History

Fishergate c.1901

Preston Past: Fishergate,100 years of change (Part 5)

16th, May 2012 by

 This week we take the final part of our journey along the south side of Fishergate looking at the buildings, shops and alleyways going in a westerly direction. Looking at the above image from 1901, we can see a view of part of the south side of Fishergate and how splendidly ornate the shops looked at that time. The street just to the right of centre is Guildhall [...]

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roy castle

Archive videos show St George’s Shopping Centre in 1960s and 1980s

12th, May 2012 by

It’s one of Preston’s main shopping destination and now its history is being opened up online. St George’s Shopping Centre has 13 million trips made to it every year and now a YouTube channel dedicated to its past has been launched. The YouTube playlist has six videos dating back to the 1960s, and include the re-opening of St George’s in 1982. The re-opening after a [...]

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1902 Preston Guild Trades Procession, Fishergate.

Preston Past: Fishergate,100 years of change (Part 4)

9th, May 2012 by

Southeast side of Fishergate during 1902 Preston Guild  In this weeks Preston Past we continue with the changing views over 100 years along the south side of Fishergate in a westerly direction. In the above splendid image of Fishergate in 1902, we can see a view of the buildings from Glover’s Court to the west side of Cannon Street. The shop premises on the far left was originally Woolworth & [...]

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Looking down on the shop frontages of the south side of Fishergate 1950

Preston Past: Fishergate,100 years of change (Part 3)

3rd, May 2012 by

 In this weeks Preston Past we take a look at the south side of Fishergate from where it meets with Church Street and continues in a westerly direction. At the junction of Church Street and Fishergate on the south side there is a narrow passageway, which is the site of one of the many ‘Burgess plots’ (see footnote) that there is in this area of Preston. This passageway is known [...]

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lamb and flag

Preston in the Picture: The Lamb and Flag

29th, April 2012 by

There are many views on Preston’s association with the Lamb and Flag emblem. One of the most commonly held views is that it is associated with days gone-by when Preston was called Priest Town and the lamb signifies the Prince of Peace or ‘lamb of god’. The lamb is also linked to St. Wilfrid who is the Patron Saint of Preston. The ‘PP’ on the [...]

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Fishergate c.1898

Preston Past: Fishergate,100 years of change (Part 2)

25th, April 2012 by

 Compare the above image of Fishergate around 1898 with the Fishergate 1952 below. It is interesting to note how much changed in only 50 years or so. Both images show the Gilbert Scott Town Hall, except that in the 1898 image the Town Hall was still in remarkably fine condition; whereas, in the lower 1952 image the Town Hall tower is somewhat truncated due to the fire damage it suffered in 1947. [...]

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Museum of Lancashire

Can you offer Preston museum a piece of Lancashire history?

23rd, April 2012 by

A newly refurbished museum based in Preston is once again touring Lancashire in search of rare and interesting items to be displayed in its People’s Gallery later in the year. The Museum of Lancashire will visit fourteen locations across the county as part of its Collecting History Days 2012 tour, with the first date taking place at the museum itself on Stanley Street, Preston on [...]

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Preston from Hoghton

William Shakespeare’s connections with Preston revealed

20th, April 2012 by

A Preston-based university lecturer will seek to answer a question that has baffled literary scholars for years – did William Shakespeare spend some of his ‘lost years’ at Hoghton Tower on the outskirts of the city? On Monday 23rd April, Shakespeare’s 448th birthday, Senior Lecturer in Theatre and Drama Catharine Francis will seek to separate the facts from the fiction, and she is inviting the [...]

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Fishergate 1862 near the railway station. Photograph by Robert Pateson

Preston Past: Fishergate,100 years of change (Part 1)

18th, April 2012 by

The three oldest streets in Preston are, Churchgate (now Church Street), Friargate and Fishergate. The latter has always been a thriving area for shoppers, places of entertainment and eventually the emergence of the railway station. The image below shows a photograph of Fishergate taken by Robert Pateson in 1862. The photographer would have been situated with Butler Street a little further behind him to the right. The [...]

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harris museum friends cake

Friends of the Harris Museum Group celebrates 40 years

13th, April 2012 by

This week the Friends of the Harris Museum celebrated their 40th birthday with a little help from the Mayor of Preston, councillor Bobby Cartwright. As part of the Annual General Meeting of the group the Mayor came for a slice of cake and to hear what is planned at the museum over the coming months. Four new exhibitions will be opened from July including a [...]

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winckley square

Pop-up Pie Shop to help project to trace history of Winckley Square

12th, April 2012 by

A project to trace the history and stories of one of Preston’s most famous squares has begun. Winckley Square is a tranquil place to enjoy a quiet lunch break, but its past holds many questions – and a Preston arts group are aiming to answer them. They Eat Culture arts group are looking for stories, memories and local knowledge of the Square to bring it [...]

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The Fountain At Millar Park

Preston Past: Avenham & Miller Parks (Part 2)

11th, April 2012 by

Avenham and Miller parks were both opened in 1867, however, Miller Park was created on land extending from the East Lancashire Railway to the North Union Railway embankments and was laid out on eleven acres of land which was donated to Preston Corporation by Alderman Thomas Miller, a principal partner in the  firm of cotton manufacturers, Horrocks, Miller & Co. As with Avenham Park, Miller Park [...]

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Avenham Park on Easter Monday in 1956

Free events to help families trace their Lancastrian roots

5th, April 2012 by

An event for Prestonians interested in tracing their family history takes place this weekend. The Family History Day at the Museum of Lancashire gives people a chance to explore their local roots. Stephen Miller, community outreach officer for the Museum, said: “This is a great chance to learn about your family history. We know a lot of people hit a brick wall with their research [...]

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