Shipwreck Galleries

Located in Cliff Street in Fremantle, The Western Australian Shipwreck Museum is considered one of the most prestigious maritime museums in the Southern Hemisphere.  The Shipwreck Galleries within the museum are filled with hundreds of relics from ships that were wrecked along the treacherous Western Australian coastline.

The centrepiece of the Museum is the Batavia Gallery. The Dutch East Indies Ship, the Batavia was built in 1628 and commenced her maiden voyage from Texel to the Dutch East Indies in search of spice, under the command of Francisco Pelsaert and skipper Ariaen Jacobsz.  Unknown to Pelsaert, Jacobsz and Jeronimius Cornelisz, an apothercary in fear of arrest for heresay, had decided to commit mutiny and commandeer the ship.  Before their plan of inciting Pelsaert to an act of violence against the crew following a planned attack on one of the female passengers, the Batavia struck Morning Reef near Beacon Island on the Western Australian coast. Of the 322 onboard the Batavia 40 drowned before passengers and crew could make it to the small uninhabited atolls. 

As Western Australian had yet to be settled by Europeans and unfamiliar with the land Palseart took Jacobsz and a few of the crew and decided to row to Batavia for help.  He left Cornelisz in charge.  The would be mutineer knew that he would have to be ready to fend off any rescue ship before it arrived and so started the systematic torture, rape and murder of the remaining passengers and crew of the Batavia by Cornelisz and his followers.  Among the survivors were a group of soldiers Cornelisz sent to find drinking water on one of the other small islands who got wise to his plans and what was happening.

When Pelsaert returned from Batavia with a rescue ship, Cornelisz and his band were bought to justice.  The worst had their hands chopped off and were hung. The two youngest culprits were marooned on the shore and never heard from again. 

The Batavia Gallery in the Western Australian Shipwreck Museum houses the reconstructed remains of the Batavia that were reclaimed from the wreck site following its discovery in the 1970s.  In the gallery Captain Palseart's cabin has been faithfully reconstructed and the skeleton of one of the murder victims is on display.   The huge portico that the Batavia was transporting to be the entrance to the city of Batavia has also been faithfully restored and is on display in the gallery.  

The other galleries of the Shipwreck museum house all sorts of relics recovered from shipwrecks such as the Zurydorp, Zeewijk and the Vergulde Dragon.  Anchors and a steam engine from the iron steamer SS Xanthos are on display as well as the de Vlamingh plate.  

The Western Australia Shipwreck Musuem is housed in an 1850s Commissariat building.  It was one of the first buildings constructed using convict labour in the Swan River Colony.  The first convicts who arrived in Fremantle had arrived unexpectedly as their ship out sailed the ship that was suppose to announce their arrival.  The convicts arrived on June 1st 1850 and they were put to work almost immediately.  In 1851 James Manning designed the building that would become the Commissariat.  The construction was placed under the supervision of Captain Henderson, Royal Engineer and Comptroller of Convicts for Western Australia.  As a Royal Engineer, Henderson belonged to one of the most elite corps of the British Army.  Also called the Sappers, this corp which still exists, is renowned for performing engineeering and constructions tasks that facilitate the movement, defence or survival of the allied forces.

The site for the Commissariat building was close to the sea and the south jetty so ships could easily load and unload cargo.  The first wing of the building was called  A-Store.  Delays occurred due to the roof of the warehouse and despite it having no roof initially goods were already stored in its walls. In 1852 the building of seperate offices commenced.  

The original design of the Commissariat building showed a structure with scope to add a middle and end wing, instead a free standing store was constructed in 1856 just behind it.  The final stages of the building were never completed and this may be a direct result of the transportation of convicts stopping in 1868. 

The buildings were used by the colonial government as a warehouse and Post and telegraph office from 1879.  The 1890's saw a gold boom in Western Australia that increased the traffic in the port resulting in the construction of a drum store. 

From the 1930's the Commissariat building were used as offices for the Child Welfare Department. It wasn't until 1972 that in response to the discovery and what proved to be the notorious excavation of the Batavia Shipwreck, that the decision to convert the stores to house the relics was made. The museum was officially opened in 1979. 

