IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Boston Street, NOTTINGHAM, NG1 1BG

Remarkably, none of the buildings visible in this view are being used for their original purposes. The low wavy-roofed building was part of the wholesale fruit and veg market that moved from the area some time ago. These are now retail and restaurant units (this is the back of them!) The multistorey building behind is The Exchange, once indeed a telephone exchange, but now completely rebuilt as student flats. Next beyond is the old Brook Street School, now the headquarters of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, whilst right at the back is the Victoria Leisure Centre, formerly public baths but now housing other sports activities.

A touch of whimsy to the 'Archer' telephone exchange, 1956 (now student flats).

A pre-development area on Brook Street behind the new (2011) £6M Victoria Leisure Centre. Local sign-boarding points to the fact that it is Carillion plc who have the development rights for this site.

This was a Town Mission Ragged School built in 1858. For many years it stood empty and was in danger of falling completely into ruin, but was renovated a few years ago and currently (2008) houses the headquarters of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

The main entrance to the telephone exchange building on Brook Street, seen from Bedford Row. A corner of the former "Town Mission Ragged School" (1858) can be seen on the left, and even nearer to the photographer - although out of sight - is a service entrance into the Victoria Leisure Centre (boasting a swimming pool etc).

An extension of Bedford Row, a street that runs parallel with and immediately behind the Victoria Leisure Centre. The roof of the former Baths building is visible behind the tile-covered partly-demolished brick wall. The fenced-in pre-development area is sign-boarded as belong to the Carillion Construction Company. The imposing brick building in the picture is Park View Court, a tall Grade II-listed Victorian tenement block (1876) with landings and staircases that remain open to the elements. Access to these flats are on Bath Street, opposite Victoria Park.

decorative stone and brickwork on the former Brook Street School, see Image

Sadly, an overoptimistic statement - must be bananas! The bananas reference is drawn from the bananas sculpted from the brickwork. The origin of these is that the premises were built to house the wholesale fruit business of F Pearson and Sons. Their name in brickwork can be seen on another face of this building. The business moved away when the adjacent Sneinton wholesale market relocated.

This former "Ragged School" on Brook Street replaced the first Ragged School in Nottingham on Glasshouse Street. The now-demolished first 'edition' was founded by Thomas Smith-Wright, a local philanthropist and member of the well-known local banking family. This larger replacement, that opened in 1858 and closed in 1947, has been used as the headquarters of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust since 2011. Also visible, is evidence of the some of the resurfacing of the pedestrianised area near to the newly revamped Market Square.