Annotations to follow
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Everything Must Go-Go
Having splashed-the-cash across several of the kids' favourite ridiculously priced 'boutiques' (can we still use that word) in a post-Christmas mood of who-the-hell-cares-anyway-just-buy-until-the-card-stops-working, I managed to prise the clan away from the SalesFest and plotted a meadering course between Covent Garden and Oxford Street which, surprise ! surprise ! took us past several 'interesting' Beatles Spots (as described in the Beatles' London Book). Perhaps recognising the need to keep the Keeper-of-the-Wallet in a good mood (at least as far as Oxford Street) even they (them, the kids' et al) joined in a little Beatle Fun as we posed with imaginary ice creams bought from the imaginary Kontact Cafe (no. 24 Wardoor Street) and stood outside 27 Wardour Street - the previous home of Garner's restaurant, a Beatles' favourite place. Then next door at no. 29 we gazed tp the second floor where Dezo Hoffmann had his studio. Then top floor at no. 31 where the Beatles had their shirts made...then a quick step to no. 33-37 where the Whisky-A-Gogo stood. Now a very boring O'Neill's themed nightmare of make believe junk. By now the brief 'high' achieved through purchases of £40 t-shirts knocked down to an amazing £37 was wearing off and Beatle Fun was draining away at an alarming rate. But then Oxford Street was within spending distance and off the clan rushed spurred on by dreams of ... whatever....
Annotations to follow
29 Wardour Street - Dezo Hoffmann's Studio on second floor
24 Wardour Street - Kontact Cafe
31 Wardour Street - Star Shirt Makers on top floor
31 Wardour Street - Star Shirt Makers on top floor
33-37 Wardour Street - Flamingo Club
Broadwick Street 'Gentlemans' Club - did not hang around too long
And I found Trident Studios !
Open for tours at 16:30 !
But I have 3 kids in tow ! I will return...
Perhaps I could leave them somewhere for a few hours ????
15 Poland Street - Tony Calder Enterprises
5-6 Argyll Street - Nems Enterprises
363-367 Oxford Street - HMV and now infamous Footlocker
Annotations to follow
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Gaulling - to say the least
On occasions, Herr Brilig gets summoned to places to explain this, that or the other. Ususally the venue is a souless, godless, grey and miserable office on a miserable industrial estate with miserable vending machines dispensing Mars Bars, oversized baps of yesteryear and miserable grey tea - very grey. An office down a side alley of a side street of a road whose sole rasion d'etre is to provide a place to stick a miserable set of offices off that alley, round the bend beyond the burger bar van. And yet life exists there - a career is is being crafted by numbers going up or dashed and destroyed by numbers heading south. Such is life. Ho hum ho hum ho hum ho hum ho hum ho hum ho hum ho hum ho hum.
But what of today ? Shock and awe ! I said shock and awe ! A really big number with a mega pound sign caused the spirits to roll their dice and send Brilig to offices so elevated that the pinstripe was dusted down and I even considered giving the brouges a brush (but didn't) The venue was an infinity office overlooking The Mall and indeed my powerpoint of graphs and numbers and pi charts and ridiculous colours without meaning was presented in the very place where de Gaulle moped about planning his plans. The tea was was tea colour and served in china cups and was accompanied by cake in the afternoon. And stood the clock at ten to three and all was well with the Empire.....
But enough of this already, enough you say. What of the Fabs ? Well, having got up before I went to bed to catch the first train out of Cantium (un-godly 06:15 - two carriages, standing room only and no tea trolley) I arrived in Londinium Central nearly two hours before the meeting and so sauntered without particular aim between The Mall and Pall Mall. Readarzzz of this tripe may have concluded from previous entries that Brilig is not the most organised of fellows and so, true to form, Beatle London book and camera had been left on 'side' next to the biscuit barrel having been placed there night before in semi-inebriated state as I could not possible forget them if I placed them there on the 'side' - the 'side' cannot be missed. Oh crap - I've gotta get a system going coz this memory thing is starting ...starting....yeah ok.
Not to cut a long story short and without AtoZ (didn't even remember to leave that on the 'side') I meandered like a lost soul convinced that Chappel Street was close by (it isn't particularly) and so ended back up in Mason's Yard - boring, went there a few months back. Anyhow, one picture of The Scotch Club which, until a few weeks back, was the Directos' Lodge Club but is now under reconstruction. As it happens, the entrance to this building and, indeed, the nearby Indica Gallery building could have been breached today - the galley appeared open and the building site had an open door. So could have entered both buildings on the same day - but didn't. The powerpoint had not received the raptuous applause it so obviously deserved and so despondency ruled and that train back to Cantium beckoned. Ho hum ho hum hom hum ho hum ho hum hummy ho hum...
The Scotch Club - Builders at Work
Back in the Day - Brilig dancing with Patti - loved that girl
But what of today ? Shock and awe ! I said shock and awe ! A really big number with a mega pound sign caused the spirits to roll their dice and send Brilig to offices so elevated that the pinstripe was dusted down and I even considered giving the brouges a brush (but didn't) The venue was an infinity office overlooking The Mall and indeed my powerpoint of graphs and numbers and pi charts and ridiculous colours without meaning was presented in the very place where de Gaulle moped about planning his plans. The tea was was tea colour and served in china cups and was accompanied by cake in the afternoon. And stood the clock at ten to three and all was well with the Empire.....
But enough of this already, enough you say. What of the Fabs ? Well, having got up before I went to bed to catch the first train out of Cantium (un-godly 06:15 - two carriages, standing room only and no tea trolley) I arrived in Londinium Central nearly two hours before the meeting and so sauntered without particular aim between The Mall and Pall Mall. Readarzzz of this tripe may have concluded from previous entries that Brilig is not the most organised of fellows and so, true to form, Beatle London book and camera had been left on 'side' next to the biscuit barrel having been placed there night before in semi-inebriated state as I could not possible forget them if I placed them there on the 'side' - the 'side' cannot be missed. Oh crap - I've gotta get a system going coz this memory thing is starting ...starting....yeah ok.
Not to cut a long story short and without AtoZ (didn't even remember to leave that on the 'side') I meandered like a lost soul convinced that Chappel Street was close by (it isn't particularly) and so ended back up in Mason's Yard - boring, went there a few months back. Anyhow, one picture of The Scotch Club which, until a few weeks back, was the Directos' Lodge Club but is now under reconstruction. As it happens, the entrance to this building and, indeed, the nearby Indica Gallery building could have been breached today - the galley appeared open and the building site had an open door. So could have entered both buildings on the same day - but didn't. The powerpoint had not received the raptuous applause it so obviously deserved and so despondency ruled and that train back to Cantium beckoned. Ho hum ho hum hom hum ho hum ho hum hummy ho hum...
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