What does Tony Blair say? Saritas Do star Kevin Costner and the Royals have anything in common? They’re all looking at me with cowboy hats on their heads or in their hands. I’m at Smithbilt, the historic cowboy hat shop in Calgary, Canada; A city of 1.4 million, fueled by the energy sector, famous for its cowboy roots, and the boots-on-the-ground, liquid courage-fuelled rodeo and music festival it organizes every July to celebrate them. . When foreign dignitaries come to town, it is customary for them to wear “white hats”. Which brings me to Smithbilt, the milliner who invented the city’s iconic white brim in 1946.
Leading this unlikely team of actors, politicians and even a wall-of-fame astronaut is Smithbilt’s Master Hatter Cody Harrison (more on that in a moment), a soft-spoken but rugged gentleman who says things like “I’m sure” and sets cowboy hats on fire. He regales me with stories about his past.
“Almost every Western film made in Canada has taken its hat from us,” he says matter-of-factly. This includes Legends of Autumnalmost every season fargo and even HBO’s apocalyptic thriller What’s left of us (all shot locally).
But as a Calgarian born and raised in London, I’m curious about the city’s royal connections. You see, coming from such a polite society, people seem to quite like Calgary; a salt-of-the-earth prairie city built by brave pioneers and homegrown indigenous nations, where royal treatment seems less so. like white linens and fine china, and more like showing visitors how to let their hair down.
Harrison draws my attention to a photo of Prince Philip in a white hat in July 1959. He and Queen Elizabeth were in town to kick off the Stampede, and although he wasn’t inclined to complement his pristine floral gown with a white Smithbilt, Phillip soon got caught up in the swing of things, sitting in the front row at the rodeo looking like John Wayne in a Savile Row suit. Later, in the backyard of a local judge’s home, an excellent culinary menu awaited them: barbecue ribs, buttered buns, and Western beans. Coffee if you’ve had it. Mint for dessert.
Although informal, it seems likely that the young couple made use of their experience in this modest city. Two of his sons, now King Charles and the now disgraced Andrew, visited in 1977; Their eyes sparkled with mischief as they peered under the brims of their white cowboy hats.
In 2011, the current Prince and Princess of Wales visited Canada for their honeymoon tour; Both presented young, strong figures in cowboy attire, ready to work on the farm. And in a perhaps worse incident, Prince Harry came to town with his military band in 2007 and visited a notorious local nightclub called the Cowboys; Its slogan reads, “The most fun you can have with your boots.”
Getting to Calgary is easy thanks to direct flights from Heathrow. But visitors often view the city as merely a stopover on their way to nearby Banff and Lake Louise. But there are buzzing live music venues, the best barbecue joints this side of Texas, and locals so friendly because of the fresh air they breathe, it’s worth stopping by for a day or two on your way to the mountains.
Do not get me wrong; Calgary is not some quaint Western frontier town. It’s a modern, multicultural city with hipster cafes and small plates restaurants like no other. However, don’t be surprised if you see a few pairs of high-heeled boots among the suits you see while walking among the skyscrapers. It’s called “Cowtown” for a reason.
Regardless of whether you’re coming to the Stampede rodeo or shoulder season trip in July, here’s how to unleash your inner cowboy or girl in Calgary and where to find the best spots for the Royal treatment.
Calgary’s crowning victories
Smithbilt hats
Located inside an old-style grain elevator on the edge of downtown, Smithbilt’s walls are covered from floor to ceiling with felt hats of all shapes and colors, which you can wear on your head and go out or customize to your heart’s desire. contents.
Harrison told me that Smithbilt makes several different hats for the Prince and Princess of Wales to ensure the perfect fit when they come to town. To get mine, he pulls out a medieval torture device that he assures me is actually a hat mold. I was not convinced.
“Lock and Co in London, the world’s oldest hat shop, used one like this,” he says, before placing my head in its heavy frame. Hey presto, the steampunk gears replicated the contours of my dome exactly. Harrison then uses this template to make a white hat to my personal specifications – I own several cowboy hats and none fit as luxuriously as this one.
