The Union flag flying from The Grand Hotel and Spa, Station Rise, York, 15/08/15.

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badges, British Rail, British Rail Eastern Region, coat of arms, flags, North Eastern Railway, ornamental detail, railways, Station Rise York, The Grand Hotel and Spa York, Union Flag, York

Note the badges of the North Eastern Railway under the bay window.

Not all visitors to arrive in York, I’ve noticed recently, head into town, having passed through the historic city walls, having turned into Station Rise; in fact I’m probably in the minority. Station Rise has always been, in my lifetime, home to The North Eastern Railway Memorial, dedicated to the 2236 men of the company who lost their lives in the Great War, buses coming out of George Hudson Street (named after “The Railway King” George Hudson, railway pioneer, Conservative politician, dubious businessman and debtor) and this impressive Edwardian red brick building, which is now The Grand Hotel and Spa.

A plaque, a piece of history in itself, informed me that, “This building, now the headquarters of British Rail, Eastern Region, was head office of the North Eastern Railway from 1906“. I think I’m right in saying that York became the headquarters of the Eastern Region when it amalgamated with the North Eastern Region in 1967 and ceased to exist in 1992 [but if you’re an expert in these matters, feel free to correct me], so the plaque was already something of a curiosity when I started to notice the plaque when I was a much younger man than I an today!

The badge of the York and North Midland Railway (Top), the badge of the Leeds Northern Railway (left) and the badge of the York Newcastle and Berwick Railway, which formed the North Eastern Railway in 1854.

The plaque also describes the different elements of the North Eastern Railway badge, which is one of the most noticeable ornamental details and can just be seen below the bay window in first photograph and in detail above.

Photo Archive: King Richard III, “Kings Arms” Public House, King’s Staith, York, 2010.

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boar, British Monarchy, coat of arms, heraldry, King Richard III, Kings Arms, Kings Arms Public House York, National Portrait Gallery, National Portrait Gallery London, Plantagenet, Public houses, pubs, Richard III, Richard III Society, white boar, York

The “Kings Arms” was not the first public house I visited in York that cold November evening back in 2010, but I obviously wasn’t so merry that I didn’t notice this portrait of King Richard III hanging over me; inspired by one of my favourite painting from the National Portrait Gallery in London, by Anon. To quote from the Gallery’s website, “This portrait, in which he appears to be placing a ring on the little finger of his right hand, has been seen by some as evidence of his cruel nature and by others as evidence of his humanity”, so you can read into it what you like!

As well the portrait the pub also displays the Arms of Richard III, which include his personal heraldic device, the white boar, flanking the Plantagenet coat-of-arms. A certain on-line encyclopaedia informs me that a complete boar in heraldry, as opposed to just the head, might represent the courage and fierceness the boar displays, but I haven’t had much experience of boars in the wild [or in captivity, for that matter]. The Richard III Society, which promotes research into King Richard III related matters, still uses the white boar on some of its heraldic devices and logos.

The White Horse of Hanover, Royal Coat of Arms, Trinity House Academy, Hull, 29/11/14.

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British History, British Monarchy, coat of arms, Hanover, heraldry, Hull, Hull City of Culture 2017, Neo Classical Architecture, symbolism, Trinity House Academy Hull

The Coat of Arms.

It’s interesting how people like to promote different things about themselves, especially British Monarchs. When this coat of arms was erected King George I or King George II were so keen to promote the fact they were Prince – Electors of Hanover that they squashed the heraldic symbols of England and Scotland together in order to fit in a number of heraldic devices they brought with them from Hanover, including the white horse. They have also given ample room over to the fleur-de-lis, to show that, like so many other British Monarchs, they also laid claim to the throne of France (to quote Shakespeare’s “Henry V”, “No King of England, if not King of France“). Interestingly, this coat of arms would become redundant when King George III gave up the ancient arms of France; I guess there was little point protesting a claim to a throne that no longer existed after the foundation of the French Republic.