Time to Demolish shops?

[wizzard]

Did they actually remove the public convenience, or did they just fill it in?

 

[Jonah]

Its still there as far as I know. They just filled it in and paved over it.

 

[ddub1984]

Maybe it will be featured on Time Team in 50 years time... lol

 

[Withnail]

if that (Mcdonalds) were to go you would have a lovely open space around St Mary's and the ancient high house.

I was going to post the very same idea, in a fantasy demolishment stylee, earlier. What a fabulous space that would make. You'd have to tidy up the backs of the other shops leading up to Market Sq to make it work as they're well tatty behind.

Unfortunately this won't happen of course, but it's a nice idea.

 

[darben]

The back of those shops really annoys me too, It astounds me that such a historically insteresting & potentially beautiful area has been permitted to be fringed and marred with such eyesores. Sometimes I find stafford a bit odd for such things, there are some really attractive areas in town but the town planning seems to engineer it so footfall is steered away from.

Another area that could be improved by demolishion is the old tesco's, how progressive and attractive would it be if the old riverside land and the old tescos were to make way for a park, even go one better rebuild the brine baths with a progressive designed building. I know the area is already earmarked for other developments, but ot would suite the geographical flow of the town.

 

[John Marwood]

Yeah down the steps on the right of the photo... oh, you didn't mean that did you

And just out of shot on the left is a man with his ear nailed to that tree

 

[Withnail]

how progressive and attractive would it be if the old riverside land and the old tescos were to make way for a park

Shurely you mean car park - it's the only kind of park that goes well round 'ere...

... rebuild the brine baths with a progressive designed building.

I have it on questionable authority, and being a bit before my time some of the Elders may be able to confirm/deny, that the current Civic Centre on the site actually won an architectural prize of some sort for its progressive, yet historically sensitive design.

I do know that Pevsner wasn't a fan of the old building, for what it's worth - i very much doubt he'd have been a bigger fan of the new.

 

[ddub1984]

I actually dont think it (the Civic centre) is such a bad design, it needs the window frames replacing/painting but that is just simple maintenence, once that is done I think it is actually quite attractive in a modernist sort of way. Once the walkway is improved (which is having funding approved as we speak) & the river is made more of a focal point it could be really nice, IMO, & certainly doesnt warrant ripping down & replacing.

 

[John Marwood]

I actually dont think it (the Civic centre) is such a bad design, it needs the window frames replacing/painting but that is just simple maintenence, once that is done I think it is actually quite attractive in a modernist sort of way. Once the walkway is improved (which is having funding approved as we speak) & the river is made more of a focal point it could be really nice, IMO, & certainly doesnt warrant ripping down & replacing.

I beg to differ

The depressing dark brickwork soaks up all light from the surround like a thirsty grim sponge

Its new public neighbour reflects lights ,is light, and lightens its own ' block'

 

[John Marwood]

Amen corner

 

[Withnail]

I have to agree - the Civic Centre is a truly, madly, deeply, awful building.

I'm struggling to think of a single redeeming feature. I think if Pevsner had even an inkling of what would replace it he would have lied about his feelings for what went before, simply to save us all from what came after.

 

[John Marwood]

Hey, Presto!

 

[Gramaisc]

The back of those shops really annoys me too, It astounds me that such a historically interesting & potentially beautiful area has been permitted to be fringed and marred with such eyesores.

One of those shops still has one of the 'Lonely?' graffiti things that we reported on a couple of years ago. It may be the only one left.

 

[John Marwood]

Wot No Beer?

 

[Gramaisc]

Wot No Beer?

Slim Dusty?

 

[Withnail]

Hey, Presto!

There was a competition in the Newsletter when Presto opened for a *thinks* 10 minute trolley dash that my Mum, in her competition entry phase, won.

When it came to receiving the prize, it was revealed that it wouldn't be at the Stafford store, but one in (i think) West Bromwich,or there abouts, obviously with the intention of deterring the winner from actually taking up the vaunted prize.

As it happened, my mother worked in West Bromwich at the time - so she delivered my brother to the store and he dashed round with the kind of nous that one has come to expect of him now, but in retrospect was rather precocious.

My parents were still drinking Nescafe (those powdered, barrell drum affairs) for at least two years after, and he picked up some lobster tail from the freezer and a Soda Stream Machine in the process.

It'd take him more than ten minutes to get past the fruit 'n' veg now, but he was a trolley dash legend in his day.

 

[Gramaisc]

Hey, Presto!

There was a competition in the Newsletter when Presto opened for a *thinks* 10 minute trolley dash that my Mum, in her competition entry phase, won.

When it came to receiving the prize, it was revealed that it wouldn't be at the Stafford store, but one in (i think) West Bromwich,or there abouts, obviously with the intention of deterring the winner from actually taking up the vaunted prize.

As it happened, my mother worked in West Bromwich at the time - so she delivered my brother to the store and he dashed round with the kind of nous that one has come to expect of him now, but in retrospect was rather precocious.

My parents were still drinking Nescafe (those powdered, barrell drum affairs) for at least two years after, and he picked up some lobster tail from the freezer and a Soda Stream Machine in the process.

It'd take him more than ten minutes to get past the fruit 'n' veg now, but he was a trolley dash legend in his day.

Get him on here and I'll skill him.

 

[Withnail]

One of those shops still has one of the 'Lonely?' graffiti things that we reported on a couple of years ago. It may be the only one left.

Back of one of the telephone boxes of the sadly neglected Co-op to P&A Collonade still supports one also.

 

[Gramaisc]

One of those shops still has one of the 'Lonely?' graffiti things that we reported on a couple of years ago. It may be the only one left.

Back of one of the telephone boxes of the sadly neglected Co-op to P&A Collonade still supports one also.

Any more?

 

[Withnail]

Not that i know of - though cognoscenti will know that the smudged smudginess down the Baker's Oven alleyway once were they.

They are still most obviously smudgy.