Five houses on Mayfair

I may have mentioned that Hull's Beverley Road had at one time pretensions to posh; there's a Harley Street, Park Lane, Fitzroy Street (with allusions to Fitzrovia) and here's good old Mayfair. At one time these were respectable Victorian town houses for the rising middle classes complete with garrets for the domestic serving staff. Now, as you can see, no-one calls them home. I recall that in Monopoly™, Mayfair goes for £400 with houses £50 a go; that seems about the right price for this little lot.

I'm waiting for my bus

It's never early, It's always late,

First thing you learn is that you always gotta wait ...
I'm waiting for my bus.

(with apologies to Lou Reed)

Hi vis

Seems the neighbouring street was in need of  a bit of maintenance, so a strip about a yard wide was taken off and replaced on both sides. Took this gang of four (three to work and one to watch) two days to do the whole street. Whether all this was strictly necessary I don't know but they provided a colourful interlude.

No Parking

Nobody cares any more if you park outside these doors on Wellington Street. The business has long gone with the opening of the new fruit market over in Hessle. Those fancy coloured cowlings peeking out at the back mark the restoration of Hull's last smoke house  ( a mere £133,000, since you ask ) part of the regeneration of the old fruit market area if we are to believe what it says in the paper.

Babies 4 U: New and Used

Perambulators, buggies, strollers, pushchairs, baby carriages ... call them what you like this shop sells them new or  used along with lots of other gadgets and gizmos needed to rear children, kiddies, sprogs, bairns and so on. 

Shadows

This is the path that leads under Myton Bridge from Castle Street.

If you like your weekend in black and white click here.

Entrepôt

Here's another post of the Minerva Hotel. Built in the 1850's it served as the offices of one Richard Cortis an emigrant agent who was in the business of transporting hundreds of thousands mainly from Scandinavia through Hull and on to Liverpool and from there America. On arrival at Hull many ships would berth at the Steam Packet Wharf (below) adjacent to the Minerva. The male passengers were allowed to disembark and enjoy the pleasures of the town until evening when they must be back on board, women and children were kept on board until forward transport could be arranged.

Norway's declaration of a constitution on this day in 1814 may have raised nationalist passions but did nothing to stem the flow of its people to find a better life elsewhere. The figures are really quite alarming, from a population of  then around 2 million in one year alone, 1884, 28,804 people left. A million or so left in the century up to 1914. Norway's loss was Hull's gain, or rather the shipping company Wilson Line's gain. 

Now, of course, it's all changed and Norway is a rich and prosperous place with a high standard of living. Hull however has not fared so well, perhaps I should emigrate. Go East, old man!

Today's rather rambling post is part of City Daily Photo's Norway Constitution Day theme.