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The Philharmonic Dining Rooms @ 36 Hope St

It was nice having commentary about the places we stopped. Our "driver" was most amenable to driving us, as his book was to be about John.

For a while John Lennon lived in the Georgian Quarter of our city with his best friend, and original bass player of The Beatles, Stuart Sutcliffe. They would drink on Hope Street and one of their locals was always said to have been The Phil. Years later a quote became popularised that was said to have been from John Lennon himself – He apparently said “the price of fame was no longer being able to have a pint in The Phil.”

The pub itself is amazing in its own right, it is a grade 2 listed building that boasts grade 1 listed Gentlemen’s Toilets. It’s a strange one, but they are made with a very rare type of Irish marble and the toilet room itself is covered in mosaic tiles. For the men who visit it’s not unusual to see people taking selfies at the urinals, which is strange enough – But often, women want to see what the fuss is about and wonder in there after a few drinks. 82061010

2019 RBC Solutions | Toronto, Canada | photographed: 1982 June