THE FREDERICK STREET INTERSECTION FROM THE AIR This is likely to be another Whites Aviation photograph that I have had in a folder for ages. I suspect its early fifties — no traffic lights, the underground gents loo is in London Street outside the back of the Royal Albert. But theres NO TRAFFIC! A lone bus outside the BNZ in Pitt Street and a few cars. Wont be Sunday, or there would be cars outside Knox Church. Could be a Saturday because before weekend shopping the town was dead as the dodo. Note the woodyard down Frederick Street. I love this shot because you can see behind the George Street shops. See the group of trees behind the shop opposite Knox — and see the alley down the back of the buildings facing onto Frederick. But also note the number of cottages that were in behind the buildings. There are several of them — and what appeared to be a timber yard as well. Who were these people? What sort of lives did they have, tucked away here? Are there any cottages still in there? Theres a whole other world behind those street frontages. I may have mentioned this before — not sure. But there was a well known Dunedin mechanic, Bob Cleghorn. His garage was up Carroll Street and later bought by John Armstrong. Bob lived in a Victorian, red brick, two storied house tucked up an alleyway off Hanover Street which is now part of Meridian Mall. There was no sign of it from Hanover Street, you walked up this alley between two shops and there it was. Very small section. I know because once when he was on holiday, his daughter held a party and it was a bit of open slather. But two things I remember from that night, circa 1959, how surprised I was at finding a house there and a song by Jack Scott called Leroy which was played over and over and over.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 01:34:53 +0000
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