You will not believe how happy I was this morning to see these two top hats (rather badly photographed by me I am afraid).
The shop is called Yardsmen, and is a clothes hire shop in Cornhill, on the edge of the maze of alleys by St Michael’s church.
The reason is some research I have been carrying out for a walk I plan to start soon, provisionally entitled “The Great Fire of 1748”.
In March of that year much of Cornhill was consumed by a fire, started apparently in a wig shop – and what survives of the aftermath is a very detailed map that was created, listing all the shops, trades and owners affected by the fire. I have been able to find an original print of this map and intend to bring it on my walks (weather permitting) or a copy to hand out.
Here is the map.
Earlier this year I walked the streets on this map (they are still nearly all here) and in two cases have discovered that exactly the same trades are still being carried out today -different companies of course.
A few weeks ago, one of the shops had I noticed stopped selling the goods, so I went in and told them the story, and today I saw they have added them back into the shop window!
Here is the detail from the map showing the shop trade and owner.
It’s in the top right corner – can you see? Sarrazine the Milliner.
And now once again hats are now available at the same address!
If you want to know the secret of the other place with the same trade – come on my 1748 walk – provisionally starting in October!
