I remember the day when Prince William belted out YMCA on the karaoke at a North East hotel
A long-gone North East hotel has a unique claim to fame and it is linked to royalty.
It was 26 years ago this month that Prince William belted out a tune at the Crossways Hotel in Thornley.
The Crossways Hotel opened in 1977 and replaced the old Half Way House at Thornley, offering first-class hotel facilities after a £200,000 investment.
In April 2000, William and 40 of his fellow students from Eton School spent three nights at the venue as part of an annual geography field trip.
Belting out a rendition of YMCA
It seems William made the most of his time in East Durham, impressing staff with his impeccable table manners and even proving a dab hand at the karaoke. Apparently, he belted out the 70s disco classic YMCA.
Three years later, Prince Harry made the same trip and also starred on the karaoke.
But what did he sing and were you there when he sang?
Fond memories of the 50-50 disco
The Crossways is remembered fondly by many people. In 1983, the hotel had an over-25s 50-50 disco or you could enjoy a supper and dinner dance with dancing to the Crossways Trio.
In 1996, the hotel had live entertainment including Gofy's Road Show, and the Flying Emperors.
The Crossways was eventually demolished and made way for a housing development, having hosted everything from discos to weddings.
Tell us if you remember the hotel and the times you spent there by emailing [email protected]
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