Own the ‘birthplace of television’: Shopping arcade in Hastings where John Logie Baird gave first public demonstration of TV in 1924 goes up for auction of £325,000
- Inventor John Logie Baird had his workshop in No. 8 Queen’s Arcade in Hastings
- In 1924 the arcade was the site of first public demonstration of televised pictures
- The building is now going up for auction with an estimated value of £325,000
The first place John Logie Baird gave a public demonstration of television is going under the hammer.
An auctioneer is promising would-be buyers the chance to snap up a piece of history as ‘the birthplace of television’.
Queen’s Arcade in Hastings has been listed with a freehold guide price of between £325,000 and £350,000 by a land and property auctioneer.
The arcade was opened in 1882, the year the Prince of Wales visited the town, and the original layout has remained largely unchanged to this day.
Queen’s Arcade in Hastings has been listed with a freehold guide price of between £325,000 and £350,000 by a land and property auctioneer
In 1924 Scottish engineer John Logie Baird, the first man to televise pictures of objects in motion, gave his first public demonstration of television at the site.
Many of his early experiments were also carried out in his workshop in store No.8 within the arcade.
A commemorative plaque, unveiled in 1929, marks the occasion and a Hastings pub, The John Logie Baird in Havelock Road, is named in his honour.
The listing for the online auction can be viewed on the Clive Emson website.
In 1924, the arcade was the site of Scottish inventor John Logie Baird’s first public demonstration of televised pictures
Director and senior auction appraiser Sam Kinloch said: ‘This is a rare opportunity to acquire a town centre shopping arcade comprising a mix of single and double units, and accessed via glass covered walkways from both Queen’s Road and York Gardens.
‘Let to provide a good income, Queen’s Arcade offers an eclectic array of retailers including a confectioner, butcher, fishmonger and hairdresser. With one vacant unit, the arcade is considered ideal for continued investment.’
It is estimated that rental for the arcade would work out at about £65,000 per year.
The property is being sold by Clive Emson Auctioneers with a guide price of £325-£350,000.