City Square infastructure

liits · Post by **liits** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 1:46 am

Above, from the Godfrey 1906 OS map.I seem to remember reading in the Evening Post [and this could be around thirty years ago] that some chap in Selby had managed to get hold of a load of the balustrades and had erected them around his patio.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 1:14 pm

IIRC they were found lying in a heap/overgrown somewhere, Red Hall?

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 1:30 pm

They certainly relocated the smaller statues during the recent revamp. think there was talk of removing them all together at one point but objections ruled.

LeeJ · Post by **LeeJ** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 2:35 pm

liits wrote: some chap in Selby had managed to get hold of a load of the balustrades and had erected them around his patio. if you can give any more info on this I dont mind going and having a look as I live in selby.

liits · Post by **liits** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 3:58 pm

LeeJ wrote: liits wrote: some chap in Selby had managed to get hold of a load of the balustrades and had erected them around his patio. if you can give any more info on this I dont mind going and having a look as I live in selby. Racking my brain, I vaguely recall that the chap had been working for the company who were doing the remodelling works to the square when the balustrades were removed. I also seem to remember that the article [which was in Saturday’s edition of the paper, the little pull out bit that had the TV guide in it] showed a picture of him standing behind his bungalow, on the patio, leaning against the balustrades.

LeeJ · Post by **LeeJ** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 4:24 pm

I know who you mean. He's also just built a second bungalow next door to his on some land he owned. I know where it is! I'll take a sneaky look on saturday.

BIG N · Post by **BIG N** » Wed 09 Dec, 2009 11:23 pm

sirjohn wrote: http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... 98154849He does seem to have charged forwards to make room for some fountains and a Christmas tree.... or maybe the square has just got smaller. http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... llustrades clearly here though. Hmm - thats an interesting picture, although I would say the ballustrades are further out now (forming a much larger circle) and the small statues are more evenly spread with a single section of Ballustrade between each pair then a gap to the next statue.Funny how the mind plays tricks though isn't it ? - When I first looked at this picture I would have sworn that the Black Prince had been moved, in my mind he was more towards the corner of City square closest to the Observatory / Flairs, I would have said there was no way he wascentrally in front of the old post office building.Yesterday I took a look and realised that the Black Prince is in fact still front and centre to the old post office, sometimes your perception of things can really be way out.

BIG N · Post by **BIG N** » Wed 31 Mar, 2010 12:18 am

In a little twist to this subject I was given, totally out of the blue, a bit of information that some of you might find interesting.Whilst sat in my local a week or so ago I was chatting with an old guy in there who used to work for Leeds city council a good few years ago, we were chatting about a job i used to do many moons ago - demolition and he happened to mention that at the time of City square recieving a major face lift he was based at the old council depot along side the river Aire on Globe Rd.He said that they had the job of breaking up the old black and white granite block bases that the small statues stood on in City square, after several hours of back breaking work and not really getting very far with one of these blocks the forman had a bright idea.He decided to get a mechanical shovel and, one by one, he picked the blocks up and dumped them over the wall into the river, as far as my friend is aware they are still there to this day, probably well settled into the river bed.

The Doggers · Post by **The Doggers** » Wed 31 Mar, 2010 10:29 am

My God, I bet they are worth a few quid!

BIG N · Post by **BIG N** » Thu 01 Apr, 2010 2:14 am

The Doggers wrote: My God, I bet they are worth a few quid! The thought crossed my mind Doggers, but do you want to be the one to pull them out if they are there HA HA