Silver Street

Here with its seasonal decoration dimly glittering in the late afternoon light is Silver Street. It continues eastwards from Whitefriargate to Lowgate in the distance. It has a mixture of businesses mainly connected with the legal and financial side of life. At each end there are former clearing banks, splendid buildings, that now are taken over with coffee bars and similar. Running off the street is Hepworth's Arcade on the right and a mediaeval passage way to Ye Olde White Hart pub on the left.

Finishing touch

Up above the shoppers on Whitefriargate this neat little boat and dolphins nicely finishes off the Marks and Spencer's building. M&S are the last remaining major chain on Whitefriargate which is rapidly declining into a mix of pawnbrokers, betting shops and charity shops. It used to be the main shopping area in the city and with competition from the glass and steel monsters down the road it looks doomed.

As Advertised

This couple of buskers on Whitefriargate the other day were actually not bad. The guy on the left had a mighty voice on him. I saw someone give them money, practically unheard of in Hull.

Don't sit there like a dummy

Earlier this year Peacocks, a clothing retailer, went into administration. This branch on Whitefriargate was emptied out apart from some mannequins which were left artfully posed no doubt by disgruntled staff.

Neptune

Built in 1794 the Neptune Hotel in Whitefriargate was supposed to cater to captains and merchants using the newly opened docks. However things didn't quite work out and the building became the Customs House in 1815 until 1912. Nowadays the banqueting hall is the staff canteen of Boots the chemist. This little figure is the keystone of the entrance archway.

Music while you walk

On the first cool day of Autumn my spirits were lifted by this quartet playing Latin American music to the passing crowds as they made their way home. While many were impresed and left a little something for the band I don't think this lady was in the mood.

Things to do while breathing your life away

I was waiting outside Marks & Spencer the other day slowly breathing my life away when I looked up and saw a reflection across the street. "Hmm", I thought, "if I move a few feet this way then ...they all line up nicely."

Heads of Banking

The main branch of HSBC in Whitefriargate is an imposing Victorian building that has these magnificent heads adorning it. I could have shown eleven separate but a collage is better I feel and in keeping with the one photo a day ethos of City Daily Photo.

Rainbow-Friargate

Whitefriargate is the scene of a colourful installation by  Hsiao-Chi Tsai & Kimiya Yoshikawa inspired by "the seaport character of Hull". It's the latest in a series of exhibits using the empty shops and spaces of the street; really it's an effort to get people to visit this end of town. There's a bit more information here.

If you do fancy visiting Hull (and who wouldn't?) then be warned that Whitefriargate is pronounced as something like "Witfregit". For more helpful advice on meeting and greeting the natives I can recommend this site.