Generosity and then some

17 March 2011

London, Paris, New York

All amazing cities, all amazingly expensive. We have been over whelmed by people’s generosity in the US, up there with the best of them is the Carlton Arms Hotel who amazingly generously donated free accommodation for the FTFE crew whilst in New York for 10 days. HUGE! We have turned the Carlton Arms into our HQ where we have shot video for the documentary and worked ferociously at the remaining logistics (shipping ahhhh), routes, website, press, etc, etc.

The guys at the Carlton Arms have themselves also been touched by cancer, sadly losing a very good friend to a rare and bizarre form of cancer. When contacted by FTFE John Ogren said “The Macmillan nurses were angles sent by God to care for him in his last days. Also we love all firemen everywhere. So of course we want to offer the rooms at no charge.” Legend.

The Carlton Arms Art Project started in the late 80s when a small group of creative people decided to paint the rooms of, at the time, a dark and ill shelter. Today, every one of the 54 rooms and 4 hallways are painted or decorated by artists that came from all over the world. Craft and passion transformed the rotten hole into a unique Manhattan site where the walls explode with colour and art!

We lucked out by staying in the United States room; a huge statue of liberty and dollar bill painted on each of the walls made it a very fitting end to our road trip across the USA and a great place to set up our new FTFE HQ and film set. Thank you to all at the Carlton Arms Hotel for your incredible hospitality and generous gesture beyond the call of duty.

Huge thanks, The Follow That Fire Engine Crew

And if you don’t believe us check out what the professionals had to say…

“About as cheap as it gets in Manhattan. Every nook has been decked out in far out by cutting edge artists” Rolling Stones Magazine

“Not merely a bohemian-dive hotel but a constantly evolving conceptual art project, the Carlton Arms boasts some of the most striking quarters in Manhattan” The Independent

Please visit their lovely website if you’re planning a trip to NYC and you’re on a budget http://www.carltonarms.com/

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