Welcome back to Our Blog! We’ve got a special kind of update for you today because we’ve upped sticks from our trusty base in rural Burscough and are now livin’ it up in the big bright lights of Liverpool city centre. Consider this your invitation to the hottest (albeit only virtual) office warming party of the year because we’ve bagged a cool new HQ in the iconic Cotton Exchange and it’s going to be one long celebration as we take DCTUK to the next level with a new office, new products and new unbeatable prices.
The Cotton Exchange?
Yes, the Cotton Exchange! Only one of the most historic and celebrated buildings in the entire city which we’re now lucky enough to call home. The fabulous, Grade II listed building was commissioned and purpose-built in 1906 to accommodate Liverpool’s bustling cotton trade and soon became ‘the place to be’ for tradesmen to gather and exchange cotton (funnily enough). These guys communicated prices and information via telephone and cable to New York, Bremen and Bombay…and we have the cheek to complain about slow 4G connection today. Jeez, serves you a whacking great slice of humble pie doesn’t it?
Behind it’s ultra-chic, cosmopolitan exterior lies a whole history of cotton trade that is pretty close to the heart of the DCTUK brand. If you look past the glossy tiles, the revolving door and the electric red furniture, there are dusty underground cellars, mysterious ballrooms, abandoned restaurants and old cotton dressing rooms that we enjoy exploring during our well-earned breaks away from the desk.
The huge windows were designed specifically to let as much light in as possible when inspecting cotton samples and we’re still benefiting from that Victorian brainwave as we fine tune our very own carpet tile samples on a daily basis. During this era cotton was the largest and most significant trade in the city, accounting for nearly half of all imports and exports so we’re super honoured to be doing what we do in such a legendary location.
Feeling right at home already
We’re also looking forward to catching a bit of a bronzy on the roof terrace during the summer months. (In case you were wondering, ‘bronzy’ is Scouse for ‘tan’ - see, we’ve only been here for a few weeks and we’re already getting the hang of the local lingo). You could be forgiven for strolling past and not noticing the building after its revamp during the late 60s but take the time to step inside and you really will find an Aladdin’s cave of hidden treasures - the DCTUK office being top of that list, of course ??
The Cotton Exchange is a beautiful mishmash of old and new, of its former glory and of continued developments, and it’s only going to get better so it seems we have a lot in common. We know we’re going to be very happy here, two floors high in this seven storey wonder!
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