Yes I do; about '78?

Ah yes, the Newbury I decided to come and live in.  The Kennet Centre messed up this bit of town, which was, I guess, created by the fire mentioned in another thread.

Hang on a minute, I thought since then we had made Newbury more attractive.

Do I feel a hint of sarcasm? I hope so!
Ah when I were a lad........

I've lived in Newbury most of my life (53yrs) and I had to use Googlemaps to work out where this was taken from. I actually can't remember that place.
One day we'll be saying the same about the views from Victoria Park.

Quoted from grognut

I've lived in Newbury most of my life (53yrs) and I had to use Googlemaps to work out where this was taken from. I actually can't remember that place.

I think it was taken from Bartholomew Street somewhere close to where the entrance to Kennet Shopping is now.

That bit of brick wall that you can see on the right hand end is the northern end of the Bricklayers.

Quoted from BrianB

That bit of brick wall that you can see on the right hand end is the northern end of the Bricklayers.

And the building in the distance, at the right hand (southern) side of the grassy walk is the Catherine Wheel.

Quoted from BrianB

That bit of brick wall that you can see on the right hand end is the northern end of the Bricklayers.

While we are on the subject of the Brickies, I undersatnd that this is the latest Newbury pub to close. Along with the Wagon and Horses in the Market Place which is "closed for refurbishment".

Quoted from BrianB

While we are on the subject of the Brickies, I undersatnd that this is the latest Newbury pub to close. Along with the Wagon and Horses in the Market Place which is "closed for refurbishment".

The Chav Tav was closed last night as well.

Quoted from BrianB

While we are on the subject of the Brickies, I understand that this is the latest Newbury pub to close. Along with the Wagon and Horses in the Market Place which is "closed for refurbishment".

Judging by the amount of scaffolding I suspect it is indeed being refurbished (presumably as a pub).

That was the good old days before the council overreached themselves. Sadly those days have gone. We now have a different Newbury.

What a lovely little park!

Maybe once Parkway is finished and the KC becomes just a den for the great unwashed to knife crime each other inside. It could be demolished (with said undesirables locked inside) and returned to its former pretty-ness?

It's nice to see those tubs of saplings growing and flourishing. My feeling is that if that little haven was there now, all those saplings would be snapped off at the base by our boisterous youth.

This is where Laura Ashley is now?


Threep.

That was also in the days before mobile phones. Not a single mast. The BT tower is now just a platform for hordes of phone masts so that we can all walk about with a phone glued to our ear. I'm sure our town planners must have spent a lot of time searching their souls to find the answer to whether they should allow the planning applications to go through.
I think there could just be room up there for a wind turbine which may satisfy the wind generation brigade which would save them planting a tree.

Quoted from MoonPhoenix

What a lovely little park!

Maybe once Parkway is finished and the KC becomes just a den for the great unwashed to knife crime each other inside. It could be demolished (with said undesirables locked inside) and returned to its former pretty-ness?

It is perhaps worth remembering that this was an area devastated by a major fire. The demolition of the charred remains left this open space that was always going to be built over. The Borough Council (I assume) prettified it while those involved went incredibly slow process of getting round to building anything.  Unfortunately they came up with the Kennet Centre and hence demolished a large swathe of historic Newbury - to the delight of some and the despair of others.  The best that can be said of it is that the process was so slow that we did at least miss out on the worst of post war architecture (except in the south east corner above Monty's).

Quoted from Threepwood

This is where Laura Ashley is now?

Yes.

only picture before Kennet Shopping I could find... Before the fire as well although I must admit, I don't remember that.

This is the opposite side of the road but with your back to the two shops to the right of the Regal that would be the view. Those two shops with that roofline remain almost unchanged by the way.

The two shops as they were a couple of years ago, just after Nature's corner moved along a bit.

Everybody knows this shot then. Not sure what was going on at the pub though....

Quoted from blackdog

It is perhaps worth remembering that this was an area devastated by a major fire. The demolition of the charred remains left this open space that was always going to be built over. The Borough Council (I assume) prettified it while those involved went incredibly slow process of getting round to building anything.  Unfortunately they came up with the Kennet Centre and hence demolished a large swathe of historic Newbury - to the delight of some and the despair of others.  The best that can be said of it is that the process was so slow that we did at least miss out on the worst of post war architecture (except in the south east corner above Monty's).

I don't remember this "major fire" Blackdog. Are you able to elaborate?

There were loads of little 'gardens' like this in central London when I was a lot younger.  Apparently the result of some German town planning.

Quoted from BrianB

I don't remember this "major fire" Blackdog. Are you able to elaborate?

From the Famous fires thread:

Quoted from LocalRes

There was a major fire in Newbury in the latter 60's. It encompassed Bartholowew Street from the Bricklayers Arms to the alleyway through to Market Place, and spread right through to Cheap Street by the launderette, which was next to the Catherine Wheel pub, almost opposite the P.O. There were many old cottages and buildings between Bartholomew Street and Cheap Street, behind the shops.
The fire was on a Monday afternoon, and it is thought that people got into an empty ironmongery/builders building to watch the carnival and dropped cigarettes on the floor.

I recall there were at least 8 fire appliances in Bartholomew Street at the time.