THIS little corner of central Bradford started to take on a new look early in 1979 as council workmen pedestrianised the junction of Tyrrel Street and Sunbridge Road - once the site of a trolley bus turn-round.

A Telegraph & Argus vendor can be seen outside the Huddersfield & Bradford Building Society, a spot that was for many years occupied by newspaper sellers.

Dunn & Co the well-known gents’ outfitters, which can be seen in Ivegate, has long-since vanished.

The report in the T&A states that ‘pedestrians no longer have to dodge cars coming down Ivegate.' It mentions the wooden seats, shaded by trees, as being 'a popular place in the summer for office workers to sit and eat their sandwiches.’

More than four decades later, this small area remains a favourite lunching spot, with Tyrrel Street being part of the city centre’s pedestrianised zone.

This zone, made up of Ivegate, Kirkgate, Bank Street, Tyrrel Street, Hustlergate and parts of Darley Street, was created to help make the city centre a more attractive and secure place for shoppers and visitors.

Moves to achieve this were present long ago. This excerpt is taken from the T&A of January 16, 1954: ‘To relieve traffic congestion in some streets in the centre of Bradford, the Watch Committee is asking next week`s City Council meeting to ban parking in the part of Tyrrel Street between Sunbridge Road and Ivegate, and to introduce unilateral parking in several streets. It is also proposed to make an order banning parking on the south-west side of Booth Street, between Market Street and Broadway.’

More recently, Tyrrel Steet hit the headlines for different reasons, when Bradford Council spelled its name incorrectly on a temporary sign placed near the original street sign.

In December 2009 a sign erected to advertise the ongoing Heritage Streets Project spelled the name Tyrell, with one R and two Ls. The juxtaposition of the two signs on one of Bradford’s busiest streets meant the mistake was very noticeable and drew comments from the public.

The Council admitted the unfortunate mistake but said the sign - which would only be in place for a few months - would not be changed to avoid the expense of making a new one.

It is not the first time the name had been mis-spelled. In years gone by many have used double R along with double L, or used one R and two Ls.

The Heritage Street Project was a £1.6 million programme of public realm works in Tyrrel Street, Bank Street and Hustlergate that began in March 2009 to improve the look of the area. The three streets were resurfaced with new and reused natural stone paving, with new street furniture being installed.

It aimed to be a catalyst to wider improvements in Bradford’s retail quarter. The pedestrianisation and other work in the city centre has over time fulfilled all its promises. The area remains a pleasant space to spend a lunch break or have a sit down while out shopping.