Nostalgia

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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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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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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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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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

Preston Past: Avenham & Miller Parks (Part 1)

4th, April 2012 by

  Avenham Valley from the Vicarage Grounds,Preston 1862 (Courtesy of Preston City Council) A very early image of the area that was soon to be transformed into Avenham Park. This photograph was taken from the back of the old Vicarage garden in East Cliff. It appears that sleepers, rails and a quantity of cast iron chairs are stacked at the bottom of the slope in [...]

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Junction Of Chapel Walks & George's Road Looking Westward (Lancashire Lantern)

Preston Past: An Area Known As Bamber’s Yard (Final Part)

28th, March 2012 by

The second and final installment from last week’s article involves the remainder of the Bamber’s Yard area. Immediately below is an aerial image showing the complete area including the remaining part for the conclusion of our journey into the past of the Bamber’s Yard labyrinth. It is most probable that Prestonians of a certain age, at some time, will have walked along George’s Road down to Chapel Walks and Lune Street or vice versa. [...]

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preston workhouse

Ghostly memories of the former Preston Workhouse Hospital

22nd, March 2012 by

Seeing a photo of the former Preston Workhouse Hospital in glorious Spring sunshine reminded a woman who used to live there of its past. Ruth Bond, who now lives in Fulwood, spent four years of her childhood running through the corridors, cellars and gardens of the former hospital. The building, now owned by the NHS and University of Central Lancashire, used to be a care [...]

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Bamber's Yard Forshaws, Reg. Daniels (Junction Of Bamber's Yard & George's Road

Preston Past: An Area Known As Bamber’s Yard

21st, March 2012 by

  Aerial View Of The Area With Annotated Street Names & Approximate Layout   Up to the mid 1960′s the area surrounded by Fishergate, Lune Street, Friargate and Market Place (Cheapside) was densely populated with old buildings which appeared to be built in quite an ad hoc fashion. It comprised of mainly six small streets and alleyways; Anchor Court, Bamber’s Yard, St. George’s Road, Aspinall [...]

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Preston's Magnificent Town Hall.

Preston Past: Sir George Gilbert Scott’s Preston Town Hall

7th, March 2012 by

An Architectural Gem for Preston. This is the magnificent Town Hall which was built between 1862 and 1866 standing on the site of the former Moot Hall between Fishergate and the Market Square.  It was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, a leading architect in the Gothic revival type of architecture. The clock tower, the second largest in Britain after the ‘Big Ben’ tower in [...]

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p5 on fishergate

Memories of the P5 bus service

9th, November 2011 by

A Preston ex-pat has set up a group online for those who remember the P5 bus route. Richard Crookes, originally from Penwortham, wants to discover more about the “legendary” service run by Preston Bus. The bus service, which apparently appears in the Alan Bates film A Kind of Loving, no longer operates. Mr Crookes said he was inspired to start the Facebook group in memory [...]

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Lace Makers (left to right): Nell Race, Joy Hiller, Dianne Derbyshire, Marian Miller and Lesley Howard

Lace Makers appeal for younger members

9th, March 2011 by

A peaceful church hall is the last place you would expect to find avant-garde fashion but if you want to transform your wardrobe, these stylish Nans could show you a thing or two. Preston Lace Makers have been ‘bobbin and weaving’ for 25 years. Now, as lace becomes trendier, the group are pleading for younger members to join and keep the tradition alive. As the [...]

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