Old Preston Pics

[yoga]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stoneroberts/71483317/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/stoneroberts/71483317/


Is the long roofed building on the left of the picture the old bus station???

[thonker3]

Its the covered market which still exists.

[yoga]

Its the covered market which still exists.

Were,roughly,in the abve picture was the old bus station situated???

[thonker3]

If you look in the highlighted square on the right where it says the Guild Hall is you will see bus roofs.The bus station was very `higgledy piggledy` so it would be difficult to spot the roof on a photo that size.

Its the area to the right of the top of the tower on the council building to the left of the library/museum.

[preston_guy]

Hey everyone,
I am trying to find pictures of the Corn Exchange and Corporation Street before Ringway destroyed our fine town. I'm also interested to see the street that connected Lune Street to Friargate? Also, if any of the... how can I put this... more "mature" members of the forum could tell me what the public's feelings about the Ringway extension in the 80s were and how it ever got approved. And what Preston used to be like. Any help would be appreciated!

[preston_guy]

Thank you for that, spudpie. I'm forever ranting on about Ringway but it has damaged Preston to the point of almost no return. I want to see a 10-20 year masterplan to rip up the Ringway, build a proper one and repair the damage this one has done. Obviously many parts are lost forever but there's an area from Marsh Lane to Fishergate and the railway tracks to Friargate that is a huge void ripe for development. And it makes sense to me to build the new bus station off Corporation Street! More than optimistic, I know. Have you anymore information about this 'corruption'? Who was supposedly corrupting who and why? I will try get to the Harris to have a look at the Preston Other Paper soon. Thanks again.

[yoga]

Cant say i,ve ever thought of the rongway as a problem
Could you state the reasons for describing it as such???

[preston_guy]

Well this is just a quick job at what may have been:
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/2826/ringway1ya0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
All those side streets that are often what make cities today could have been really neat not to mention retaining some architectural heritage. Also, the dissection of Friargate is a crime in itself. The Green is my idea for where the Ringway should go, the blue is pedestrianisation and the yellow is repaired street patterns!
You cannot deny the poverty that surrounds Ringway like a dirty crust, as well as wasting a HUGE amount of land:
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/5539/ringway2te7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Obviously somewhat different but here's an example from Chester, where the Ring Road was built around the centre rather than through it.
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/4422/chesterea6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[outreacher]

Were,roughly,in the abve picture was the old bus station situated???

It was commonly know as the Ribble bus station, it was situated just behind where the Guild hall is now, there was an alley way connecting the station to Lancaster Rd, it's all changed now as you know. Across the road from the bus station was the infamous Wagon and Horses and to the right just before you hit Church St was the Jazz Bar, both pubs were frequented by the local brasses a bit of a red light district. I might add the main red light district was near the docks, Water Lane and Fylde Rd. If I remember rightly, North Rd used to run right through were the new bus station is now and along to Chuch St, the old bus station was on North Rd, but I could be wrong, I have a feeling that the last couple of hundred yards of North Rd became Tithbarn St, joining Church St at the side of the Old Empire Cinema.

The "Corporation" buses used to stop on Church St, Lancaster Rd etc, the main terminus and starting point for all local buses surrounded the Miller Arcade and adjacent streets. When the new bus station was built all buses both local and National moved there, the old Ribble station was demolished.

Also at the bottom of the covered market (near to Orchard St) there was the Scout Bus Station, Fishwick used to go from there along with private coach firms.

Getting nostalgic now - those were the days, used to hang around the old Ribble bus station, trying to pick up girls after visiting Casey's Boxing Club in the town centre or Saul St Baths.