A day out in Congleton led us up the hill from the shopping centre, to this impressive building.
The name on the front immediately struck a chord from a childhood nursery rhyme:

Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?
The king was in his counting house counting out his money,
The queen was in the parlour eating bread and honey
The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose!

Fitting - the song hasn't made it over the Channel though.

Depp Posted at 2-25 10:52
Fitting - the song hasn't made it over the Channel though.

It's a historical reference to pirates

'Sing a Song of Sixpence' was apparently a coded message used by the legendary pirate captain Blackbeard to recruit pirates. Sixpence and a hipflask of rye whisky was the weekly pirate's wage. The 'blackbirds' were blackbeard's pirates and the 'pie' his ship.

Blériot53 Posted at 2-25 11:20
It's a historical reference to pirates

'Sing a Song of Sixpence' was apparently a coded message used by the legendary pirate captain Blackbeard to recruit pirates. Sixpence and a hipflask of rye whisky was the weekly pirate's wage. The 'blackbirds' were blackbeard's pirates and the 'pie' his ship.

I had no idea!

Thanks for that.

No Original Thought Posted at 2-25 14:10
I had no idea!

Thanks for that.

You're welcome   It was a popular nursery rhyme when I was a kid.

Beautiful building too!

DroneJunkieQc Posted at 2-25 19:03
Beautiful building too!

I do like the older architecture

Just a shame its now a Wetherspoons.

DAFlys Posted at 2-26 01:45
Just a shame its now a Wetherspoons.

Yes, I think it used to be a bank in a former life.

Blériot53 Posted at 2-26 01:56
Yes, I think it used to be a bank in a former life.

I suspect thats been many things over the years.

DAFlys Posted at 2-26 02:09
I suspect thats been many things over the years.

But photogenic all the while

Blériot53 Posted at 2-26 02:34
But photogenic all the while

Yes.  indeed its a lovely looking building.

No Original Thought Posted at 2-25 14:10
I had no idea!

Thanks for that.

Neither did I.

Blériot53 Posted at 2-25 11:20
It's a historical reference to pirates

'Sing a Song of Sixpence' was apparently a coded message used by the legendary pirate captain Blackbeard to recruit pirates. Sixpence and a hipflask of rye whisky was the weekly pirate's wage. The 'blackbirds' were blackbeard's pirates and the 'pie' his ship.

!

Depp Posted at 2-26 02:56
Neither did I.

Just guess to show the brain washing that were susceptible to as kids... That rhyme could have been about anything and we'd all have had it implanted.

Blackbeard returns and suddenly am the kids follow him of to sea, like some bearded pied Piper, and we have no idea why were following him...

Could be seen as kinda sinister.

Beautiful architecture. Perfect shot! Thanks for sharing this with us.

DJI Paladin Posted at 2-26 04:53
Beautiful architecture. Perfect shot! Thanks for sharing this with us.

Thanks DJI Paladin

Amazing shot Mr. B.    Love the architectural design of the building.  

Blériot53 Posted at 2-25 11:20
It's a historical reference to pirates

'Sing a Song of Sixpence' was apparently a coded message used by the legendary pirate captain Blackbeard to recruit pirates. Sixpence and a hipflask of rye whisky was the weekly pirate's wage. The 'blackbirds' were blackbeard's pirates and the 'pie' his ship.

Wow, I learned something new again today.  Thanks for sharing that tidbit of information on the reference.

DAFlys Posted at 2-26 02:09
I suspect thats been many things over the years.

I looked it up. Originally a pub (The Moreton Arms) then a bank for 120 years, before lying empty for a while until Wetherspoons revived it.

DowntownRDB Posted at 2-26 06:41
Amazing shot Mr. B.    Love the architectural design of the building.

Yes the characteristically Tudor design is still popular today. Homes are still constructed in a "mock" Tudor style.

DowntownRDB Posted at 2-26 06:42
Wow, I learned something new again today.  Thanks for sharing that tidbit of information on the reference.

I dusted out another recess of memory for that one

Blériot53 Posted at 2-25 23:29
I do like the older architecture

Blériot53 Posted at 2-26 05:13
Thanks DJI Paladin

It's always my pleasure. Take care always!

Blériot53 Posted at 2-26 07:19
I looked it up. Originally a pub (The Moreton Arms) then a bank for 120 years, before lying empty for a while until Wetherspoons revived it.

120 years as any one establishment is a long time.

DJI Paladin Posted at 2-26 22:59
It's always my pleasure. Take care always!

Safety first!

DAFlys Posted at 2-27 00:37
120 years as any one establishment is a long time.

The Moretons are the family who own(ed) Little Moreton Hall, a little further away.
A National Trust property now, I think.

Blériot53 Posted at 2-26 07:22
Yes the characteristically Tudor design is still popular today. Homes are still constructed in a "mock" Tudor style.

Well it is easy to see why is was so popular.  Over the years of my travels I have seen a few homes in a somewhat tudor design.  

Blériot53 Posted at 2-26 07:23
I dusted out another recess of memory for that one

Indeed you did.  

Blériot53 Posted at 2-27 02:54
The Moretons are the family who own(ed) Little Moreton Hall, a little further away.
A National Trust property now, I think.

Didnt that family own a lot of the businesses in the area?

DAFlys Posted at 2-27 23:43
Didnt that family own a lot of the businesses in the area?

I couldn't say.  But here's a link with a bit more info.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk ... o-were-the-moretons

Blériot53 Posted at 2-28 00:55
I couldn't say.  But here's a link with a bit more info.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/little-moreton-hall/features/who-were-the-moretons

I think it was a different Moretons name then.

DAFlys Posted at 2-28 00:57
I think it was a different Moretons name then.

OK, no worries.

Is that building not level?

Montfrooij Posted at 2-28 05:04
Is that building not level?

Depends how many drinks you had in there, before leaving
I had to retreat downhill a distance to fit it all in - so the angle is upward.

Blériot53 Posted at 2-28 06:55
Depends how many drinks you had in there, before leaving
I had to retreat downhill a distance to fit it all in - so the angle is upward.

Hahahahahahahahahaha.
I hope you were not at that 'level' already when taking this shot.

Montfrooij Posted at 2-28 07:05
Hahahahahahahahahaha.
I hope you were not at that 'level' already when taking this shot.

One over the eight, as we say
Or 3 sheets to the wind
No, I hadn't touched a drop - honest!

Blériot53 Posted at 2-28 07:15
One over the eight, as we say
Or 3 sheets to the wind
No, I hadn't touched a drop - honest!

Hahahahaha.
We say something like 'five in the clock' but that translates weirdly.

Montfrooij Posted at 2-28 07:32
Hahahahaha.
We say something like 'five in the clock' but that translates weirdly.

To be “three sheets to the wind” is to be drunk. The sheet is the line that controls the sails on a yacht or sailing ship.. If the line is not secured, the sail flops in the wind, and the ship loses headway and control. If all three sails are loose, the ship is out of control.

Blériot53 Posted at 2-28 07:37
To be “three sheets to the wind” is to be drunk. The sheet is the line that controls the sails on a yacht or sailing ship.. If the line is not secured, the sail flops in the wind, and the ship loses headway and control. If all three sails are loose, the ship is out of control.

Yeah, I get it