There have been many strange occurrences at the Western Australian Shipwreck Museum.  People have reported hearing strange noises in the gallery as well as visitors reportedly seeing things moving just out the corner of their eye.  It's is said that perhaps the gallery is haunted by the ghost of fifteen year old John Gavin who was hung in front of the Round House.  Gavin was the first European executed in Western Australia and he was so light his body had to be weighted to ensure he would die from hanging.  He was sent to the colonies as a juvenile and was accused of murdering his employers eighteen year old son.  He admitted to the crime but seemed confused and may have no infact killed the victim.  He is said to haunt the Round House, but his body was buried in an unmarked grave between the Round House and the current Shipwreck Museum.  With all the relics, including personal artifacts from so many disastrous sea voyages, it seems little wonder that perhaps there would be some strange occurrences within the walls of the museum. 

I love the Shipwreck Museum and go as often as I can.  I have always been fascinated by all things to do with Maritime archaeology and the gallery has so many interesting reclaimed artefacts.  None of the wreck relics are quite as daunting as those housed on the Batavia Gallery.  The restored looming hull and the skeleton of one of the murder victims is quite a sobering exhibition. This museum is well worth a visit. 

Westminster

The Palace of Westminster, located on the North Bank of the River Thames in central London, is the meeting place for the two Houses of Parliament.  Although officially the palace is owned by the monarch it is effectively managed and inhabitants by the House of Commons and the House of Lords. 

As early as the Middle Ages the site of the current Palace of Westminster was deemed strategically important, mostly because of its location on the River Thames.  Its is believed that the area, known then as Thorney Island, was used as a royal residence by Canute the Great during his reign from 1016 to 1035.  The King of Denmark and Norway, Canute the Great ruled England for nineteen years.  He was fundamental in protecting England from Viking raiders, many of which he was believed to have commanded, so England was able to prosper.  

At the same time that Westminster Abbey was constructed St Edward the Confessor, among the last Anglo Saxon Kings of England,  was said to have built a palace on Thorney Island. His reign lasted from 1042 to 1066.  None of the building constructed as part of St Edward the Confessors' palace remain.  The oldest surviving parts of Westminster Palace, in particular Westminster Hall, are from the reign of King William II. The Hall was built in 1097 and was completed in two years.  It was the largest Hall in England and was so large smaller halls were required for normal use.  Westminster Palace served as the principal residence for Monarchs throughout the late medieval era.  

An early form of parliament started to meet in Westminster Palace in 1265.  The Curia Regis or the Royal Court, headed by Simon de Montforts, consisted of representatives from all the larger towns of England.  This Parliament, held by the rebel baron, Simon de Montfort, who had seized power over England from Henry III only lasted three months.  In an attempt to gather supporters de Montforts had decided to not only invite barons and knights to discussions but also burgesses, a freeman.  Although de Montfort was killed at the Battle of Evesham, the idea of inviting burgesses to parliament became popular under the reign of Henry's son Edward I.  

In 1512, a fire destroyed the principal residence of the monarch at Westminster Palace.  In 1534 Henry VIII aquired York Palace from Thomas Wolsey and renamed it Palace of Whitehall, using it as his primary residence.  Despite remaining an official palace, Westminister Oalace was only used by the two Houses of Parliament as well as The Royal Courts of Justice.  As the Palace had no purpose built rooms, important ceremonies where held on what was known as the Painted Chamber, which had been King Henry III's bedchamber.  A modest medieval hall known as the Queen's Chamber served as the meeting place for the House of Lords.  Without a specified meeting place the House of Commons often had meetings in the Chapter House of Westminister Abbey.  Eventually the Palace in St Stephens Chapel became a regular meeting place for The House of Commons.  

A new facade for the palace was designed and built by John Vardy in the Palladian architectural style between 1755 and 1770. This construction, known as the Stone Building, was primarily constructed to provide committee rooms and space for document storage. In 1795 a new residence for the Speaker of The House of Commons was built near St Stephen's Chapel.  Between 1799 and 1801 the architect James Wyatt created a much derided neo-Gothic building called The Cotton Mill.  Sir John Sloane, a British architect and a leader in the revival of Greek Revival Architecture.  He demolished the medieval House of Lords Chamber.  The Chamber had famously been the target of the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.  The plot was a failed assassination attempt against King James I by provincial English Catholics led by Richard Catesby.  The plot was revealed and famously Guy Fawkes was caught guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder.  In place of the demolished chamber Sloane created a new Royal Gallery.

