that store there was the Thomas Crapper store and that McDonald's there I'am going to go
and get a coffee in the McDonald's because I've never been in it it was the original
Chelsea drug store so lets pop in there and take a look OK I didn't get a coffee but I
did manage to wait out the rain if you have watched my previous vlogs you'll know why
I didn't get a coffee but yeah that building there was the original Chelsea drug store
made famous in the Rolling Stones song well it was famous before they sang about it but
you can't always get what you want when they are singing about the Chelsea drug store that
was it that store there one hundred and twenty was the original Thomas Crapper store who
credited with inventing the toilet but I'll come back to that in a moment the Chelsea
drug store sounds like an incredible like it was an incredible shop opened in the nineteen
sixty's when this was like the most fashionable part of town and a multi storey shop originally
it was a pub and then it opened as the Chelsea drug store and yeah multiple storeys bars
obviously a pharmacy or chemists and a news agents a record shop and at some point apparently
they it was open seven days a week and long hours and at some point they would also do
home deliveries and they used girls in purple cat suits on motorbikes which sound pretty
cool so yeah the other shop I was looking at the Thomas Crapper store one hundred and
twenty my grandmother used to tell me stories about Thomas Crapper when I was growing up
that he invented the toilet she would go on and on and on about it and the reason being
was Thomas Crapper was like a renowned plumber while we are here I think that coffee shop
there I think was the original Mary Quant store Bizarre where she tool credit again
tool credit for inventing the mini skirt and hot pants which were shot to fashion in the
sixty's I'am not sure if she did invent them but she is credited with it there is a Mary
Quant store in today in Duke of York Square but yeah the Thomas crapper store my Grandma
used to go on and on about him because my families that side of my families grave in
is Elmer's End grave yard and Thomas Crapper was a plumber and inventor here in Chelsea
he got credited with inventing the toilet or the flushing toilet he kind of made improvements
to it he didn't actually invent it but lets roll with the story that he invented it because
it is much more interesting but yeah my families grave is like adjacent to the Thomas Crapper
grave and my grandmother had the the duty of keeping the grave clean I guess
that pizza hut restaurant always looks incredible the most incredible looking pizza restaurant
you've ever seen Pizza Hut went through a phase of taking on buildings that would be
completely that most restaurant chains would not even think twice aboiut because they are
just they wouldn't be able to put their stamp their imige internally and they've got some
incredible buildings up and down the country I think there is one in York which is like
in an old banking hall if it is still there I haven't been there for years but yeah inside
it is incredible the last place you would expect to sell pizza but yeah anyway Thomas
Crapper my families grave is adjacent to Thomas Crappers grave it was completely overgrown
my grandmother had the duty of cleaning our family grave and at some point in time which
was I guess she found a chore that Starbucks there is apparently the first Starbucks to
open in the UK in the late nineties yeah so my Grandmother had this chore of cleaning
the family grave at some point a Thomas Crapper appreciation society or something along those
lines sprang up and they started cleaning the grave volunteers started like attending
to his grave but the graves are so close together there is just like an inch or so between them
they started cleaning the surrounding area so my grandmother was like so chuffed that
she didn't have to clean the grave anymore because she had a whole team of volunteers
doing it for her who were mainly interested in Thomas Crapper but they were cleaning ours
that building there Apothecary store it is now that was once an antique centre full of
antiques different antique dealers it is an amazing looking building but they shut down
the back of it they are developing it I think this building here is going to be developed
soon as well the old cinema and the Habitat building there is always protest when they
develop things but eventually they quite often happen so yeah I'am not sure what they are
developing that into somewhere here opposite Chelsea town hall there is talk of putting
in a cross rail station I would imagine somewhere here which again serious protest about that
but that will probably happen but not until like twenty thirty did I finish my Thomas
Crapper story yeah I think so the Thomas Crapper association basically cleaned my families
grave Thomas Crapper is still going by the way you can buy Thomas Crapper toilets Thomas
Crapper sinks or wash basin accessories while we are here Chelsea old town hall there that
door way there today on a Saturday it is a horrible day today but people get married
in there all day and it is the local registry office so on Saturdays you'll often see wedding
parties standing outside there throwing confetti over brides coming out its pretty cool coming
straight out onto the street full if shoppers but yeah it is a good space as well