"...the palace of a former dynasty turned into a warehouse..." (David Falkayn: Star Trader, p. 125)
How many beings use, work in or walk past that warehouse without knowing its history? In Liverpool, a large building that was, and possibly still is, empty and unused was once a Trade Union Centre. When it was in use as the Centre, I attended a public meeting that was critical of the role of the police in society. One speaker from the floor volunteered the information that that building had previously been Merseyside Police Headquarters and, further, that the room in which we were meeting had been the Chief Constable's office! No one else at the meeting had known that.
Once when I routinely visited our local shop, the Verger of Lancaster Priory Church happened to call in. He remembered a time when what we knew as the shop had been a family home. The family was called Mashiter, the boy was in the Choir and Choir Committee meetings were held in the front room. Every building has a history that is usually unknown to its current users.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I'm reminded of how in my home state of MA, cities like Lawrence, Methuren, and North Andover have truly massive and huge mill buildings once use for manufacturing paper, textiles, shoes, and many other goods. The decline of such industries has led to these buildings being abandoned, razed, or turned to other purposes.
And the Hawaiian royal palace, the Iolani Palace, was used as the legislative seat for the US Territory and then State of Hawaii before it was restored and became a museum.
But I don't know of any palaces on Earth being used as warehouses! Some became museums or schools, but not a warehouse.
Sean
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