old garages

[Pete]

Is it just me or does anybody else think that despite decades of apparent progress in society since the gloomy unhealthy impoverished ignorant post Victorian slum era of the 60s that ironically modern day street scenes with their steel frame corrugted buildings surrounded by badly dressed people, strewn with litter and mind numbingly boring vehicles actually look like shit in comprison to back then?? Or is it my rose tinted specs kicking in again.

[Peter Laidler]

You ain't alone Pete, I was thinking exactly the same, especially when I see the lovely slim, trim and tasty girls in the pictures. Not just the girls, but the trim and slim blokes too. Same places today and there'd be the usual tattooed thunder thighed borillas. Oh, don't get me going......

[Catmint]

Or is it my rose tinted specs kicking in again.

It is not rose, but smog tinted

[66Traveller]

Is it just me or does anybody else think that despite decades of apparent progress in society since the gloomy unhealthy impoverished ignorant post Victorian slum era of the 60s that ironically modern day street scenes with their steel frame corrugted buildings surrounded by badly dressed people, strewn with litter and mind numbingly boring vehicles actually look like shit in comprison to back then?? Or is it my rose tinted specs kicking in again.

Hard not to agree - particularly when the old photo is in colour. The modern views have three things in common: boring cars, boring clothes and boring buildings....

[Polarsilver]

Catmint .. very true .. in London Smog i could not see further than Ten Feet in front of me and i was walking & reason why we put Fog Light (s) on the Lambretta then Mini.
Apart from the Smog & then later on Ted Heath & 3xday imposed working week .. in the Mid 60,s to mid 70,s ..i had a great time & was Safe to go anywhere i wanted to go .. if you wanted to have a so called fight just meet up with the Mods & Rockers
IF there was a Murder back then it made the Newspaper "Front Page" .. today such a thing does not even make the news

[Pete]

I don't want to bring back the past (though spend far too much time doing just that ) when kids got rickets and ate asbestos for breakfast but it can't be denied how tidy cities and towns used to look compared to the disposable mess today. These old garages themselves were very often beautiful buildings, sometimes even the modest ones...

[spoon.450]

Good point Pete....a lot of the historic, grand buildings in towns and cities are now Wetherspoons......

[Nick W]

I was in Vienna last week where unlike Sheffield most of there buildings survived the war. You can still see shops still in use unchaned since the 1920s. not many mins though

[surfblue63]

I blame Stock, Atkin and Waterman. Ever since those three started pumping out their bland formulated pop the kids lost their imaginations. Now the '80s and '90s kids have grown up they show a complete lack of imagination now and just rake over old styles and rehash them.

PS Corugated steel framed units are far cheaper and quicker to put up than red brick pieces of art. They are also far easier to modify and recycle, that's progress.

[Pete]

I blame Stock, Atkin and Waterman.

'Kinell Stu, I didn't see that coming.

I blame town councils for letting developers demolish interesting buildings. Manchester still retains alot of great old architecture, in fact I spent most my life oblivious to how amazing some of the old buildings are in the city centre. However, lots of Deco buildings have gone and they were quite happy to see the Hacienda building demolished, to plonk an apartment block on the same footprint, very dumb move I think. They often cant stop the change of use but they shouldn't let important buildings go as they generate revenue from tourism amongst more obvious reasons. I went to New York a couple of years ago and was happy to see CBGBs still exists, albeit its now a boutique, but lots of evidence of it's previous history inside.

[Pete]

Though to be fair Stu, I'm happy to see those three blamed for anything with the total shite they produced in the 80s.

[LMM76C]

Possible reprieve for Waterman for his railway preservation role?

[JohnA]

Though to be fair Stu, I'm happy to see those three blamed for anything with the total shite they produced in the 80s.

[coopertim]

In London today and spotted this place near Covent Garden tube. Anyone know anything about it?

Tim

[goff]

Another from Donny ( Doncaster ) Claybourns , Singer and Riley Dealers

DT Doncaster Reg , WE Sheffield Reg

[surfblue63]

In London today and spotted this place near Covent Garden tube. Anyone know anything about it?

Tim

The coachbuilding trade dominated Long Acre in the nineteenth century - in 1906 41 buildings in the street were occupied by firms associated with transport, a mixture of traditional coachbuilders and those connected with the motor trade. By 1916 the transition to motor cars and related trades was almost complete. The Mercedes showroom was at number 127 to 130, close to Daimler and Fiat. At number 132 in 1929, John Logie Baird made the first British television broadcast. Just off Long Acre is Langley Street, home of the famous Pineapple Dance Studios. Just opposite, until 2000, was Paxman, one of the best English manufacturers of French horns. It is said that the poet Richard Lovelace spent his final years in Long Acre, in great poverty. As a young man Thomas Paine worked as a corset maker in Long Acre. In 1896 "The Freemason's Arms" was built, and still stands on Long Acre. Masonic symbols adorn the façade.

https://london.fandom.com/wiki/Long_Acre

[Peter Laidler]

What about STEELS at Groundwell Road in Swindon or Victoria Garage on the road up to Old Town? Anyone?

Victoria Garage devoted their whole left hand side of their showroom window to assembling a brand new Morris Minor Traveller being made from parts soon after production ceased, after a customer said that he'd like one! So said at the time, that it would have cost TWICE the cost doing it that way but the BL hierarchy said that it would cost him the standard showroom price

[111Robin]

Westfields, Stirling, Morris/Wolseley and BMC. Workshop was on the second floor with a lift to bring cars up. Showroom on ground floor, parts on top floor. Purpose built by Westfield, nice building.

20190324_124845 by Robin Derrick, on Flickr

pure_gym by Robin Derrick, on Flickr

204091_Stirlingdji_0103 (1).jpg (1280×959) by Robin Derrick, on Flickr

[Pete]

...and nicely preserved isn't it?



Marshalls , Peterborough....

[dodge44]

Kinson Motors, Bournemouth 1965. Austin dealer.