The "English Club" building in downtown Orlando.

[floridapete]

I have started an interesting thread on the "Across the Pond" blog.

Go to :http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_local_southwest_brit/2006/06/dirty_little_se.html#comments

later today when Kelly has updated it with my recent posting.

[floridapete]

Here is a picture, which I recently realised I had stored away, of the English Club in downtown Orlando as it would have appeared 100 years ago when it was THE focal point for the early English settlers of suburban Orlando. They drank beer, played bridge and danced in their own upstairs ballroom at this property which was built by an Englishman, Mr. Rogers, in the 1870's.

It still stands there today - at the corner of Pine and Magnolia - where it is now an art gallery, coffee house and media arts centre, going by the name of Islands at Avalon Gallery (get the King Arthur connection ?). A lovely building now restored back to its original glory (as per the picture) and now the oldest original building still standing in Orlando !

You need to get down there some time and pay due homage to your forebear settlers who had a MUCH harder life than you have today ! :)

[Sharon]

Hi

What a quaint building.

I have read the blog and would like to see for myself.

There is nothing like seeing in the flesh, bet the picture does not do the building justice