85-10n-53: Footbridge across railway line, Selby St, 1985
- Hessle Rd
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There is still
a footbridge across the railway leading from Selby St to Walliker St, though
both houses in the foreground and those on the far side corner of Arthur
St have been demolished. That on the near side corner is still standing
as are the lower houses further down Walliker St. THe large roofs in the
distance were those of the now closed Charleston Club (a redevelopment opportunity)
close to Anlaby Rd and other buildings on Anlaby Rd.
Samuel Walliker (1821–92), born in Bury St Edmunds, was postmaster in Hull
from 1863 until 1881 and lived at Ashburnham House on Anlaby Rd not far
away. Walliker Street was laid out in 1881.
Walliker, who had begun his career in London under Sir Rowland Hill, was
also noted as a philanthropist. He moved to become Postmaster of Birmingham
in 1881 (until he retired in 1891) and the following year set up The Society
for Promoting Country Trips and Garden Parties for Poor Old People in around
1882, and was President of the Kyrle Society (Window Gardening Section),
an organisation founded in 1878 to provide window boxes for slum dwellers.
He had a song composed about him around 1871, 'The Hull Postmaster' published
as sheet music celebrating the opening of a money order office and savings
bank in Wellington St, to the tune 'The Arethusa', also known as 'The Saucy
Arethusa', a well known folk tune dating from around 1700. Unfortunately
I've been unable to find the words of 'The Hull Postmaster'.