We were having a day out in Leamington so we didn't rush about this morning and were away at 10:45. As always I spent my time looking upwards, so apologies from me.
On the way into town on Bath Street there is this building, originally called the Parthenon. It was built in 1821 as a Royal Music Hall/Civic Centre. It later became a dance hall and a music Hall venue. By 1873 it was a reference library. There was a fire in the building in the 1960's and the facade was restored following this. It is now Iceland.
This was built between 1816 and 1836 as a house on the main street of Old Leamington. The ground floor was converted to shops before 1905.
We walked through Jephson Park and Gardens which are always beautifully kept. We took a turn through the glass house and there were a few of these bananas flowers.
A Typical Burton's, The Tailor of Taste buildings. He started building his stores in 1923 but this looks like it was from the 1930's with it's Art Deco style. All his premises were distinguished and many of them had a billiard hall upstairs as this would bring other revenue in when closed.
The Regent Hotel is now a Travel Lodge but when it was opened in 1819 it was called William's Hotel. Three weeks later the name was changed to Regent with permission of The Prince Regent, the future George IV. In 1830 Queen Victoria stayed here with her dad aged 11. The future Queen stayed in a Travel Lodge!
Brian from NB Harser (see his blog here https://nbharnser.blogspot.com/) told me about a website about ghosts signs after I posted one yesterday, see below, I seems to have seen a few more today. I will have to add them to the data base. This one says Prior (the shop name?) and I think towards the bottom something like special and note....
https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/features/ghost-signs/
This was to the left of an upstairs window with the lower picture to the right. This one says W. Bradley Basket Manufacturer
This one says Bradley's Brush Warehouse. I can find J. Bradley with a business of baskets and brushes here starting in 1896. Later a W. Bradley was running the business. The last I see of them is 1911!
This is Birmingham House on Regent Street. It may have been built in the 1820's. I can find a Lees Domestic Agency based there in 1894.
This is by the bridge over the river next to the Royal Pump House, and is where you can get a free drink of the spa water.
On Spencer Street on the way back to the boat is this lovely Art Deco place the Bath Assembly Hall, built in 1926. It was a Palais de Danse designed by Birmingham Architect Horace Bradley. It regularly had 200 around its sprung floor and under a mirror ball.
Once back at the boat we had a cup of tea and then decided to make some ground towards base and set off.
More photos of the Leamington Mural Festival of 2022.
There is quite a theme about birds spying on us.
And this is the story behind it.
We did four locks, dropped the rubbish off at the first and filled with water at the third and moored up in the middle of nowhere after the fourth not sure what we will do about the weather tomorrow, but may involve getting wet.
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