Over the next three centuries many renovations would take place.  In the late 17th century, architect Christopher Wren undertook a major project completely redesigning the buildings.  In 1834 a huge fire, started by an overheating stove,  ravaged Westminster Palace.  It destroyed most of the rebuilt Houses of Parliament.  The only medieval structures to survive the fire were Westminister Hall, the Cloisters of St Stephen.  The Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, a crypt below St Stephens Chapel, used primarily as a wine cellar, dining room and a stable for Oliver Cromwell's horse survived even though St Stephen's Chapel did not. The fourteenth century Jewel Tower built between 1365 and 1366 as a personal treasury for the personal treasures of Edward III, also survived the fire. 

King William IV initially offered Buckingham Palace, a residence he didn't like very much, to parliament to use.  However Buckingham Palace was considered not suitable for the Houses of Parliament.  Leaving it to each House, the King left Parliament to create their own committee to best decide what they required.  In July 1835 a Royal Commission was appointed and by June 1835 it was decided that the new building would be built in Gothic or Elizabethan style.  A competition was proposed.  In February 1836, after considering 97 proposals, architect Charles Barry's Gothic style palace design won. Barry's design was Gothic Revival, specifically honouring the Perpendicular Gothic style, which emphasises perpendicular lines, of the 14th and 15th century. The interior was greatly influenced by Augustus Pugin, an authority on Gothic architectural style, in the gothic interior, stained glass, ironwork, furniture and wall paper.  The foundation stone was laid in 1840 with both Chambers completed by 1852 although some works still continued on into the 1870s.  Construction lasted for over thirty years due to rising costs and the death of two leading architects.   

During WWII the Palace of Westminster was bombed on fourteen occasions.  The worst hit was in May 1941 with the palace taking twelve hits resulting in three deaths.  The Clocktower, Elizabeth Tower, known as Big Ben took a hit and all the glass on the south dial was blown out but the bell and hands were undamaged.  The. Lock continued to keep time. 

Westminster Palace has been a Grade 1 listed building since 1970 and part of UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1987. In 2022 the building will be vacated for six years for new renovations. 

Guy Fawkes, caught during the failed Gunpowder Plot was hung, drawn and quartered for his part in the plot. His ghost has been seen wearing a traditional hat and cape wandering towards the place that would take him to the secret stash of explosives he was found guarding.  His ghost is then said to just vanish.  

There are at least two documented cases of doppelgänger in the palace.  A famous case occurred in 1905 when Major Sir Frederick Carne Rasch MP was seen in the Chambers when in fact he was at home in bed with the flu. Another suspected doppelgänger is a Mrs Millman,who worked as a clerk at the palace but was not at the palace on the occasions she was sighted there.  

 

 

 

 

 

Hampton Court Palace

In 1236, The Knights of Hospitaller of St John Jerusalem acquired the manor of Hampton. A medieval Catholic military order, later to become the Military Order of Malta, The Knights of Hospitaller of St John Jerusalem, used the site of Hampton as a grange.  Serving as an agricultural centre the Knights stored and kept accounts at the site.  Later, in 1494, the property was leased and modernised by Sir Giles Daubeney to facilitate him being closer to London.  A soldier, courier, diplomat and politician Daubeney worked for Henry VII, the monarch and his wife being frequent guests at the peaceful Hampton residence of Daubeney. 

Cardinal Wolsey aquired Hampton Court in 1514 and began renovations a year later.  Wolsey was a churchman, statesman and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.  In 1509 Wolsey became King Henry VIII almoner serving as a chaplain to the king and among his tasks he was in charge of distributing money to the poor.  By 1514 Wolsey was the controlling figure in matters of the state as well as being powerful in the church. Wolsey set about transforming Hampton Court into a Grand palace that was decorated with rich and opulent furnishings and decorations.  Wolsey used the property to entertain and its exuberance inspired John Skelton, HenryVIII former tutor, to comment that "The Kings Court should have the excellence but Hampton Court hath the pre-eminence". In 1529 Henry VIII took over the works at Hampton Court. 

Following issues with the Catholic Churches denial of an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon due to her inability to produce an heir, Henry VIII turned on the Catholic Church and Wolsey fell from favour.  Wolsey was then made the Archbishop of York.  In 1530 Henry VIII and his councillors sent the first of several threatening letters to Wolsey from Hampton Court.  Wolsey was summoned to return from York and died enroute. 

