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In pictures: Preston as it was in 1985

Posted on - 21st October, 2014 - 12:00pm | Author - | Posted in - Avenham, Friargate, History, Nostalgia, Photos, Plungington, Preston City Centre, University campus
Church Street in 1985

Church Street in 1985

A snapshot of Preston nearly 30 years ago has been revealed with new pictures.

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The Preston Digital Archive, which has thousands of pictures of the city, has a more modern set of pictures showing the recent changes.

Or in some cases, where things haven’t changed that much.

Ian Thacker passed the pictures to Heather Crook, who runs the local history magazine The Preston Magazine.

Just around the corner from the store on the left is Pole Street, and at number 1 is the house in which a young lady called Edith Rayner was born and lived there for many years. In later life she married a doctor whose name was Charles Rigby and it was from that time that Edith became one of the renowned suffragettes. Charles and Edith Rigby lived all their married life at number 28 Winckley Square.

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It shows a rather forlorn looking Plungington Road during the mid-1980s with boarded up shops.

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Fishergate remains remarkably similar with the St George’s Shopping Centre clearly visible.

Another feature which remains to this day is the way in which the buildings, going down the left side of Fishergate from Boots The Chemist, protrude outwards somewhat. It was at that point that there used to be an old yard entrance known as Woodcock’s Court.

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Woodcock's Court off Fishergate

Woodcock’s Court off Fishergate looking outward towards Fishergate c.1910

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Elevated view looking over Fishergate (the former District bank to the upper left and on the right, Winckley Street extending southward.

There are also pictures of the demolitions which took place in the Greenbank/Fylde Road area in what became a lot of the University of Central Lancashire buildings.

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View of Hawkins Street from Brook Street

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There are pictures of the Harris buildings at what is now the University of Central Lancashire, featuring students reading and a cricket match being played on an overcast day.

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The Harris Museum also makes an appearance

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What are your memories of Preston in the mid 1980s? Do you have any pictures? If so, add them to the Preston Digital Archive or email contactus@blogpreston.co.uk

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