FrigateRN

• 21/Feb/2013 09:44:32

Another lovely old picture and the chap striding towards the camera does add to the interest of the shot. The street looks very clean, no litter.

Niall McAuley

• 21/Feb/2013 09:45:03

It doesn't look much like this photo

Niall McAuley

• 21/Feb/2013 09:45:35

If it's Belfast, the electric trams mean it's 1906 or later.

National Library of Ireland on The Commons

• 21/Feb/2013 09:47:31

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley That's why I'm confused, Niall. And hastily amending date, but I'm happy enough that it's Belfast...

ccferrie

• 21/Feb/2013 09:48:21

It's similar in style to the Great Northern Railway Station but I don't think it's the same building. http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/exhibition/belfast/sport_cultural/full/L_ROY_03861.jpg" />

mogey

• 21/Feb/2013 09:49:27

www.census.nationalarchives.ie/exhibition/belfast/sport_c... It looks the same but there is a canopy stretching out further in this photo

National Library of Ireland on The Commons

• 21/Feb/2013 09:52:29

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mogey The link, she is broken!

robinparkes

• 21/Feb/2013 09:54:55

It's York Street, Belfast and that's the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway Station. I'm not sure when the Midland Railway bought it but I'll find out. The tram is the giveaway for it's heading for Greencastle which was the end of the line.

Niall McAuley

• 21/Feb/2013 09:58:27

Squinting at the OSNI site, the station on Great Victoria Street station was absolutely parallel to the street, and this one is at an angle. There was a tramline on Victoria Street, mind you.

National Library of Ireland on The Commons

• 21/Feb/2013 09:59:07

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] Excellent! Thank you, and so that was aka York Road Station?

ccferrie

• 21/Feb/2013 10:03:47

Here's another photo of the building with York Road Railway Station clearly written on the side www.geolocation.ws/v/W/File%3AYork%20Road%20railway%20sta... well done [http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/]

robinparkes

• 21/Feb/2013 10:06:03

It was 1st July 1903 when the Midland Railway bought the BNCR and renamed it Midland Railway (Northern Counties Committee). York Street becomes York Road at the top of the wee rise in the road where the Limestone Road joins it on the left.

ccferrie

• 21/Feb/2013 10:07:24

And I think this is the streetview location - not much there to connect it with this photo unfortunately

ccferrie

• 21/Feb/2013 10:12:33

The station was damaged in an air-raid in 1941 and again in a terrorist attack in the late 60s. The building was finally demolished in the early 70s. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Road_railway_station

robinparkes

• 21/Feb/2013 10:12:48

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] The station got a direct hit in the May 1941 blitz. Belfast was the least protected city for it was thought that it was too far for the German bombers to get to and get home. How wrong they were! Then it was bombed in the Troubles.

Niall McAuley

• 21/Feb/2013 10:16:05

Yes, the Station on York Street is at that slight angle to the street, and the tramlimes are there, too. Streetview is utterly different now.

robinparkes

• 21/Feb/2013 10:17:04

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland I have looked my old map and it shows York Road commencing at Whitla Street which is the street to the right before the railway station but it appears to have changed for a certain shop has an address in York Street and it is past the railway station. I'll investigate.

National Library of Ireland on The Commons

• 21/Feb/2013 10:26:02

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alimarante I often think the lack of litter was about less packaging, and an attitude that nothing should be allowed go to waste.

robinparkes

• 21/Feb/2013 10:31:03

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland It was York Road at the time the photograph was taken. That stretch of road between Whitla Street and Limestone Road is now York Street. I checked in the Royal Mail post code finder. I haven't a clue as to when the change took place but it was after 1985.

DannyM8

• 21/Feb/2013 10:32:34

Here is a taggart a retired Pawnbroker in 1911, could be his pawnbroker on the left? 1911

ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq

• 21/Feb/2013 10:39:41

"3d" for a 1907 haircut is quite cheap in today's money - £1.03 using the retail price index £1.22 using the GDP deflator £4.19 using the average earnings £6.07 using the per capita GDP £8.63 using the share of GDP www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/

Niall McAuley

• 21/Feb/2013 11:03:10

Here is a Sarah Taggart, confectioner, on York Street in 1901? Still there in 1911, but no occupation given (retired, I suppose, at 66).

Gerry Ward

• 21/Feb/2013 11:25:01

York Road Station was badly damaged in the Blitz and during the Troubles - part of it was converted into the Midland Hotel.

Niall McAuley

• 21/Feb/2013 11:56:22

Smoke Gallaher's Two Flakes Tobacco

Niall McAuley

• 21/Feb/2013 12:45:46

I think the building which survived noted by http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] above is marked as a Workshop off the Engine shed on the 1884 OS map. From that wikipedia article: No traces of the station remain today, apart from the nearby maintenance depot, which is still in use.

