The families living in these beautifully secluded flats
STUNNING BUILDING WAS ONCE AN EDWARDIAN SHOPPING CENTRE
HIDDEN away in the beautiful Garden Village area of Hull, there is a historic shopping centre that was originally built for workers at Hull’s Reckitts factory.
Constructed in 1909, the Garden Village Shopping Centre was once the focal point for the community of workers at the business, and included everything from a greengrocers to a Post Office.
Following concerns that the building was falling into ruin, the complex has been transformed and revamped into a collection of charming apartments.
Following the renovation from Queensway Properties worth over £500,000, we spoke to some of the people who live there to find out what life is like in Hull’s idyllic Garden Village.
The Brewster family moved into their flat last October and are really enjoying life in the complex.
Peter Brewster, 30, said: “There is a nice sense of community around the village.
“We really like it here. When we’re out on our balcony it reminds me of being in a Spanish villa.
“We love Garden Village because it’s a really nice, quiet area. The only thing we would like to improve it would be to get a garden put in behind our flat because a lot of it is concreted.
“It’s very quiet and calm, to say how close it is to Holderness Road.”
Peter explained that he is the resident currently volunteering to wind the clock above the centre of the shopping centre, ensuring that the old clock displays the correct time for the people who live there.
Steve and Joy Hardy have only lived in their flat for a few months, but they are already loving the area.
“Everybody looks after each other around here. We’re always here for anybody if they need any help.
“It’s a nice community and it’s really nice and quiet. I really don’t think I would change anything about it.”
Steve, 62, explained that their flat used to be a grocery when the complex was a shopping centre.
“It’s lovely how they’ve kept all the bushes and the greenery.”
Next door, John Dawson agreed that the area was lovely and quiet.
“Except when I’m singing and making it rain. It’s that quiet around here I’m afraid to play my drums!”
“Everybody seems pretty cool. There’s plenty of dog walkers and people wave and are friendly to each other.
“I like it here because of the atmosphere of the building, that’s what attracted me to the place.
“It is as it looks. It’s really tranquil and quiet. It’s just a pleasant place to live.”
It seems that not everyone feels so positively about the flats, however.
One resident said that the company letting the properties are unhelpful and take far too long to resolve problems.
They said: “It took them the best part of three years to sort the roof out, and it’s still not sorted.
“Our bathroom has had about six leaks and they have not replaced the pipes. They plastered over wet walls so now they are damp.
“You email them and they don’t get back to you. You ring them and they don’t get back to you. We were meant to have a gas safety check and no-one came.
“They hired a young lad to do some work out here who came at 9 o’clock at night and set the fire alarms off.
“It could be really nice here, but it just isn’t at the moment.”
So, while many residents are happy with life at Garden Village Shopping Centre, it would seem that there are some who believe there is still room for improvement.
Set in such a beautiful part of Hull, it’s easy to see why the flats are so popular. The 14-flat complex is currently up for sale, with offers starting at £1m.