In 1537, following a marriage to Anne Boleyn and her subsequent execution, Henry VIIIs third wife, Jane Seymour gave birth at Hampton Court. The baby, Prince Edward, was baptised in the chapel at Hampton Court but died soon after of complications. Following the difficult birth Jane Seymour died of an infection.  Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves but then decided he wanted to marry another woman and the marriage is annulled.  Anne of Cleves is given the title "The King's Sister" after signing the divorce papers in Hampton Court.  In 1540 Henry VIII married  Catherine Howard, his fifth wife and she was proclaimed Queen.  Following accusations of an early sexual liaison she was placed under house arrest in Hampton Court.  She was said to have run screaming through the palace looking for the King to plead her innocence after breaking free from the guards.  Henry VIII ignored her cries and she was dragged back to her rooms shrieking before later being executed at the Tower of London.  In 1543 Henry VIII married  his sixth and final wife, Kateryn  Parr, in the Chapel Royal in Hampton Court.  

During his time at Hampton Court Henry VIII created a pleasure garden for recreation and a hunting park of more than 1100 acres.  He added tennis courts, bowling alleys, a chapel and a huge communal dining room.  He created the Great House of Easement, a lavatory that could seat 28 people. The kitchens of Hampton Court covered 36000 square feet. In August of 1546 Henry VIII was said to have feted and feasted the French ambassador, his 200 men and 1300 members of his Court for six days.  The palace was surrounded by an encampment of gold and red velvet tents for the occasion. 

Each of Henry VIII three children spent time at Hampton Court.  Between 1558 and 1603 Elizabeth I visited Hampton Court regularly.  Court masques, theatrical events and court entertainment were held at Hampton Court.  In 1603 William Shakespeare and his company "The Kings Men" performed plays in the Great Hall for Queen Elizabeth's successor James I.  Originally from Scotland where he was King James VI, James I made the palace a party palace of sorts and called the Hampton Court Conference which commissioned the King James Bible.  Jame's wife Anne died at Hampton Court.  

James' son Charles I continued working on Hampton Court.  Charles I built new tennis courts and dug Longford River.  He was a well known art buyer and bought Mantegnas "Triumphs of Caesar". In 1645 troops seized the palace and began selling the treasures.  Oliver Cromwell who became Lord Protector during the civil war spent his weekends at Hampton Court even holding his daughters wedding at the grand palace.  In 1647 Charles I was held prisoner at Hampton Court.  After managing to escape he was caught and executed. 

By 1660 the monarchy was restored and Charles II ascended the throne.  He chose to spend his time at Windsor but used Hampton Court to house his mistress, Barbara Villiers, the Countess of Castlemaine  and her children.  When William III and his wife Mary II ascended the throne they commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to remodel Hampton Court. Wren was one of the most highly acclaimed architects of his time.  With the assistance of William Talman, architect and landscape designer, Wren drew up elaborate plans for a huge Baroque palace centred around two courtyards. During this work much of the Tudor palace was replaced and Henry VIIIs state rooms were removed. The east and south facade of the palace were completely transformed and the Tudor towers were replaced by elegant Baroque chimneys.  They constructed two Royal suites of equal beauty, reflected the unique situation of the shared sovereignty of William and Mary.  Beautiful Frescos adorned the staircase painted by Antonio Verrio, an Italian born artist who served the British monarchy for over thirty years.  The railings were created by French Huguenot ironworker, Jean Tijou.  The furnishings were designed by Daniel Marot, a French architect, furniture designer and engraver.  A Chocolate Kitchen was built for King William and Queen Mary as part of the Baroque renovations 

Following the death of Queen Mary, William lost interest in Hampton Court and all renovations were stopped.  After falling from his horse in Hampton Court Park in 1702 William died and his sister-in-law became Queen Anne.  The renovations of Hampton Court began again under Queen Anne, who particularly enjoyed hunting at Hampton Court.  When Queen Anne died in 1714, the Stuart line ended and her successor, George I began new renovations on Hampton Court.  He commissioned John Vanbrugh, architect and dramatist, well known for his designs such as Howard Castle, to design six new rooms. George I also bought a personal chocolate maker to Hampton Court who had his own rooms in the palace.  The chocolate maker, Thomas Tosier already owned a Chocolate House in the famed Chocolate Row in Greenwich. Thomas and his wife, Grace were so famous because of their chocolate house that they were mentioned in social pages.  In 1721 they even added a room just for dancing in their personal chocolate house.  A painting of Grace done by artist Bartholomew Daindridge hangs in the Hampton Court Chocolate Kitchen depicting her with a flower in her bosom, one of her trademarks. The  Chocolate Kitchen was located off the Fountain Court at Hampton Court, along with a spicery and a confectioners.  The Fountain Court was said to have smelled wonderful. 

