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The Cleveland Road Bus Depot. It was built for the
Corporation Tramways Department in 1901, in readiness for the electric
trams which were in operation the following year. The two Guy 'Arab'
buses parked in front are finished in the later green and yellow livery.
On the right is the Newmarket Public House which was built around 1850.
It is now derelict, after being empty for several years. |
The old Walsall Street School, which was demolished in
the late 1970s to make way for the ring road. It stood on the site of
the current Bilston Street, ring road island and Middle Cross Street. |
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The Queen's building and railway offices once formed one
side of Victoria Square. The Queen's building was built by the
Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway Company in 1849 by Edward Banks and
was listed in 1977 after being derelict for several years. It was
purchased by the Town Council in 1986 and work began on its restoration
in 1988 for its present use as the bus station entrance building. |
An old shop and the Synagogue in Fryer Street. The shop
was occupied by Jeff Ling and called Ling's Radio. He sold electronic
components and moved from this shop to another on Snow Hill in the mid
1960s. The shop remained empty until its demolition in the late 1970s.
Jeff was well-known amongst electronics enthusiasts in the town and was
a keen fisherman. His Snow Hill shop closed in the late 1980s. |
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The Pickfords building at the bottom of Fryer Street.
This became the factory and showroom for the H.R.D. motorcycle company
in 1925. The company was founded by Howard Davies who was a successful
competitor in motorcycle racing events.
He rode for Sunbeam and A.J.S.
in the Isle of Man T.T. and won the Senior in 1925 on an H.R.D. machine.
The machines were amongst the best in the country and gained an
excellent reputation for high performance and quality.
Unfortunately
Howard was not a good businessman and the company was never profitable.
There were always delays in delivering new machines because of
unreliable component suppliers. The company went into liquidation in
1928, but this was not the end for H.R.D. machines. Philip C. Vincent
who wanted to start manufacturing motorcycles purchased H.R.D. and moved
production to Stevenage where the new
machines were called Vincent H.R.D. The Fryer Street factory was
demolished in the mid 1970s and the site is now occupied by the
Lighthouse cinema. |
The Molineux Hotel, Molineux football ground and North
Street from the top of St. Peter's Church tower. In the foreground is
the old wholesale market with St. Peter's Church Hall in the bottom
right-hand corner. Most of these buildings have now gone, all that
remains is the Molineux Hotel, which is in very poor condition and has
an uncertain future. The football ground has been completely rebuilt and
the other buildings were demolished in the mid 1970s. |
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St. Peter's House in Exchange Street during renovation
in the early 1970s. |
The Central Arcade was an important feature in Dudley
Street, connecting it to the bottom of St. John's Street.
It was an
important route between two of the town's major shopping areas, Victoria
Street and Dudley Street.
The arcade was built in 1902 and was very
popular with local people. Sadly it was demolished after a large fire in
May 1974. |
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The bottom of Darlington Street with the Methodist
Church in the background. The church is all that remains today, the
shops are on the site of the modern car park. |
The old swimming baths in Bath Avenue. |
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Return to the
beginning |
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Proceed to St.
Mark's Road |
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