After an explosion destroyed part of The Grand hotel the Tory MPs were left dazed on the seafront.

With all their clothes and personal possessions left behind or destroyed by the bomb on October 12, 1984, they were left covered in dust.

Brighton came together in a moment of urgency and opened its doors to help those that had been affected by the explosion.

From superstores to the NHS, they were ready for the challenge that lay ahead.

Hours later at 7.30am a coach took people from near The Grand to Churchill Square shopping centre.

In Steve Ramsey’s book about the Brighton Bomb, Something Has Gone Wrong, it details how Conservative Party Treasurer Lord McAlpine had arranged for the shopping centre to open early.

Lord McAlpine said in his memoir:” I spread the word amongst Brighton’s taxi drivers that anyone without clothes was to be brought to Marks and Spencer. I would, I told them, settle the fares.”

Jennie Dack, who was a food manager at Marks and Spencer at the time, was sent down to open up the store for the dazed MPs.

Keith Joseph leaving The Grand in his dressing gown (Image: Simon Dack)

She said: “Keith Jospeh who was a close confidant of Margaret Thatcher at the time came into the shop, he came in wearing his pyjamas and silk dressing gown absolutely covered in dust.

“He looked like a ghost.

“The shop opened up early so that the Tory MPs could come in and get clothes to be ready for the conference the next day.

“I was actually the food manager at the time, we were all in there at 7am. A lot of staff members could not get in, as many things were closed due to the special circumstances.

“The MPs were brought in and taken around the store to find clothing that was suitable for them.”

The Argus understands that a lot of the clothes that were taken by the MPs that day were actually donated by Marks and Spencer.

Jennie adds: “One thing I do remember is that we had a bomb threat on the Friday [October 12], and that was absolutely terrifying. We had to evacuate the store, and because it was so close to the truth it left us all a bit shocked.

“At the end it turned out to be a hoax but it was intended to cause upset and panic.”

On the other side of the scene, nurses and doctors at the Royal Sussex County Hospital were attending to MPs who had been hurt in the bomb. Most notably Norman Tebbit and his wife Lady Margaret Tebbit.

He was first taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital where doctors asked if he was allergic to anything. The defiant cabinet minister replied “bombs”.

He was later transferred to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire where he remained for several weeks.