Folks,

Dux:

Do you really think so my dear chap? How good of you to say so and thank you for that encouraging statement. We will see if the counters show the daily hits suddenly dropping off.

Er....umm.. I suppose that particular architecture may have been somewhat common in Victorian times and well into the late 20s and early 30s? Perhaps the architect was a Derbyshire lad? I seem to recall that SNAFU had the American HWH Hall counterpart erected by the stalwart firm of Geddaplan, Drawitt & Billdum - Royal Architects and Builders, holders of the Kings warrant since 1066.

I believe the very first Geoffrey Geddaplan came to England in a funny wooden boat that sported a dragon prow. In fact, I'm told that if you closely inspect the ancient Bayeux Tapestry, old Geff is the Norman with the green face hanging off the port side of William's ship.

The august firm is noted for their fine work all across Europe especially that done in balsa wood, silly-putty and stone. Speaking of stone...The cornerstone of the HWH building was laid in 1933, not even ten full years before the same thing happened to a young Olga for the first of many times to come....

Old Glory and the Union Jack were soon to be accompanied by the crimson on white Canadian Maple Leaf however neither that beautiful flag nor C51's wash had yet to be erected from the eastern turret at the time of the photo. When the Canadian flag was flown the Union Jack took pride of place from a new and centrally located pole. As I recall it today, when C51 first put out his wash next to those national flags, there were more than a few complaints. All that ended when some wag suggested that he was also flying a flag. The flag of that well known Canadian Pirate...Longjohns Silver...