The Yard

Tucked away on Vicar Lane at the back of King's Buildings I came across what appears to be a pub or a club called the Yard though I can find practically nothing about it on the web. I'm guessing it gets its name from the Grammar School Yard which is just behind the wall on the left or maybe it comes from being a back yard. Anyhow I just liked the imposing gateway which completely dominates the narrow lane.

Snell's Entry

When those who do these things decided to knock down parts of High Street to build a multistorey car park and other essentials of modern life it was decided to wall off the back of these buildings. The wall is punctuated with little arched gaps bearing the name of  whatever passage way or snicket stood there on High Street before time and the search for profit took its toll. So here we have Snell's Entry. A quick glance through an old trade directory reveals that a Thomas Snell was a baker and flour dealer on High Street back in 1823. I'm assuming this is named after him or his business. It can't have much of a place since I can't find it mentioned on old maps from the period. I did however find a reference that has a resonance to today's Hull. In 1875 Mary Dowd of Snell's Entry was fined 5 shillings (about a week's wages) for not sending her children to school. 

I suppose we must thank those who do the deciding because now we know there was a Nag's Head Entry, Barrick's Place, John's Place, King's Court, Breton's Place and not forgetting Grimsby Lane running off High Street; all sign posted now, probably better than when they thronged with life. I won't carp about the lack of apostrophes.

Once again there's more monochrome fun to be had at the Weekend in Black and White here.

The flowers that bloom in the Spring tra la ....

....are now all covered in snow

Hull along with most of the country woke up to snow; not a lot in our case and certainly not enough to cause any disruption I would have thought. Cold weather is forecast to last until April by which time if the Casandras are to be believed the country will have run out of gas. Brrrrrr!

Local shops for local people

Well calling them shops is a bit of an exaggeration. Here's two ladies' hairdressers and a gents' barber, a tattoo parlour and a pizza place. Does this reflect  local interest in looking good and stuffing your face with carbohydrate? As I live nearby I couldn't possibly comment. 

For those not from these parts wondering why a barbers is called Tigers Trim; it's a reference to the local football team, Hull City, whose orange and black strip earned them the nickname of Tigers, they have a mascot called Roary ( I kid you not).  Hence Tigers Trim, well it's better than Head Shed.

Surely not

Taken by Margot K Juby

Times is hard and people is selling off their newborns ....

Britannia For Sale

How long have I lived in Hull? Thirty plus years and still I find something I've never seen before. Way up on top of a building at the corner of Bowlalley Lane and Lowgate I found this eroding Britannia peering down at me. The building is your run-of-the-mill Victorian office block turned (inevitably) into a public house. It must have had some importance for a whopping stone statue to be stuck on top but times have changed and now I wonder what Britannia makes of the Barracuda Bar.

 Just noticed the For Sale sign so here's yet another investment opportunity in Hull.

PS & Update: It seems I've come here with half a story. After a little bit of research and a friendly Tweet I find that this building was once a courthouse and before that a public exchange. Now being a law court would explain the Britannia statue. It's Grade 2 listed and details of its architecture can be found here.

In case of emergency

I don't know what sort response you'd get if you tried to use this antique device on High Street. It's outside what used to be the head office of Humberside Police Authority now up for sale since the 'election' last year of  a new Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside. He wants somewhere more modest in keeping, no doubt, with his modest mandate (90% didn't vote for him).  May I suggest a shed? The building was built in 1899 as a trading exchange for the corn, flour and seed crushing industries. It can be yours for a mere snip of £425,000.