Figuring Out What’s Missing and What’s Not…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Yesterday’s post was an explanation as to why the city centre of Chch remains mostly closed to the public…

Now I’m trying to piece together what’s been lost and what remains.

Older images from Google Street view made in 2007 are helping to refesh my memory, after all I have lived in The Netherlands for quite some time now.

Sadly, since the section of Cashel Street in the photograph (between Colombo street and High Street) is part of a pedestrian Mall, the Google street view vehicle didn’t go down it so I’ll have to seach my memory banks and see what I can remember (and do some internet research).

The building on the corner of Cashel and Colombo Streets, (now called “Crossing”) started life as the D.I.C. Department store.

Wiki tells me that the “D.I.C’ stood for the Drapery and General Importing Company of New Zealand” and there were a chain of these shops within New Zealand, the first started in Dunedin by Bendix Hallenstein in 1884.

I remember the shop in a vague way as D.I.C. as a kid, but have better memories of it when it was later called Arthus Barnett. (I bought my first douvet set here when I went flatting)

Wiki also tells me: “The Christchurch, Cashel Street shop (opened in 1885, burned down in 1908 and rebuilt, merged with Beath’s Department store in 1978 and shifted into their premises, rebranded Arthur Barnett/D.I.C. ,then again as Arthur Barnett, and closed in 2005.“

The Westpak Trust (a.k.a. Trustbank) building  sits on the high street end, it’s about 14 stories high, and is the grey one with the red “w” sign on the top.Nestled in next to it is the Glasson’s building, a clothes shop where I shopped for most of my clothes in my early 20′s.

Next to Glasson’s if my eyes are not deceiving me  is the beautiful Cashfields Building .. and yeah! it seems to be still standing, it’s situated close to the Canterbuy Trustbank/Westpak Trust building and is an arcade that links Cashel street with Lichfield Street .

Better photos and a more detailed history are available here on the Christchurch Historic Places Website: http://www.historic.org.nz/TheRegister/RegisterSearch/RegisterResults.aspx?RID=3096&m=advanced

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

I zoomed in as far as possible with my camera though the barrier fence, but can’t see enough detail to work out if the building is ok or of it has damage that means it’s waiting for demolition.

I liked this building a lot so I hope that it survives the quakes and lives on for future generations.

When I lived in Chrstchurch there were two walkways in the City Mall area, one here, crossing Cashel street, linking what was the Arthur Barnett department store with what was an arcade of shops that had Robert Harris Cafe and Coffee shop on the other end of the walkway on the first floor.

The other end of the same arcade of shops also had a walkway (over High Street) and once across the walkway there was a food court that did some great and inexpensive chinese food that I used to frequent often when I lived and worked in the centre town.

The Google Street View shows at least the Cashel walkway clearly, but Google satelite, maps of the area don’t (that I can make out) so had they been removed before the quakes?

It seems that the street view version isn’t of a similar date to the satelite version.

The newer walkway that is over Colombo Street is still standing, (and If I remember from a previous trip the Robert Harris café moved there too) but the Cashel street one isn’t.

Since it’s been a while since I was here pre-quakes, I’m now not sure if these had been removed earlier or not. Maybe someone local can fill me in with the details?

It’s clear that there is still so much demolition and repair work to be done, and that there are priorites that must be made.

Low on the list at this point are the potted plants laying around where they fell, the plants have long since died and they tave taken on the haunted look of urban tumbleweed…

…and since they really did literally get there by tumbling it’s less ironic a thought, than I first thought.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Thanks to Google Street View)

(photograph © Thanks to Google Street View)

Looking back down Cashel Street towards Colombo Street (with the menswear company “Hallensteins” in the building at centre)

(photograph © Thanks to Google Street View)

Sadly I also spot a casualty… a grey painted Post Office that used to be here (It wasn’t a post office when I lived here but I’m struggling to think what it was previously)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Thanks to Google Street View)

(photograph © Thanks to Google Street View)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Landmarks in Den Haag (The Hague): The Haagse Markt… Part 2.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

This is one of a series of posts on Landmarks in Den Haag (The Hague)

In these posts I hope to be your local guide and show you a little bit about my city: the history, tradition and  photos things and places that you will hopefully find interesting.

This post is Part 2   in a small series about the Haagse Markt.

It has been the habit of centuries that the Dutch would shop daily for fresh ingredients for their meals. They would buy only enough for one meal or sometimes two, so the Markt (Market) was a pivotal point in their daily routine.

Supermarkets have only made a dent in this way of life in comparatively recent times.

The filling in of the canal between Singel and Brouwersgracht in 1902  meant that  The Market Prinsegracht could really grow massively in size.

The Prinsegracht was where flowers were sold, and the filling in of the canals meant that there was space for the Market to grow from  a few hundred stalls at the start of the First World War,  to well over 600 stalls  in 1938.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Congestion of city traffic and market traders together in the streets became untenable. When the Market moved to it’s present position, there were an estimated 15,000 people per day, The Market opened on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, between 8:00 am – 17:30 pm.

The opening times stayed this way until the 1980′s when  Wednesday was included as an additional open weekday. It’ s still open on these four days of the week.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

The original wooden and cloth stalls were not well anchored to the ground, so fixed stalls were made,  and in the 1970′s  polyester roofed stands were added for more weatherproofing.  Another unique aspect of the Haagse Markt is that all stalls are now equipped with light and electricity.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Today there are over 500 stalls occupied every opening day, as well a 20 Tradeshow booths. 40,000 people visit the Market on any given day and on weekends or on days when there are special promotions that figures rises to 60,000 visitors.

