Description:The gas lamp cleaner in East Street. East street with its neighbours Central Street and West Street were three streets between present day Albany Street and Gilbert Street in Goldenhill. The terraced houses in the photograph were built in the middle of the 19th century but have now all been demolished. Before electricity, gas was the most popular method of outdoor lighting in urban areas. Clockwork timers were used to light the gas automatically every evening and turn off every morning. Every so often a man with a ladder would still visit each lamp to wind up the clockwork mechanism and check the mantle.
The coach in the photograph is a Bristol L6B which could carry about 35 passengers and was used as a bus serving Goldenhill.