John Spooner

• 21/Feb/2013 15:25:41

I have nothing to contribute regarding dates, buildings etc, but I'm fascinated by the dapper little fellow on the left with the heels, bowler and gleaming cuffs, lounging outside the barber's. No doubt he went there every day for a shave.

National Library of Ireland on The Commons

• 21/Feb/2013 16:14:28

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnspooner I think he could be easily transported to the Old West, and be a card sharp waiting outside of a Saloon...

ccferrie

• 21/Feb/2013 16:35:04

I think I've spotted a pissoir outside the Workshop building - something like this one http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/6126159415/ I saw a reference to a Urinal on one of the old OS Maps in this location but can't find it now.

Gerry Ward

• 21/Feb/2013 18:02:33

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]] There was indeed a urinal there (not quite as elegant as the one above) and, slightly closer to us, a horse trough. This is all that remains of the orginal station now. Here is the workshop in the distance.

John Spooner

• 21/Feb/2013 19:13:46

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland So it's a saloon not a salon?

excellentzebu1050

• 21/Feb/2013 21:44:56

Brilliant in one word !

ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq

• 21/Feb/2013 22:24:22

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnspooner http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland Perhaps (not cooking asparagus here) the cuban-heeled cowboy is 'loitering with intent' and checking out the docker with the long hand. Not that there's anything wrong with that. We will all have to read Strumpet City to find out What Happened Next ...

Gerry Ward

• 21/Feb/2013 22:28:26

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]] The pissoir is shown on this 1901 map - just opposite the Crystal Palace public house.

John Spooner

• 21/Feb/2013 23:11:28

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/gerryward] I could't help noticing an establishment on that map named the Cyclists' Arms so I had a delve in the Belfast News-letter and found that it had an intriguing clock in 1892: In 1898 the pub was put up for sale by auction. The auctioneer's description of the area includes this

The situation of these Premises is one of the best in the North End of the city, and occupies a commanding position, opposite new entrance of Northern Counties Railway Station, and the opening of the latter greatly enhances the value of these Premises, which are situated on the greatest thoroughfare in the city and surrounded by numerous public works

Gerry Ward

• 22/Feb/2013 00:15:25

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnspooner The area had its fair share of public houses, tea rooms and hotels. Nor was it short of clocks - one at the station, the one at the Cyclists’ Arms and another next door to the Cyclists' Arms at the Gibraltar Hotel! The original station was designed by Charles Lanyon in 1848. It was extended in 1873-75 and again in the 1890s when the clock tower and Station Hotel were added. This was probably when the 'new entrance' was made as referred to in the auctioneer's description.

maorlando - God keeps me as I lean on Him!!

• 22/Feb/2013 05:04:54

Your followers are amazing... luv watching them dig into the images and history unfold... great job by each one... wonderful work!!!

ccferrie

• 22/Feb/2013 10:36:24

Thanks http://www.flickr.com/photos/gerryward/ - I thought I had seen a map with the word urinal on it as well though.

Gerry Ward

• 22/Feb/2013 15:38:55

How the same scene looks today

National Library of Ireland on The Commons

• 22/Feb/2013 16:00:04

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gerryward Crikey, that's a stark contrast!

National Library of Ireland on The Commons

• 22/Feb/2013 16:03:33

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnspooner http://www.flickr.com/photos/gerryward All joking aside, re-reading Strumpet City is a very different experience for me now because of all of these photos. There's mention of Lady Aberdeen, royal visits, Kingstown, slums, ships on the quays, tons of Dublin streets that we've examined. Even the fact that one of the main characters, Fitz, heads in closer to the city centre to get the time from the "public clocks"!

ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq

• 22/Feb/2013 21:29:44

Mr Hitler's bombs really did obliterate the area in the Belfast Blitz. Amazing how fugly the rebuild is. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone ...

Alan Denney

• 02/Mar/2013 10:49:53

Thruppence or three pence, never three pennies.

National Library of Ireland on The Commons

• 10/Mar/2013 18:10:22

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alandenney Sorry! Amended to thruppence then...

Skirls&Chokes

• 24/Apr/2014 00:53:00

Not three pennies precisely, but you might have a thrupenny or threepenny bit in your pocket.

robinparkes

• 24/Apr/2014 10:43:08

Could be three pennies but old pennies. Three old pennies could take me to anywhere on Belfast corporation buses or trolleybuses (trams had ceased to run) and back. A penny ha'penny was a child fare in the early 50s.

National Library of Ireland on The Commons

• 14/Mar/2016 06:42:22

I have just added this photo to our 50,000+ Views Album. https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/sets/72157651136879037