Fortunately the Market is large enough to accommodate them all, there are three walkways, each over 500 meters long.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Sadly there is also another  very well known feature of the Markt:  as in many places where masses of people congregate professional pickpockets abound.  If you ever visit I would highly recommend that you do the following to make your visit a memorable one for all the right reasons:

- Take only enough money for the purchases you intend to make.

- Take  only a Tram ticket or bike or car keys, leave all other keys, valuables, bank cards, credit cards etc  at home.

- Use a neck pouch, or an inside pocket to carry your money, or as I do, carry a tiny change purse that fits easily into an inside pocket or which I can conceal and cover completely and hold tightly  in my hand.

- Don’t laugh… but I also use a little trolly-bag on wheels, yep I look like a Grandma, but a) it saves my back and b) it keeps my hands  free whilst I am paying for my purchases.

Landmarks in The Hague: The Haagse Markt…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

This is one of a series of posts on Landmarks in Den Haag (The Hague)

In these posts I hope to be your local guide and show you a little bit about my city: the history, tradition and  photos things and places that you will hopefully find interesting. This post is Part 1   in a small series about the Haagse Markt.

The Haagse Markt (the Hague Market) is the biggest outdoor Market not only in the Netherlands but also in Europe.

It was first established in the Prinsegracht area in the centre of Den Haag (The Hague) over many centuries and the importance of the Markt is still reflected in the street names of the Hague city center.

Street names like:”De Grote Markt “(Big Market) ” Grote Marktstraat” (Big Market street) “Varkensmarkt” (Pig Market) “Lange-en Korte Beestenmarkt” (two streets, one long and one short for the Animal Market) and “Groenmarkt” (Vegetable Market) are just some examples that show how important market trade was in Dutch life.
Fish markets and flower markets also had prominence in the Hague city center, around the Prinsegracht area.

In 1938 the Market was deemed to have outgrown the confined space of the city centre and to much initial consternation of market users, it was relocated to Herman Coster Street, which was at that time an undeveloped area outside the city limits.

Today this area is surrounded by suburbs but continues to be a wonderful place to visit and to buy a massive variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, household goods and many other items.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Apparently the relocation of the Markt did not go smoothly for many people, as information of the move was not widespread, according to the dutch language  website for the Markt, passengers on the Monday morning of May 10, the first open Market day after the move, were stunned when the tram arrived to find the Prinsegracht silent and deserted. Here’s an excerpt (translated for you):

A Scheveningen fisherwoman arrived with a basket full of smoked herring on her lap, and loudly expressed surprise at the disappearance of the market. She was to deliver fish to her brother’s market stall. A gentleman who was reading the morning edition of The Motherland, asked the woman if she ever read a newspaper.”Yes sir, the Bode Church, which I read from front to back.” “Then you have missed that the market reopened today at Herman Coster Street”, he replied. “You had better take Line 11 (tram) to deliver your fish”.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Of course with today’s communications, the internet and advance warning that local councils would be obligated to give months in advance, this kind of thing would be unlikely to happen again, and even with the initial hiccups in 1938, the new location and added space proved quickly to be a success and people got used to the new location which has remained exceedingly popular ever since.

Let have a short look around: Tiny mini pineapples…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Dates from Tunisia…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Turkish and Middle Eestern breads for sale…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Fresh fruits and vegetables… ( the items in plastic containers are a set price per container, if you buy something in a bowl, (here the yellow or blue bowls) you will be able to see what you are getting and the contents will be tipped into a bag for you to take home.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Landmarks in Den Haag (The Hague) Cyclist battling wind Statue…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Here is a very short post just to show you an interesting place in the city I live in… On the corner of Vondelstraat and Elandstraat in the Hague there stands a little statue.

Everyone knows it, and loves it but no one I know knows any story or history to go with it… just a piece of Art? Well, the person who made this one was inspired.. this so sums up Dutch cycling some days.

The Netherlands is a very flat and windy place, close to the sea, so it should come as no surprise that they say that it averages 360 windy days a year here. Of course naturally enough it’s not raging a gale every day, but yes, some days the wind is strong and yes some days you will see some brave souls cycling with one hand on the handlebars and the other hanging grimly onto an umbrella.

I love this whimsical statue.. it sums up a lot about Dutch attitudes to bikes, and whilst I am a detail fanatic, I find this to be both detailed and very simple at the same time,

Everything that needs to be conveyed is done so in simplicity and beauty.. it depicts reality and whimsy at the same  time. People ” get” and relate to it.

I couldn’t find any official name or sculpter, so can’t give credit where it is due. But I love it all the same, and if I am on the tram, even if I have my head in a book, when I know I am getting close to it, I always raise my head to take another look and it always makes me smile.

I hope you enjoy my little cyclist battling the wind and rain with their umbrella’s as much as I do.

Here is another photo that I took of it in the summer, when they were working on the road… you’ll see that the “cyclist” and their child passenger are both holding umbrellas, they are depicted very flat and they are bent so far under their umbrellas  that you would have to go up close and look underneath to see that neither of them actually have heads !

(photograph © Kiwidutch)