Former White Star Line company offices

While in Liverpool I walked down to the front to look at the former White Star Line office building. It's called Albion House and is now home to "30 James Street Hotel" (good to see a plaque outside remembers its former use.) I peeped in the reception and though bearing an old-fashioned charm I expected something larger. I walked back out to the front and looked up at all the windows wonder which one was Thomas's Ismay's (the boss.) I guess it was high up on the frontage so he could looked out onto the water.

This must have been a quiet place in 1912 when the Titanic went down. When news reached the offices the officials were too afraid to leave and instead read out the names of the deceased from a balcony. The only balcony I could see was on the front and too high up to be within earshot. It's a charming building, knocking spots off the neighbouring soulless contemporary things ganging up on it. The building was hit by a bomb in the Second World War and had to be repaired. I did a salute and left. I'd parked the car up passed the big cathedral and used its cacophony of clanging bells to guide me back.