Memories of Victoria station

[barclaycon 569]

Great pictures.

Nice, as you say, to see things from that era in colour.

Even at the end of it's life (and in a state of decay), Victoria Station and surroundings were impressive.

When it was first built it must have been something quite incredible.

[terence12 725]

lovely picture of cripps, can you tell me the name of the side rd, where it was on parliament st.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Newcastle Street.

Went up to Charlotte Street before Victoria Station was built.

[terence12 725]

thank you bubblewrap, this summer am going to try and follow the route of these old streets, as best i can, to see where they were, probably and idiotic exercise but will try it.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Newcastle Street & Clare Street both joined with Charlotte Street but became Cul-de-sacs when the station was built.

A third street that went in the same direction off Parliament Street was Mount East Street.

One of the best bits for old streets is the Malin Hill ,Short Stairs,Cliff Road & Hollowstone area.(off High Pavement)

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

this summer am going to try and follow the route of these old streets, as best i can, to see where they were, probably and idiotic exercise but will try it.

If you do that, you might also like to look at this map I posted last year showing the streets which disappeared under Victoria. http://nottstalgia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15047

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Being a pedant nothing disappeared under Victoria Station it was taken out so the station could be built.

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

...in fact, you could say that a lot of Victoria Station was built under the streets (even though they were no longer there).

[barclaycon 569]

Looking at the old maps of what was Charlotte Street and Milton Street etc. the sheer number of public houses that were there.

There was a pub every 50 yards or so.

Picturethepast shows them as bustling Victorian cobbled streets.

I think I'm right in saying that half the cost of Victoria station was for the land and buildings that needed to be cleared to make way for the development.

[terence12 725]

cliff ton, #88, thank you have saved the map, will use it as a reference, thanks again

[loppylugs 8,427]

Just thinking what a tremendous construction job the station must have been without the benefit of modern machinery. Wonder how long it took and how many construction workers were needed?

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Just thinking what a tremendous construction job the station must have been without the benefit of modern machinery. Wonder how long it took and how many construction workers were needed?

They did have the benefit of 'Steam Navvys' (i.e. excavators) plus steam cranes and other steam-powered machinery.

According to some of the usual books excavation of the station site itself began in early 1897 and the station was open for traffic in May 1900.

[loppylugs 8,427]

That was pretty good going, M I. It would probably take that long even today with all the beaurocracy and 'elf and safety

[StephenFord 866]

Well, it would be thrown out by the "planners" these days. "We can't have an important cathedral of the new religion (shopping) pulled down just to accommodate a "train station" (as they call them these days). "What would we want a station for in the middle of town? Can't they put it on a brown field site somewhere - say, Toton sidings?"

[benjamin1945 16,139]

Yes Stephen,......train station' always bugs me as well................

[Mark_A 14]

Off-topic by about 60 miles: a BFI-hosted film of the Banbury-Woodford Halse section of the GCR - various sequences taken close to the time the route closed, including some from the Bournemouth-York.

And now I'm wondering how long it would have been before that Bournemouth-York express would have been sitting beneath the roof of Nottingham Victoria (and whether he filmed that too ...).

http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-rails-into-ghost-town-1966/

Mark

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

The photo is taken from within the station, but the street scene in the background is interesting. It's Parliament Street, near Boots.  Comparing it with a present-day shot......on the far right is the front of the Old Dog & Partridge, still in the same building; the church spire on the left is surrounded by scaffolding; the Cripps sign was on Newcastle Street down the side of their showroom on Parliament Street.

[Guest]

Nice then/now Cliff. Did Argos take over from Cripps?

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

Yes, Cripps is now the Argos building.

I've posted this before, but here's another reminder.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

The railway photo at #97 must likely date from 1948 or 1949 as it shows the tank engine with its British Railways number but still with LMS on the tank side.

[firbeck 859]

On 22/05/2016 at 7:20 PM, Mark_A said:

Off-topic by about 60 miles: a BFI-hosted film of the Banbury-Woodford Halse section of the GCR - various sequences taken close to the time the route closed, including some from the Bournemouth-York.

And now I'm wondering how long it would have been before that Bournemouth-York express would have been sitting beneath the roof of Nottingham Victoria (and whether he filmed that too ...).

http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-rails-into-ghost-town-1966/

Mark

I regularly travel up to the West Midlands by Chiltern Rail from Marylebone, now the centre of travel to Birmingham Snow Hill and Moor Street rather than Paddington.  Ex GCR Marylebone is probably the nicest of London termini, very small and laid back. Chiltern Rail trains are really smart compared to the crap we have to endure in East Anglia. 

I was amazed at my first journey up there to note that Banbury still had lower quadrant semiphores and GWR signal boxes. On my last journey 3 weeks ago, these had all gone, replaced by colour light signals.

Interestingly, I travelled from Kidderminster to Hereford, at Droitwich onwards everything was GWR, signal boxes and lower quadrant signals. Hereford station is fantastic, like something out of the 60's, the buildings are beautifully preserved and looked after.

A bit of a rambling reply, but bit's of the GCR exist and I use it.

[StephenFord 866]

Referring to Mark_A's question of 22 May (which I obviously missed!) in 1962 the Bournemouth - York was scheduled to leave Banbury at 2.58 and arrive in Nottingham Vic at 4.36 (pm - in the days before the railway had been invaded by the 24 hour clock!)

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

On 07/04/2016 at 0:35 PM, Merthyr Imp said:

They did have the benefit of 'Steam Navvys' (i.e. excavators) plus steam cranes and other steam-powered machinery.

According to some of the usual books excavation of the station site itself began in early 1897 and the station was open for traffic in May 1900.

Steam Navvies like this

[Mark_A 14]

On 25/09/2016 at 10:51 PM, StephenFord said:

Referring to Mark_A's question of 22 May (which I obviously missed!) in 1962 the Bournemouth - York was scheduled to leave Banbury at 2.58 and arrive in Nottingham Vic at 4.36 (pm - in the days before the railway had been invaded by the 24 hour clock!)

 

Thanks for that.

19/10/16. Many more trains, and a connection leaves Banbury at 2.57pm.

A change at Birmingham puts you down in Nottingham, but at the Midland station ... and at 5.31pm.

So, hats off to the old G.C. and its direct train that dropped you in the city centre an hour earlier.

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

A view from an angle I hadn't seen before.