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Lewis's Department Store

Another picture of the building before Lewis's ...
A view of Old Square c1900 showing a large three arm street lamp and another lamp on a decorative arch near the underground conveniences. The large lamp might be the one mentioned in post#544. The Newbury's building with turrets topped by cupolas makes a nice back scene.
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great photo OM..didnt we once have some spendid buildings in the city centre and there is no excuse for pulling them down as most were still in great shape and would still be here now..i wonder if in 100 years time nay even 50 years time they will say this about the lifeless ones with no great architecture we have now got going up...

lyn
 
A bit off topic, but Colroy07's map (posted @ 987) showing Old Square as it once was, peaked my interest in Berlin House & The Grand Theatre. Here are a couple of photographs I've found, that show both Berlin House (when still standing behind the new Lewis's - posted by mikegee 11 years ago on a Berlin House thread on this site) and The Grand Theatre (opened in 1883, converted into a cinema in 1930, later becoming The Grand Casino & Ballroom until 1960 and sadly demolished in 1963 -picture 3):

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great photo OM..didnt we once have some spendid buildings in the city centre and there is no excuse for pulling them down as most were still in great shape and would still be here now..i wonder if in 100 years time nay even 50 years time they will say this about the lifeless ones with no great architecture we have now got going up...

lyn
Lyn, we sure did have some splendid building! and I doubt 50 years from now let alone 100 they will say the same. It seems like the new building do not last!
 
great photo OM..didnt we once have some spendid buildings in the city centre and there is no excuse for pulling them down as most were still in great shape and would still be here now..i wonder if in 100 years time nay even 50 years time they will say this about the lifeless ones with no great architecture we have now got going up...

lyn
I was horrified when as a youngster in the 1950s I saw the vandalism of great old buildings taking place. I had hoped that wiser counsels would prevail these days, but it would seem the same process is happening even now!
 
The van is actually a Ford Thames ET7, going through the memorable site of the Minories, but I surely do remember seeing smaller local delivery vans (where I lived in Yardley Wood) and I'm prettyy sure they were small Commer vans. Happy days!
 
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