When George II was made king he and his wife Anne of Ansbach commissioned architect William Kent to refurbish the furnishings and design of the Queen's Staircase and the Cumberland Suite.  George II was the last monarch to reside at Hampton Court.  George III never set foot in the palace, apparently associating it with a humiliating experience where his grandfather struck him for a seemingly innocent remark.  In 1796 further restorations were carried out with Queen Victoria completing the restorations. 

Throughout the 20th century Hampton Court has become a major tourist attraction as well as housing  fifty Grace and Favour residences.  These residences are given rent free to a person as part of an employment package or in gratitude for services rendered.  In modern times Hampton Court  has been used in films and in 2012 it was the site for the Road Cycling Time Trials for the Summer Olympics. In 2015 Hampton Court celebrated its 500th anniversary and in 2016 the Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury held the first Catholic service in Hampton Court in 450 years. 

With such a long and colourful history it is not hard to see why there are many reports of alleged hauntings in Hampton Court.  The 'haunted gallery' as it has been dubbed was the scene of Catherine Howard's desperate escape from her guards and run to find the King, Henry VIII, her husband and beg for clemency.  She was recaptured and imprisoned and eventually executed.  Her ghost is said to frequent the gallery.  There have been reports of women fainting in the same spot where Catherine Howard ran.  Grace and Favour residents have reported screams in the gallery when it is supposedly empty.  A white figure, thought to be Catherine Howard has been seen floating down towards the Royal Pew before turning with a look of despair on her face, shrieking.  

Around 1829 the ghost of Dame Sibell Penn, a servant to four Tudor Monarchs, started appearing as a grey lady. She purportedly died in 1562. Her ghost was said to have begun appearing around the time her tomb was disturbed and moved to facilitate the rebuilding of a church near Hampton.  Her ghost is said to be linked to the sounds of a spinning wheel, one which was discovered in a walled up small room.  Her ghost is seen, even in modern times, wandering in the Tudor courtyards and cloisters. 

In the beautiful Clock Court a figure, believed to be Henry VIII third wife, Jane Seymour has been seen carrying a lighted taper.  She died of an infection after the birth and death of her son Edward.  

A spectre dubbed the Wolsey dog has been seen by several people in the Wolsey closet.  In October 2003 a very strange and spooky event was caught on CCTV.  Palace officials have no idea what or who this figure is. Watch the link and decide for yourself. 

https://youtu.be/7sjzjyfPJqA

I loved my visit to Hampton Court.  It was so beautiful.  The architecture and design is magnificent and it isn't difficult to feel transported back in time.  I particularly loved the courtyards. 

Fairmont Royal York

The Fairmont Royal York Hotel is located in downtown Toronto.  The original site of the hotel consisted of four brick houses built by Captain Thomas Dick.  Born in Scotland, Thomas Dick went to sea at the age of fourteen and by the age of twenty three he was first mate and had travelled the world.  After getting married, he and his wife Christiana Bell, traveled to New York and on to the new city of Toronto. For a few year Thomas Dick worked in Niagara on the Lake with fellow Scots who pretty much controlled the ship building industry in the area.  Within five years he was part owner of a wooden paddle ship called the City of Toronto.  The ship primarily transported passengers between Kingston and Ontario.  Thomas Dick commissioned architect John Howard, Canada's official surveyor and civil engineer, to design and build a humble row of Georgian style houses. The four houses were built in 1838.

The row project was first occupied by Knox Theological College. The group arrived in Toronto from Kingston where after a Theological disagreement they had separated from Queen's College. The College remained until 1856 when refurbishments were made and the row were converted into Sword's Hotel.   Named after the hotel owner, Patrick Sword, the hotel was intended to cater for the surrounding parliament buildings.  When Sword moved to Quebec in 1859 he sold the hotel to B.J.B Riley who renamed the property Revere House.

