Sunday, April 3, 2016

Top Hat


When I was in Liverpool I came across this old shopfront near my hotel. I loved the ghost sign, and doing a little online research I found that this was a music store called the Top Hat Record Bar. You can see old pics from its heyday here and here.

Apparently the sign was uncovered in 2009 or so, after having been concealed behind newer signage for years.


Musicians like Lonnie Donegan and Frankie Vaughan made appearances there. Another smidgin of Liverpool's storied musical history!

My last French class of the term went well yesterday, and I am weirdly conflicted about whether to continue. After a year of study, I would love to have my Saturday mornings back, and I could do without the homework. It wouldn't be bad to save the money, either, I suppose.

But I still have plenty of room for improvement, and there's a camaraderie in my class that I hate to give up. We were all going to go to lunch yesterday to celebrate the end of the term, but we wound up canceling because several classmates couldn't be there. C'est dommage.

(Actually it was fine with me. I went walking and the day was beautiful and photography called!)

7 comments:

  1. I applaud your urban archaeology - unveiling some of the history behind that unremarkable facade which so many must walk by without realisation.

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  2. I applaud your effort to learn French. I'd probably not stick with it.

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  3. I wouldn't have even taken on French classes. I am so impressed that you have been doing this.

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  4. Signs cover a lot of interesting history. Keep on with the French. You learn much more than French.

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  5. Another great find. I loved the old photos too. I too applaud your efforts with French. It is not the easiest language to learn and I would think it would be very useful living in Europe.

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  6. You seem to enjoy the French classes once you actually get there. Maybe you can take a French conversational class that gives less, or no, homework?

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  7. Neat photos you linked to, for that building. I enjoy photos from older eras. Those were from my birth year, which is extra-interesting to me.

    I don't like making decisions where there is no clear answer :) Good luck with yours.

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