If you want to crown yourself Western royalty, it’s worth checking out their behind-the-scenes tour in the meantime. The pre-Civil War equipment they still use today will appeal to history buffs, the extensive list of movies they outfitted will appeal to moviegoers, and the part where Harrison sprays alcohol on the hat to set it on fire will set it on fire. Cleaning up any stray hairs will attract the attention of any fire enthusiast in the crowd.
Hat Making Tour, £15/person
1015 11th St SE, Calgary, AB T2G 3E9 001 403 244 9131; smithbilthats.com
Alberta Boot Corporation
Naturally, you will also need boots that match the hat. Trust me when I say there is no sartorial combination more embarrassing in the eyes of a Calgarian than someone wearing a cowboy hat and sneakers; A combination as strange as monarchy and Montecito.
Instead, follow in the royal footsteps and head to the company that produced elaborate boots for King Charles, Prince William and the Princess of Wales during their visits. “Their staff sent in measurements and sewing patterns they liked; Kate wanted tall boots,” said Federica Fiorotto, Marketing Manager at Alberta Boot Company. Prince William was an exotic pair of kangaroos and ostrich.
The elegant downtown showroom and factory smells delicious of leather and hums with the whirs and pops of the 19th-century machines they still use today. A tailored pair will set you back at least $725 (£426), but they’ll last a lifetime – and you’ll stand out by wearing your well-heeled pair on a pavement stroll among the high street’s trend-driven versions. Plus, Western fashion is also prominent.
Alberta Boot Corporation121 10 Ave SE, Calgary, Alberta T2G 0V8, 001 403 263 4623
Palomino Smokehouse
When all that shopping makes you hungry, nearby Palomino Smokehouse is your answer. A bar serving delicious beef brisket alongside live music, Palomino is a Calgarian institution.
Don’t miss the corn fritters and burnt ends (crispy pieces of brisket tossed in Jack Daniels barbecue sauce), and if you’re hungry, there’s a “Fat Ass plate” with a little bit of everything on their grill. and the smokers are gorgeously arranged with classic barbecue sides like bacon-wrapped corn and Kentucky bourbon apples. Something tells me the Royal Family doesn’t eat here. But that’s probably what they wanted to do.
Palomino Smokehouse109 7 Ave SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 3E6
Caesar’s Steakhouse
If you walked into Caesar’s at noon in the 1970s, you’d see dark wood paneling, cherry-red leather chairs, and business suits during martini lunches. Gaudy? Definitely. Very nice. Today, servers wear bow ties instead of togas as they used to (yes, really), but juicy Alberta beef steaks are still cooked on an open-flame grill shaped like a Roman column.
Despite its name, the restaurant did not invent either the Caesar salad or the Caesar cocktail, but serves a poor version of both. While the salad is theatrically prepared tableside, the cocktail consists of a Calgary-invented mixture of Clamato juice, Worcestershire sauce and vodka or gin. It’s best enjoyed as a hangover cure, but is delicious any time of day.
Caesars Steakhouse512 – 4 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB, T2P 0J6, 001 403 264 1222
music mile
Often referred to as “Nashville North,” Calgary’s live music scene has been booming in recent years. There’s no better way than wandering the music trail, with live music venues starting from the Blues Can, a lively blues bar housed in a giant metal shed, all the way to the National Music Center dominating the horizon. World-class architectural work, home to Canada’s Music Hall of Fame.
Top it all off with a drink at The King Eddy, a former railroad hotel built in 1905 that has seen many lives: once a legendary blues bar hosting the likes of Buddy Guy, then low-rent housing, and eventually It was disassembled and rebuilt. -The brick of the National Music Center as a concert center for musicians. This intimate stage, with little more than a spotlight and a microphone, allows for some seriously raw performances.
National Music Center850 4 Street SE, Calgary, AB T2G 1R1, 001 403 543 5115, info@studiobell.ca; King Eddy438 9 Avenue SE, Calgary, AB, T2G 0R9, 001 403 829 6016, info@kingeddy.ca; Blues Can, 1429 9 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0T4, Canada, 001 403 262 2666, info@thebluescan.com
Laura was a guest Travel to Alberta