Take a tour through the less well-known sights of the Paragon Café.
Starting in the main café area we find some original table numbers still in place:
This window can be seen in the rear left-hand corner of the room behind the bar. Behind it is a blank brick wall. Did this window ever see the light of day?
Moving on now into the Foyer, where a few old cash registers reside, along with some magnificent doorways…
From here we move on into the two magnificent back rooms. Outside of business hours, their mystery deepens:
The windows we see are at ground level in the back lane outside. As for the Banquet Hall, it is almost completely below ground level.
Taking a closer look around the Banquet Hall, the details reveal themselves.
These ashtrays can be seen in this photo from 1938.
The original floor can also be seen in this photo from 1938.
A closer inspection of the stage reveals some interesting details:
This ceiling detail is usually hidden behind the arch. Meanwhile, immediately below, lurks a rusted relic: one of the original leaf springs from the old dance floor.
Elsewhere in the building, beyond the areas seen by the public, are stranger and more ancient places…
The Lost Alleyway and the Stairway to the Upper Rooms
On the roof of the Paragon (apart from the occasional Strange Hovering Visitor) we find a small flat, unchanged since the 1920’s
Note the 2-button light switch again.
More to come soon.