Northgate between Lord St and New Market St - 1963

 

Two shots of the same stretch of Northgate, the section between Lord St West / Lord St and New Market St / Blakey Moor. One looking north and the other looking south.

There have been many shops and businesses along here over the decades, over a couple of centuries I suppose, but probably the best remembered from the 20th century and into the 21st, has to be Mercers.

Though best known as an ironmongers, they sold much more besides. A great shop, over two floors, where you could browse for hours.

The name is still carried on, by the toy shop now on Darwen St.

Photos courtesy of John Eddleston

Town Hall Street from Northgate - 1963

This is Town Hall St viewed from the Northgate end. On the left are various shops and Tony's Empress Ballroom. On the right hand side, but not really visible, is the side of the Co-op Emporium. The entrance would be approximately where the people are. It is now of course, the central library.

In the distance at the bottom of the street, can be seen some of the market stalls / units on King William St, where we would now see Hornby's statue by the old Town Hall and perhaps the corner of the British Home Stores.

Photo courtesy of John Eddleston

Astley Gate viewed from Cardwell Place - 1963

This is Astley Gate viewed from Cardwell Place. The street to the left where the light coloured car is, is Corporation St which is still with us. A little further on, beyond the line of cars, is the corner of Northgate and Higher Church St. 

On the right is The Swan Hotel and the premises next door to it (where the William Younger's advertisement is), was for many years I believe a tripe dealers.

If today you stood where the photographer was standing, you wouldn't see any of the above. The ramp up to the Mall car-park would be where the car and building to the left are, that corner beyond the cars is where Debenhams' store and the pedestrian walkway up to the shopping centre is now. The Swan disappeared a few years ago, replaced by a three or four storey glass and brick folly and the tripe shop and adjoining buildings went a few decades ago (early - mid 1970's?).

You would still see cars driving down the street though. Traffic of one sort or another has passed through there for centuries, along the ancient route from Blackburn centre to Preston.

Photo courtesy of John Eddleston.

Blakey Moor & The 'Tech' - 1963

Blakey Moor viewed from Northgate and looking down towards Nab Lane and the Technical School.

The Jubilee pub is just out of view, beyond that second lamp post, where the row of shops angles off to the left.

Doesn't it look clutter free without today's traffic?

Photo courtesy of John Eddleston  

Higher Church St / Astley Gate - 1963

Looking up Higher Church St into Astley Gate from the side of the Old Bank (Lloyds), with the junction of Northgate further up on the right hand side and in the centre distance, a glimpse of Corporation St.

Photo courtesy of John Eddleston 

Higher Church St viewed from Astley Gate - 1963

Higher Church St looking down towards the junctions of King William St, Church St and Darwen St.

Northgate is off to the left and the photographer would have been stood on Astley Gate outside of  The Sun and/or The Swan pubs.

Photo courtesy of John Eddleston

Northgate - 1963

Looking  along Northgate from the entrance of the old Police Station, towards Sudell Cross, Limbrick and the Shear Brow area beyond that. You can see the tower of St James's church above the roof of The Grapes Hotel.

Also note the statue of Hornby still in situ on Limbrick.

Photo courtesy of John Eddleston

Law & Order - Blackburn Police

Four little artefacts from the days when Blackburn had its own police force, before they became a part of Lancashire Constabulary in 1969.

The bottom right photo is a tunic button and the other three images are of cap / helmet badges.

Courtesy of the CP collection (the photos, not the actual items ;-) 

Compare and Contrast. The old and the new. 1963 & 2009

Carrying on from a previous post, looking at the Technical School, here are a few past and present shots, along the lines of the old BN & T concept (which might appease badfinger) of comparing  how an area looked in the past and how it then looked a few decades later, or in some instances, a century later.

Salford. 1963 image courtesy of John Eddleston and the 2009 image courtesy of CP

Northgate. 1963 image courtesy of John Eddleston and the 2009 image courtesy of Roy Tomlinson

A section of Bank Top. 1963 image courtesy of John Eddleston and the 2009 image courtesy of Roy Tomlinson

Town Hall St. 1963 image courtesy of  John Eddleston and the 2009 image courtesy of Charlie

Looking along King William St into Darwen St (1963) and the same view in 2009, with Debenhams dominating the centre of the photo. 1963 image courtesy of John Eddleston and the 2009 shot courtesy of Roy Tomlinson.
   

Property on Weir St. The old image courtesy of Ernie Denton (not 1963 this time, but far earlier) and the 2009 image courtesy of CP

Queens Park. The old postcard dates to c1907 and the lower photo photo is one I took myself in 2009.

Photos as credited below each double image and editing, courtesy of CP

The Co-op Emporium - Northgate - c1935

This quite grainy old photo of the Co-op Emporium (now the public library) is from a 1935 Souvenir Programme issued by Blackburn Council to commemorate the Silver Jubilee celebrations of King George V.

The various departments of the Co-op at that time, included Grocery, Bakery, Butchery, Tailoring, Footwear, Furnishing, General Drapers, Millinery, Painting & Decorating, Undertaking, Coal, Laundry, Milk and an Excursion Bureau.

I'm not sure if the Emporium in Blackburn catered for all those, or if it was the Co-op in general they meant.

I love the old cars parked up on Northgate.  Eliot Ness must have been in the store getting his shopping.

COURTESY OF THE CP COLLECTION

Magistrates / Sessions Courts / Police Station - Northgate c1912?

An old sepia coloured postcard of the magistrates courts, police station etc (Municipal Buildings) on Northgate. I'm assuming this section was built before the King Georges Hall side, as the buildings to the extreme left of the photo look like the older properties (pubs mainly, I think) that were demolished in the second decade of the 20th century. Duke Street is the street running down on the right of the photo.

COURTESY OF THE CP COLLECTION