Today I met some former students from Evergreen Academy at the Hard Rock Cafe near Hyde Park. I must say - it is very exciting to live in a city that people from America like to visit! I love receiving e-mails, asking if I'd like to meet up somewhere in London... We met for lunch and had a wonderful time!
And now... for the lesson of the day:Hard Rock Cafe History!!
It started with an Eric Clapton guitar and it was just a joke too!
"Back in the seventies, Clapton liked to eat at this quirky American diner in London called the Hard Rock Cafe. The place was this funky old building that used to be a Rolls Royce dealership, and it was run by a couple of young Americans who liked to keep it loose....
So Clapton got to be friends asked them to save him a regular table, put up a brass plaque or something. And the young proprietors said, “Why don't we put up your guitar?” They all had a chuckle, and he handed over a guitar, and they slapped it on the wall.
No one thought much more about it. Until a week later, when another guitar arrived (a Gibson Les Paul, by the way). With it was a note from Pete Townshend of The Who which read: "Mine's as good as his. Love, Pete."
The young proprietors put it on the wall. After that, the guitars never stopped coming. Today there are more than 70,000 guitars, drums, pianos, harmonicas, microphones, shirts, pants, scarves, shoes, handwritten lyrics, cars, bikes, a bus and assorted rock memorabilia - by far, the largest, most valuable such collection in the world - on the walls of over 138 Hard Rock Cafes, Hotels and Casinos in 42 countries around the world. But it all started with the one."
(Excert from www.hardrock.com/history)
It started with an Eric Clapton guitar and it was just a joke too!
"Back in the seventies, Clapton liked to eat at this quirky American diner in London called the Hard Rock Cafe. The place was this funky old building that used to be a Rolls Royce dealership, and it was run by a couple of young Americans who liked to keep it loose....
So Clapton got to be friends asked them to save him a regular table, put up a brass plaque or something. And the young proprietors said, “Why don't we put up your guitar?” They all had a chuckle, and he handed over a guitar, and they slapped it on the wall.
No one thought much more about it. Until a week later, when another guitar arrived (a Gibson Les Paul, by the way). With it was a note from Pete Townshend of The Who which read: "Mine's as good as his. Love, Pete."
The young proprietors put it on the wall. After that, the guitars never stopped coming. Today there are more than 70,000 guitars, drums, pianos, harmonicas, microphones, shirts, pants, scarves, shoes, handwritten lyrics, cars, bikes, a bus and assorted rock memorabilia - by far, the largest, most valuable such collection in the world - on the walls of over 138 Hard Rock Cafes, Hotels and Casinos in 42 countries around the world. But it all started with the one."
(Excert from www.hardrock.com/history)Qais, Lucas, and Katie enjoying some ice cream and a walk in Hyde Park after lunch (while I only drool right next to them)!
Special Note: As you may have heard in the news recently, there have been a few car bombs attempted (and failed) in London recently. Micah and I are safe and not in any danger. It was interesting however, because on Friday, as I was leaving Hyde Park, the police had closed down certain streets and were patroling the entire area. As it turns out, the second car bomb was found not far from there, so I was able to observe the Scotland Yard (London's Police Dept.) fulfilling their job and doing it first rate!
4 comments:
That is so neat! We have pictures in front of that exact same HRC. :)
very cool about Hard Rock, never knew! Thanks for the history lesson!
Hello from Mike and Becky Bunch!!
We saw your little blurb in the Corban newsletter and hopped on to see your blog! Shoot us an email when you get a chance...it would be nice to catch up!
newbunches@aol.com
Talk to you soon!
Hey guys I too saw your invitation to visit your blog in the newsletter. I will put you on my favorites! I have only visited London for one very short week but it certainly has a place in my heart. Besides my hometown it's where I'd want to live! And I adore Hyde park!!!! Especially the magical Peter Pan statue. So excited to skim though your other posts and feel free to check my little blog out too.
Becca Riddle
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