Restoration Homes - Coltman Street, Hull

Working in archives we get to help a wide range of users with their research - whether it is family history, local history or academic study. Only occasionally do we get to see the results of the research and last night's episode of Restoration Homes on BBC2 was one of those occasions.

What you don't see - the camera crew in the searchroom during filing for Restoration Homes

Following Simon Kelsey's restoration of the Victorian townhouse at 114 Coltman Street in Hull. Historian Dr Kate Williams and architectural journalist Kieran Long both visited the History Centre to conduct research and the programme features a number of shots of them conducting research in the library area and the searchroom.

The programme showed the use of key sources like the census, maps and street directories can be used to discover who had lived at that address previously (see the Local History sources section of the History Centre website to find out more about these sources and how they can be used). Discovering that Christopher Pickering lived there they then explored the story of how he made his fortune through steam trawlers and became one of Hull's most philanthropic benefactors.

Simon Wilson
Senior Archivist