Northern Avenue Shopping Centre Arbourthorne

[Guest suzy]

Didn't bother photographing the housing on Brimmesfield Close today as camera was saying "memory almost full" and I didn't have a spare card with me.

However, I took this one from Brimmesfield Road just to make the point about the housing styles.

To the right of the lamp post is typical 1930's Arbourthorne council housing

To the left of it is the Brimmesfield Close style of housing.

Thanks Dave - see what you mean now. Strange as to why that would be the case - they look like chalk and cheese.

Hows life at Northern Avenue Shopping Centre now the lights have been dismantled? Will they be replaced with Easter Bunnies of some description he he

[Guest wayneybabes]

Didn't bother photographing the housing on Brimmesfield Close today as camera was saying "memory almost full" and I didn't have a spare card with me.

However, I took this one from Brimmesfield Road just to make the point about the housing styles.

To the right of the lamp post is typical 1930's Arbourthorne council housing

To the left of it is the Brimmesfield Close style of housing.

Those are also flats Dave, im sure that is where my nan / suzy's mum lived as the flat she was in was on brimmersfield road itself.

notice how the doorway to one of them is bricked up?

this must mean they were houses at some point.

IIRC, the flats are split into four with nans flat being the one on the right, both upstairs windows

[DaveH]

Those are also flats Dave, im sure that is where my nan / suzy's mum lived as the flat she was in was on brimmersfield road itself.

notice how the doorway to one of them is bricked up?

this must mean they were houses at some point.

IIRC, the flats are split into four with nans flat being the one on the right, both upstairs windows

The houses look a lot smaller than the traditional Arbourthorne council houses at the side of them so to divide one up into flats, - the flats must be very small.

Were they a bit like one bedroom bedsit type flats?

Or are they laid out in such a way that they are more spacious than they appear?

[Guest wayneybabes]

The houses look a lot smaller than the traditional Arbourthorne council houses at the side of them so to divide one up into flats, - the flats must be very small.

Were they a bit like one bedroom bedsit type flats?

Or are they laid out in such a way that they are more spacious than they appear?

IIRC, they are like bedsits, the kitchen overlooks the back of the building, not sure about the other rooms. one must be bathroom and other a living room

only went in once before she moved in properly so memory is sketchy

[DaveH]

IIRC, they are like bedsits, the kitchen overlooks the back of the building, not sure about the other rooms. one must be bathroom and other a living room

only went in once before she moved in properly so memory is sketchy

Until I noticed them a few weeks ago I had never thought in 50 years of living on the Arbourthorne to question why these houses were so different to the others.

[Guest suzy]

Anything new happening at Northern Avenue Shopping Centre? :rolleyes:

[Stuart0742]

Anything new happening at Northern Avenue Shopping Centre?

We need to send "Our man in Havanna Arbourthorne" round to have a look, are the Christmas trees still there

[DaveH]

Anything new happening at Northern Avenue Shopping Centre?

Not exactly but, -

Last time I went to the doctors at Northern Avenue Surgery for my repeat prescription on the wall they had plans and an artists impression of the "New Northern Avenue Surgery"

It looked very large and modern and not fitting with other buildings in the centre and with insufficient space to build it.

A receptionist told me the new proposed building for "Northern Avenue Medical Centre" wasn't going to be on Northern Avenue but on East Bank and Errington Roads

Now it just so happens that since last November I have periodically being watching a team of demolition men systematically demolish the old Finnegan's prefabs (got that from plaintalker, - they are Finnegans and not Vic Hallams) and the 3 storey maisonettes in the same area.

Having lived through the 1962 gale (so another thread near here) and the demolition of the original asbestos prefabs on this site I have a fascination going back almost 50 years with demolishing buildings on the Arbourthorne.

This demolition work is nowhere near finished and so far I have taken around 100 photographs (admittedly many of them are very similar, - seen one smashed up prefab and you've seen them all)

I am saving these pictures up for eventually a new topic on here called something like "The end of the prefabs and maisonettes"

Then if they start building a new futuristic looking health centre on the same cleared land I will do something on that as well.

[Guest suzy]

A receptionist told me the new proposed building for "Northern Avenue Medical Centre" wasn't going to be on Northern Avenue but on East Bank and Errington Roads

Northern Avenue Medical Centre not on Northern Avenue - has someone lost their marbles They surely need to see a Doctor!

Yes, I remember the prefab debate on the other thread and its great that you have taken the time and trouble to take the photos - look forward to seeing your submission when ready

Ex-Arbourthornians like me welcome your fascination with the area - keep up the good work :)

[DaveH]

Northern Avenue Medical Centre not on Northern Avenue - has someone lost their marbles They surely need to see a Doctor!

Yes, I remember the prefab debate on the other thread and its great that you have taken the time and trouble to take the photos - look forward to seeing your submission when ready

Ex-Arbourthornians like me welcome your fascination with the area - keep up the good work

One of my wishes is that I had actually got some pictures of the original 1946 - 1966 asbestos prefabs and pictures of their destruction by the gale (1962) and final manual demolition (1966).

Although I witnessed these events first hand unfortunately I was too young at the time to own or use a camera.

more's the pity, - a sad loss.

[Guest suzy]

One of my wishes is that I had actually got some pictures of the original 1946 - 1966 asbestos prefabs and pictures of their destruction by the gale (1962) and final manual demolition (1966).

