MAXINE GORDON looks at the changing face of Davygate

QUEUES outside Bettys are a daily feature of life in York – but this queue from December 1974 tells a different story.

It shows shoppers waiting in line to buy bread because Britain was gripped by a baker's strike at the time – with workers reportedly demanding a 66 per cent pay rise.

The 1970s were a time of industrial unrest and York did not escape the impact.

The photograph from our archive is just one of many we are sharing today featuring one of the city's best-known streets – Davygate.

As you can see, the street has changed almost beyond recognition over the years.

One of the earliest photos we have shows the street in the 1890s looking south towards St Sampson's Square and Parliament Street. It's an eerie image, with no one around, and just a horse and cart faintly obvious in the background. There's a sale at Bradbury's Sewing Machines, which is opposite an arcade of shops, one of which, is named "Lloyd's". The low building next to Bradbury's would later be the site of Brown's department store.

Check out 31 old photos of Davygate York in our Press image gallery

The picture from 1903 looking down Davygate from St Sampson's Square shows, on the right, the building which will become Browns. Here, it is occupied by a tailor called R Cutter. On the left are the premises built in 1881 by C J Melrose for his wine and spirit business.

Another image from the turn of the 20th century shows the Davygate junction with Stonegate with Holgate & Sons on the corner, now the Crabtree & Evelyn shop. You can just see St Helen's Church next to it.

Many of the shops and buildings have disappeared over the years, including The Davy Hall Restaurant. Our photo is from around 1929. The Davy Hall was built by George Edwin Barton in 1904 it was designed by architects Penty & Penty in distinctive art nouveau style and with a much talked about stained glass canopy.

New buildings and shops have changed much of the historic character of the street, with the arrival of Debenhams department and the Davygate Centre, including a Wimpy burger bar. In the late 1990s, the former gas shop was replaced with a new modern building to house the now-closed Borders bookstore (now Superdry) and Sports Direct.

Another shop long gone is the 1960s' boutique called Maxine Fashions (no relation!). Does anyone remember shopping there?

Given York's reputation as a foodie destination, Davygate has few eateries - which is a shame considering the street was named during the reign of King Stephen (1135) after David, the King's Lardiner, whose task was to supply the monarch's larder.

Wonder what he would have made of a Bettys Fat Rascal?