Archive for August 2007
Moss’s Corner
In 1899, The Trooper inn or public house was pulled down to make way for W.B. Moss grocery shop (Probably built and completed in 1900) Vodafone shop now inhabits the building and has a huge garish shop front and signs. What is wonderful though is the rest of the building, with its very early usage of Art Nouveau tiles; Quite thrilling to have in a small market town at that time and for to it survive now.
This area used to be known as Guilden Square, (Because of The Brotherhood building opposite on High Street) Sheep Market, Cattle Market, Church Passage and now High Street. But after W.B. Moss built its shop, it has been known as Moss’s Corner. Up until the 1970s, this was where most of the town’s bus services started and finished and was known as Moss’s Corner on the bus timetables, although Moss’s shop had long since departed.
Hitchin Iconoclasts
The beautiful south door of St Mary’s Church in Hitchin shows just how the Iconoclasts did a ‘good’ job and destroyed nine statues that stood in the niches that are part of the doorway. However, they did not get the three figures at the very top. Presumably because they couldn’t be pulled down or chiseled out. Just how much more imposing and beautiful would churches have been with all their statuary around and inside them; including the brightly painted walls with scenes of the saints and from the bible.
Love hearts Graffiti
Apart from the now ubiquitous and wonderful but decaying ‘Dog Full Of Money’ stickers around town; There now appears some unusual but cute graffiti. Looking very much like ‘Love Hearts’ sweets, they liven up dull, out of the way and unnoticed places such as this doorway usually blocked by Starbucks Coffee Shop’s foul smelling and unsightly rubbish bins to the side of the shop in between Market Place and Churchyard.
Market Place Clock
At the very heart of Hitchin and its Market Place, stands a lovely Victorian Style clock donated by Gatwards Of Hitchin (W B Gatward & Sons) in the year 2000 to the town of Hitchin as part of the Millenial celebrations. This company was established in 1760 and is one of England’s oldest family jewellers.
Raised Roof
This photograph is an example of a building tha has probably had its roof raised. This particular one (On Bancroft by Sainsbury’s) seems to have had a half hipped roof from the original darker bricks that remain. The walls have been extended and patched up too. An example of just how ‘Organic’ buildings are in their constant flux and change like everything else. Buildings are rarely ‘fixed’ and forever have alterations; especially in towns.
Phillips Antiques in Bancroft
This fine two storey building now houses Phillips Antiques but was from c1700. There are two distinct sections to it on a subtle South/North divide-continuation. The northern side has the wonderful carved wooden porch made c1900; with its Corinthian columns and pilasters and carved modillions on the segmented pediment. The south side has the elliptically arched carriageway. Inside the building are panells brought from elsewhere and a copied staircase. A somewhat grandiose and aspirational building me thinks, but in keeping with the rest of society at that time.
Strange Building in Hitchin
This strange building is behing the restaurant Bella Vita on Sun Street. It’s either a terrible nightmare for an architect to ‘read’ or an absolute thrill to ‘decode’. I suspect (as do others) that it has been cobbled together from lots of other buildings (Cheap materials) I really enjoy looking at it, but make if it what you will. Derek Wheeler of ‘The Hitchin Historical Society’ has suggested that it was part of the Girls’ School that was run in Roslyn House during the 19th Century; and that later became a furniture shop until 1910 (approximately), accounting for the mélange of styles and building materials.
Hollow Lane Laburnum Tree
A great day started when I met a wonderful 85 year old elderly lady outside the Garrison Court apartments on Hollow Lane. I had walked past the tree, rubbing its flowers to get the scent and she introduced herself as Muriel and told me that it was a Laburnum Tree and that the seeds were poisonous. I’d had no idea what sort of tree it was and that it had that reputation; only that it looked wonderful. More conversation followed, to find out she is a near neighbour of mine. It transpired that her husband had been a diplomat in China. I learned new things that day, and met a wonderfully vibrant and charming older lady.
