gone forever."

Worth said the closure of "one of Wakefield's most iconic businesses" marked the end of an era and he paid tribute to the customers and staff, whom he described as the pinnacle of the Redbeck.

"That's what's made it so, so special," he said.

Sisters Karen and Trisha, who have worked at the motel for most of their lives, said it had been "exceptional".

"Customers have come in and thanked us for the service that the Redbeck has provided," they said.

"We also want to say a thank you to customers as well. We've had exceptional customers and they've kept us going.

"Every day has been different."

One of these customers was Paul, a regular for the last decade.

He said: "It's been great. It's just just a very sad day and I've had one or two little tears.

"When you've been coming here for the last 10 years, it plays a big part of your life.

"I've made lots of friends here, it's a big [cross-section] of society who come here, and I think that's what makes the place special."

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