By Aled Jones
Copyright thescarboroughnews
Step back into a bygone era with this Edwardian postcard and feel the colourful hustle and bustle of 1900s Prince Street. You will start to feel connected once again. Looking east along Prince Street, c.1908. At one time the thoroughfare was just called Key Street along with the now King Street, but this was subsequently changed after a royal visit in 1888. It was renamed in honour of Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, who visited in July of that year. At the top of the street, a horse-drawn bus waits to take shoppers to homes leading up to Quay Road. It carries an advertisement for a ‘complete outfitters’. The red-painted omnibuses provided a half hourly service between Prince Street and High Street from 1889. The Universal Cafe with its rounded bays is on the right. It is advertising breakfasts, dinners and fish teas! Originally called Lee’s Refreshment Rooms, it was owned by the Grantham family who had started a second business on Garrison Street (spelt wrongly on their sign). Next door is Harrison’s stabling with horses and carriages for hire, in the days before the motor car changed everything forever. At this time small carriages were a popular form of transport. Notice the one parked up outside the premises. The slipway down to Harbour Road is just in the picture to the right. A little up the street is the Britannia, once the poshest hotel in Bridlington. Built as a mansion for the rich merchant John Bower it had by the mid-18th century become the Ship Inn. Renamed the Britannia by 1812 it was substantially rebuilt in 1863 and could boast 40 rooms to let to guests, many with boastful sea views. The shops in the image have now all been closed down. Behind the lamppost to the left is the once renowned Paragon Restaurant, which was for many years the only fully licensed restaurant in the town. Next door to it is the business of Fred Dunn and Son, Boot and Shoe dealers, 6 Prince Street. Other names which can easily be read on the postcard photograph are the Belmont Hotel and Gilbey’s Wine and Spirit Shop. Further up the street is Anfield’s, famous for their homemade Yorkshire Cheesecakes, a site now occupied by Goodwin’s. On the south side of the street, stood Meek’s Hairdressers and Perfumerers emporium, now the site of the present amusement arcade. Next to it, was the iconic Cock & Lion Inn, which had an extremely fine oak panelled room and ornamental animals on the roof. Like the Britannia Hotel it was demolished after being severely damaged in the Blitz.
