The Chatham, popularly known as "Rosie's Bar" or just "Rosie's", was a bar on the Avenue d'Ostende in Monaco's

Monte Carlo Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...

district run by Rosie Bernard. Opened by Bernard's father in 1946, the bar was popular with

motor racing Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...

personalities and hydrographers. It closed due to redevelopment in 1996.

History

The bar was located near the Beau Rivage corner on the

Circuit de Monaco Circuit de Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the Principality of Monaco. It is commonly, and even officially, referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside ...

. It was opened by Bernard's father in 1946 and named for the

Chatham Dockyard Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th century, ...

of the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

to appeal to the many British Naval personnel who visited the port or Monaco. The bar was decorated with photographs, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia associated with motor racing. The official

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

'opus' book described the bar as "Not the biggest, certainly not the most luxurious nor even the best of the Principality's many watering holes ... It was one of the temples of

grand prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

racing". The bar was popular with motor racing personalities and hydrographers. In his autobiography, ''Graham'',

Graham Hill Norman Graham Hill (15 February 1929 – 29 November 1975) was a British racing driver and team owner, who was the Formula One World Champion twice, winning in and as well as being runner up on three occasions (1963, 1964 and 1965). Despite ...

wrote that he always called at Rosie's for "a quick beer" before leaving Monaco after a race weekend. Bernard remembered Hill visiting with his family on many occasions; his son Damon visited the bar after retiring from the

1996 Monaco Grand Prix The 1996 Monaco Grand Prix (formally the LIV Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco) was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on 19 May 1996. It was the sixth race of the 1996 Formula One season. The race was run in very wet weather, and set a rec ...

. Graham Hill had first visited Rosie's with his fellow Naval personnel during his time serving on . In 1994, the Canadian hydrographers Rob Hare and Peter Kielland were in Monaco for the

International Hydrographic Organization The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental organisation representing hydrography. , the IHO comprised 98 Member States. A principal aim of the IHO is to ensure that the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters a ...

; the pair went to the bar to check that

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

left by Canadian hydrographers was still there. ''Lighthouse'', the journal of the Canadian Hydrographers' Association, described Rosie's bar as a "real hydrographers bar". In 1969, the location of the bar was moved by as a result of redevelopment. The bar closed in 1996. Following the closure, Bernard ran a souvenir boutique on the Rue Comte Félix Gastaldi in

Monaco Ville Monaco City (french: Monaco-Ville) is the southcentral ward in the Principality of Monaco. Located on a headland that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, it is nicknamed The Rock (french: Le Rocher). The name "Monaco City" is misleading: it is no ...

. Bernard published her memories of the bar, ''Rosie's Memories'', in 2007. Finally it was bought and rescued by Trevor Baines and became part of Café Grand prix, now centered on the Rascasse.

References

External links

2009 photographs of Rosie Bernard on Monte Carlo Daily Photo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatham Monte Carlo 1946 establishments in Monaco 1996 disestablishments in Monaco Monaco Grand Prix