Although the words ‘Myton Ward’ are clearly marked on the 1928 detailed O.S. map it is hard to find the word Myton appearing in any context on today’s equivalent except for Myton Street, the short street immediately west of the new Bonus Arena. To the north of Myton Ward in 1928 was ‘Botanic Ward’, this so named from the ex-site of Hull’s prestigious Botanic Gardens which, by 1928, no longer existed as the site had been taken over by Hymers School and playing fields. The earlier Botanic Gardens had been sited on a much smaller area at the bottom of Linnaeus Street off Anlaby Road, the street taking its name from the site of the ‘Gardens’.
Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) was a Swedish botanist and zoologist who as a result of his researches and publications became known as ‘the Father of Modern Taxonomy’, this prosaic title somewhat underplaying his great contribution to modern biology by the classification of all plants, animals and living things, the names usually expressed in latin. For example the common daisy (see above, taken from Mabel Carey’s Wild Flowers at a Glance (reprint 1971, 40) is one of a group defined as the ‘daisy family’ or compositae this particular member given the name ‘bellis perennis’ meaning pretty perennial (has the potential to flower all year round).
The modern sub-divisions of Hull seem unnecessarily complex in that electoral wards and area committee areas have different boundaries. There seem to be about 16 electoral wards each served by three elected councillors whereas there are seven area committee areas; Riverside (s. and s.w. including the Old Town), West, Wyke (central w.), North (n.w.), Foredyke (Bransholme and area), East (e. central) and Park (s.e.). Area Committee areas are where a number of local authority employees are based whose responsibilities are mainly to that area.
Admittedly Wyke and Fordyke hark to history but why Riverside rather than Myton, especially as the Humber is an estuary not a river!