A HOTEL has removed the Gideon Bible from guests' bedsides to
make way for copies of the best-selling erotic novel Fifty
Shades of Grey.
Damson Dene Hotel, near Crosthwaite, east of Windermere in the
Lake District, which featured in a Channel 4 fly-on-the-wall
documentary last year, swapped the Bible for the novel, by E. L.
James, which has been described by its author as "mummy porn".
The manager, Wayne Bartholomew, was prompted to make the swap by
the hotel's receptionist, who had read the book. He said: "I
thought it would be a special treat for our guests to find it in
their bedside cabinet."
He said that he was only "swapping one best-seller for another.
. . The Gideon Bible is also full of references to sex and
violence, although it's written using more formal language, so
James's book is easier to read."
The owner of the hotel, Jonathan Denby, said that the swap had
provoked some complaints: "The overwhelming reaction has been
positive, but we have had several emails from the US quoting the
scriptures."
He told the North-West Evening Mail that "it was only a
bit of fun, and I do not want to offend anyone." The Gideon Bible
was still available to guests who asked at the hotel's reception,
he said.
The Priest-in-Charge of Crosthwaite, the Revd Michael Woodcock,
dismissed the move as a gimmick. It was a "great shame" that the
Bible had been removed from the rooms. "The Bible remains a source
of comfort and inspiration that many people do find helpful."