On 23 March, Prince Harry and Princess-to-be Princess Meghan Markle (African-American, former model and actress) officially visited Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, as part of a series of official events ahead of their wedding on 19 May, following a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland.
(Prince Harry and Princess-to-be Meghan Markle)
(Prince Harry and Princess-to-be in Belfast)
At noon, Prince Harry and princess-to-be dined at the Crown Bar (officially known as the Crown Liquor Saloon) in the city center, and the escort was very distracted, leaving them a world of two.
(Prince Harry and Princess-to-be visit the Crown Bar)
Crown Bar is one of the most famous pubs in Belfast, not one of them, and it is also a must-check-in destination for many travel enthusiasts to Northern Ireland, and its popularity is still no less than some of the filming locations of the American drama "Game of Thrones".
(Stills from Game of Thrones)
(Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland)
As early as 1947, the Crown Bar appeared on the screen.
The famous British director Sir Carol Reed's film "Tiger Guts" is set in Belfast and tells a story that takes place in turbulent times:
In the port city of Belfast, Northern Ireland at the beginning of the twentieth century, a secret group of the IRA intended to rob a company's cash cabinet, the leader of the group Johnny McQueen had just escaped from prison, also participated in this operation, after the huge amount of money arrived, Johnny in order to cover the others to go to the end, in the melee was shot and wounded by the guards, he killed the guards, and then Johnny hid in a shelter, fainted, the police searched the whole city for this group, Dennis and two companions sacrificed to find him, Catherine, the remainer of the secret team, is also under close surveillance, and eventually Catherine finds Johnny and is helping him flee to the harbor to leave by boat when the police surround them...
In this tense struggle, the Crown Bar, as a landmark building in Belfast, has appeared in front of the audience many times.
(Bar Exterior View)
(Inside view of the bar)
At that time, in order to set the film, the Crown Bar also re-established the internal layout.
The film later became so famous that it won the Best British Film Award at the first British Academy Film Awards in 1948.
The Crown Bar in the film also gradually left Belfast, out of the United Kingdom, printed on postcards and sent around the world, making more and more people come to visit.
People are singing, and the Crown Bar has exquisite tiles, stained glass and meticulous woodwork, which is classical and ornate.
Little is known that they were all the hands of Italian craftsmen, and that the skilled craftsmen had worked for the many newly established churches in Belfast at the time, and it was the high level of technology that made The Crown Bar one of the best Victorian gin palaces of its time (a 19th-century Victorian English bar building with bar counters designed for quick service and beer pumps installed).
(Inside the bar)
(Wood carvings on the ceiling)
But to trace the history of the Crown Bar, the cold-eyed monarch has to start from the late 19th century:
Originally a railroad tavern, it was bought by Michael Frangen, and in 1885, Frangen's son Patrick renovated and renamed it, and since then it has been known as the Crown Bar.
Painstakingly operated for many years, the Crown Bar has become a well-known attraction.
In 1978, the National Credit Service bought the ownership of the Crown Bar under the persuasion of the people;
Three years later, the NSA spent £400,000 (about 3.6 million yuan) on its protective renovation to restore the Original Victorian style of the Crown Bar.
In 2007, the NSA spent another £500,000 (about 4.5 million) on a major restoration of the Crown Bar. The project was also filmed by the BBC and produced into a documentary about Northern Ireland (The Crown Jewel, released in 2008).
(This image was taken during renovation in 2007))
Today, the Crown Bar is officially classified as a Class A listed building.
In terms of architectural features, the façade of the Crown Bar is decorated with multi-colored tiles, which includes inlaid with a crown on the floor of the entrance, and the interior is also decorated with intricate mosaic tiles;
The bar counter is made of red granite, with a heated footstool at the bottom and gas lights on the carved ceiling to illuminate the room.
In the dim light, enjoy a big glass of Irish Guinness beer, or taste Irish flavors, such as Grilled Irish Ham, Irish Stew and so on.
(Crown embedded in the floor at the entrance)
(Enlarged view of the crown on the floor)
(Bar)
The Crown Bar is not very large and has not been expanded.
During the Victorian period, in order to accommodate more guests, the bar used striking metal plates and an ancient bell system to remind staff. At the same time, in order to provide some private space for customers, the bar makes full use of etched and stained glass windows to block some of the view.
(There are mainly crowns, flowers and other patterns on the glass window)
In fact, not only out-of-town visitors, But also Belfast locals love the Crown Bar, and in the long dark nights, they also enjoy time with family or friends in this Victorian-style building.
During the war, the Crown Bar was bombed many times, but it was still not lost in the dust. In this regard, the cold-eyed jun has heard a moving explanation: God loves drinkers.
Author: Wild wine
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