Although I witnessed these events first hand unfortunately I was too young at the time to own or use a camera.

more's the pity, - a sad loss.

Are there any pictures of the asbestos prefabs available anywhere else do you know?

[DaveH]

Are there any pictures of the asbestos prefabs available anywhere else do you know?

Well I have posted some.

The picture of me in my Whitsuntide best clobber and some that I put in the 1962 gale topic for example.

But these show the prefabs before their damage and destruction.

I have no pictures of actual gale damage or later dismantling.

I know a few pictures appeared in The Star at the time.

[DaveH]

Back to the shops.

There is no local butchers on the Arbourthorne, - only the Co-Op but for many years a butchers van has been coming regularly and selling meat in the Arbourthorne Hotel car park.

Until quite recently when he was stopped from selling.

Butchers Van

[Guest suzy]

Back to the shops.

There is no local butchers on the Arbourthorne, - only the Co-Op but for many years a butchers van has been coming regularly and selling meat in the Arbourthorne Hotel car park.

Until quite recently when he was stopped from selling.

Butchers Van

Oh dear. I do know a little on the subject and for one you do have to display sell-by dates and have proof of traceability in terms of meat selling. There are quite strict rules governing the granting of a street traders licence, particulary in terms of selling food. Did your mum ever buy any of his stuff?

[DaveH]

Oh dear. I do know a little on the subject and for one you do have to display sell-by dates and have proof of traceability in terms of meat selling. There are quite strict rules governing the granting of a street traders licence, particulary in terms of selling food. Did your mum ever buy any of his stuff?

I don't think so because before she retired she worked for the Co-Op, - interestingly, although she got moved around several local branches the main one she worked at was Northern Avenue.

At the time the Northern Avenue Co-Op had its own butchers in the shop next door and she got most of our meat from there, - staff discount, extra dividend or double stamps, - something like that.

When the butchers shop went they still sold meat in the Co-Op anyway.

In the 1960's the Co-Op butchers shop was a REAL butchers shop, - they still had sawdust on the floor and a well worn wooden bench for chopping meat on.

[DaveH]

Been over to my mums and on the way back called in at Martin's the Newsagents (also the Post Office) to get the Sunday papers.

Met the delivery boy who was doing the same paper round from the same shop (except it used to be Taylors) that I used to do 40 years ago.

At the time I did Sunday papers, Morning papers and The Star in the evenings and I was paid 1 guinea (21 shillings) which became £1.05 on decimalisation.

I could increase this to 25 shillings (£1.25) by doing The Green 'Un on Saturday evening as well.

Hope they pay the current lad a bit more than me and that pay has gone up in line with inflation!

[Guest suzy]

I don't think so because before she retired she worked for the Co-Op, - interestingly, although she got moved around several local branches the main one she worked at was Northern Avenue.

At the time the Northern Avenue Co-Op had its own butchers in the shop next door and she got most of our meat from there, - staff discount, extra dividend or double stamps, - something like that.

When the butchers shop went they still sold meat in the Co-Op anyway.

In the 1960's the Co-Op butchers shop was a REAL butchers shop, - they still had sawdust on the floor and a well worn wooden bench for chopping meat on.

Oh gosh - I remember the butchers being in the shop next door now you come to mention it. Why did they get rid of it?

[DaveH]

Oh gosh - I remember the butchers being in the shop next door now you come to mention it. Why did they get rid of it?

They didn't actually get rid of it, - I think they just extended the existing supermarket part of the Co-Op into it by removing a partition wall.

It was after all two parts of the same company business.

[DaveH]

Probably due to high levels of crime and vandalism this private garage which is "round the back" of the NW quadrant was abandoned a long time ago.

After a long hard winter and continuing high levels of vandalism that garage is now looking even worse

It probably needs demolishing.

Probably the demolition teams working on the Maisonettes and Finnegans prefabs just acroos on the Erringtons could help out.

[DaveH]

After a long hard winter and continuing high levels of vandalism that garage is now looking even worse

It probably needs demolishing.

Probably the demolition teams working on the Maisonettes and Finnegans prefabs just acroos on the Erringtons could help out.

Smashed up garage THEN & NOW

[Guest suzy]

Smashed up garage THEN & NOW

Oh dear - looks as though it needs a sledgehammer to finish it off and put it out of its misery :o

[DaveH]

Oh dear - looks as though it needs a sledgehammer to finish it off and put it out of its misery

Local kids will vandalise it even more no doubt.

Danger is, if in vandalising it the whole lot collapses and kills or injures one of the little thugs I bet the garage owner would be legally liable.

[Guest suzy]

Local kids will vandalise it even more no doubt.

Danger is, if in vandalising it the whole lot collapses and kills or injures one of the little thugs I bet the garage owner would be legally liable.

Yep - bet you are right with that one. I am hoping to make my yearly visit to Sheffield next month, so I shall be interested to see if it is still standing. B)

[DaveH]

Yep - bet you are right with that one. I am hoping to make my yearly visit to Sheffield next month, so I shall be interested to see if it is still standing.

OK, so when you make your yearly visit bring your camera and video camera.

Pretend to be very wealthy and interested in buying property.

You could get yourself inside The Elm Tree, The Park & Arbourthorne, Norfolk school and a whole load of other places to take pictures and make films. lol

[DaveH]

Smashed up garage THEN & NOW

The demise of the garage continues