Our first night in London, we had dinner at the original (and the best) Hard Rock Café. It’s located on Old Park Lane and is the site where it all started back in 1971. Two American guys, Peter Morton and Isaac Tigret, who lived in London decided to open an authentic USA style burger restaurant. It became popular with musicians as a hang out and the occasional live performance. In 1979, Eric Clapton donated one of his guitars, so it could be hung over his favourite seating spot within the restaurant. The story goes that Pete Townsend (The WHO) was incensed that Clapton had a guitar hanging up, so he went home and came back with one of his guitars, demanding it be hung over the bar also. According to Townsend he was so drunk that he accidentally donated his most treasured and favourite guitar, his black Les Paul. Next thing, Debbie Harry donated her signed sweatshirt and this is how the Hard Rock Café music memorabilia collection started. It wasn’t until 1982 that the first Hard Rock opened in the USA, in Los Angeles. The Hard Rock Café chain now houses the greatest collection of Rock Music Memorabilia with more than 82,000 pieces across the globe. A trip to the Hard Rock Café is a trip to a museum with food and the original one at Old Park Lane also has ‘The Vaults’ across the road. This is the only Hard Rock Café Museum in the world with extra hidden treasures from Aerosmith, KISS, Madonna, Lennon, Elton, Bowie and many others.
The Keeler's 