In 1862 Captain Dick bought the property back and after some refurbishment opened the Queen's Hotel. With 210 rooms, a restaurant, a private garden and 17 private parlours, the Queen's Hotel offered a new level of luxury in the quickly growing city of Toronto. Growing in popularity the hotel was even said to be the site of Sir John A MacDonald's meeting with American Civil War sympathisers who were plotting retaliation.

Following the death of Captain Dick at the Queen's Hotel in November 1874 the hotel was sold to Thomas McGaw and Henry Winnett, hoteliers from Upper Canada who already owned Queen's Royal Hotel in Niagara on the Lake. Following McGaw's death, Winnett took over the hotel and after his death the hotel was sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway.

After purchasing the Queen's Hotel in 1927 The Canadian Pacific Railway announced they intended to demolition the beloved Toronto Hotel and build the biggest hotel in the British Commonwealth. The last guest to check out of the Queen's Hotel was long term guest Charles Bland.  The closing of the hotel was marked by an extravagant dinner with an orchestra playing Auld Lang Syne as the hotel doors closed for the last time.

Despite the shocked response of Toronto residents to the plans for the Queen's Hotel, the hotel was demolished and the Canadian Pacific Railway began construction on a new hotel situated conveniently across from Union Station.  On June 11th 1929 the hotel was officially opened as The Royal York. It was the tallest building in the British Commonwealth and set a new standard in luxurious hospitality.

There were 28 floors in the new Royal York, each beautifully designed and decorated in opulence.  The 1048 rooms each had a private shower, bath tub and a radio.  The hotel boasted a 12000 book library, a 12 bed hospital, and ten ornate passenger elavators.  Also spanning across the 1.5 acres of public rooms was a concert hall with a stage and elaborate pipe organ, a glass enclosed roof garden and a bakery that was able to bake 15000 French rolls a day.  For the further convenience of guests the hotel had its own band and a 66 ft long manned switchboard with 35 telephone operators.

It was decided that the hotel would also provide a golf course for guests that wanted to play some relaxing golf.  The golf club was established by Robert Home Smith, a friend of Edward Wentworth Beatty, the man leading the construction of the hotel.  Famed golf course designer, Stanley Thompson was asked to design the course.  The course opened in 1929 and under the name the Royal York hosted the Canadian Open in 1933. In 1946 the name of the course changed from The Royal York Golf Club to St George and Country Club.  It remains one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the world.

In 1956/57 the addition of rooms bought the hotels room count to 1600. From 1988 to 1993 a 100 million dollar renovation of the hotel took place. The rooms were refurbished, a skylit pool was added as well as a health club. The hotel created the first ever American Express Travel Service Centre. Three bee hives, with 350000 bees, were installed on the fourteenth floor roof in 2008. A rooftop garden provides the hotel with fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers.

The hotel is opulent and luxurious, with elevator 9 still carrying illustrious guests such as the Queen to their beautiful rooms.

The Fairmont Royal York has had many reports of paranormal activity. Children are heard running the hallways when there is no one visible while the noises from an unending ball, including music and laughter, can be heard coming from the empty ballroom. Cold spots and flickering lights are often reported. Guests and staff have heard screaming and loud footsteps in empty parts of the hotel. A full bodied apparition of a man has been seen on the eighth floor. He is said to be wearing a maroon jacket and slacks. He seems to float along the hallway. A former porter reportedly hung himself from a stairwell railing on the nineteenth floor. His ghost is said to make loud banging noises and is associated with equipment being used in the hotel failing.

I personally spoke to a porter at the hotel on my last visit who said that he had worked at the hotel since he was seventeen and he had personally experienced many unexplainable occurrences. One that he mentioned that baffled and frightened him happened in the basement and involved a large trolley, heavenly laden with laundry, moving inexplicably on its own.

The Fairmont Royal York Hotel is a beautiful place to stay. It's not hard to imagine that a ball goes on continuously in the opulent ballroom or that a ghost may wander along the beautiful hallways. Several times in the lift I personally heard a loud unexplainable knocking. It's a quirky, gorgeous place that is populated by an interesting and attentive staff, where you literally feel as though you have gone back in time.