New-look street revealed through eyes of an artist

The pen and ink drawing by the FS Smith showed Story Street in Hull lined with Victorian townhouses.

June Greensmith, of Greensmiths, on Story Street, which sells artists materials and stationery, has had a copy for years – and is now sponsoring one of her customers, Mark Rodgers, to do an oil painting of the street, which has been transformed by the building of the new Wilberforce Health Centre.

Mrs Greensmith said: “The development has revitalised the area. We’ve suffered 15 years of neglect, and at one point it was virtually derelict and we were the only traders left. We were the dumping ground for everything.

“In the last 12 months five new businesses have moved in and we have the last opening today.

“FS Smith wouldn’t recognise it.”

Mr Rodgers was at work yesterday in brilliant sunshine. The artist who has traffic and “life’s rich pageant” to contend with when he paints outside, sees himself in the tradition of a French impressionists, who painted en plein air.

He said: “It reminds me of a Mondrian painting. To me the building represents the cutting edge of the new Hull, juxtaposed with the old.”