Dolphin Street Summary
This was the shortest street in Bristol and was named after the Dolphin Inn, an old tavern which stood approximately on the site of Alexandre Ltd. Designed by Thomas Paty (who had also designed Bridge Street), it was originally called Dolphin Lane and became a street in 1767. The street numbers of the buildings were somewhat haphazard!
On the corner with Peter Street stood an ancient pump at St Edith's Well which was removed in 1766. A Mr Hoare of Stourhead paid for its dismantling and removal to Stourhead where it remains today (together with the original Bristol High Cross). The replacement pump was removed in 1887 and buildings erected on the site.
The Dolphin Street Picture House (also known as the Rosy Korner Kinema) opened on 21 December 1910 (again, approximately on the site of Alexandre Ltd), an existing building being converted from two shops and given a new frontage, with a lobby and an auditorium inside that could seat 500. The screen, the obect of everyone's attention, had a blue velvet border. But sadly this modest little picture house closed after a fire on a Saturday night in the early 1920s.
All the buildings were demolished in the blitz of 24 November 1940. The British Restaurant (later to be called Civic Restaurant) was built on the east side of the street in 1944, this being one of thirteen in Bristol (the first one was built on College Green in July 1941) — these were temporary buildings constructed due to the lack of cooking facilities and to save on food wastage created by the war. By 1960 it was called St Peter's Restaurant, still serving value-for-money meals until it was demolished in November 1961.
Today, there are no signs that this thoroughfare ever existed - only in old photographs and people's memories.
Dolphin Street
1 Wright, Jewellers
8 Dicks, Boots
6 Leoni, Ladies Hairdresser
4-5 Bartons, Outfitters
15 W.S. Cox & Son, House Furnishers
2-3 Bee Bees, Public House
7 Alexandre Ltd, Tailors
Dolphin Street
1 W. Wright. - Jewellers
8 Dicks. - Boot Manufacture
Proprietors: G. & W. Morton Ltd
6 Leoni. - Ladies Hairdressers
Proprietors: Thomas & Co. (Bristol) Ltd.
4-5 Frederick H. Barton. - Outfitters
Upper floors: J. Hooper & Son Ltd, Printer - Miss E.L. Westwood, Ladies' Hairdresser.
15 W.S. Cox & Son Ltd.
(See entry under 24-25 Mary-le-Port Street)
2-3 'Bee Bees' - Public House
(Proprietors: Charles Edwards (Worcester) Ltd) Upper floor: F. Williams, Dentist - (These premises were blitzed on 24 November 1940 and Mr Williams moved to 26 Bridge Street - these premises were then blitzed again on January 1941!)
7 Alexandre Ltd. - Tailors
Upper floors: The Western Plating Co., - Button Goverers Miss D. Curnock, Ladies' Tailor.
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Memories of Bristol over the past 100 years including 3000 photographs on-line
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