122yr Old Ladies

I visited a friend for late lunch at a place called Quilligan’s in Blackpool today and discovered these beauties for myself.

There are twelve surviving ladies along two walls, that were uncovered in 2010 having been boarded over to make way for a shoe shop in the early 1970s. The surrounding decorative tiles remain panelled over whilst awaiting restoration funding.

Originally there were 28 but the rest, together with an ornate ceiling were dismantled during renovation to the Empress Building in the late 1930s.

The restaurant, where these are back on display in their 122yr old glory, used to be a vaulted entrance to the Empress Ballroom.

The tiles were commissioned by Doulton and designed by their lead artist W.J.Neatby in 1896. They pre-date his other works that can be found In Harrod’s Food Hall and the Royal Arcade at Norwich, amongst other places.

I love historic gems like these. Uncovering or unearthing treasures from a century ago so that we can still enjoy them today, even though they are witnessing entirely different lifestyles. If walls could talk....