Regina House and car park, near Nottm Station


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Hi

I've just found out that my farourite car park is going to be demolished. It's the white-painted concrete one attached to Regina House, between the Vat and Fiddle pub and Nottingham Station. It has a fantastic staircase on the outside and interesting door handles inside. I was in there today taking photographs before it goes.

Does anyone know anything about the history of car park itself and Regina house? Who were they originally built for? I assume both were built in the 1960s. In fact the car park seems to be sandwiched between *two* office blocks, as there's another office building near the canal (which you can't really see from Queen's Drive) which adjoins the car park on the other side. It has two large weird concrete structures on top of it, and if you go onto one of the levels of the car park you can see them at close range. I have no idea what these could be.

Anyway, if anyone has any information about the buildings on that site, or just memories of who used them, please do share!

Many thanks,

Jayne

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I must've been past there on a bus many times when those buildings were being put up in the 60s, but I don't actually remember seeing it happen. They've been an eyesore since day one so I don't suppose anyone will miss them.

regina%20house_zpsqma5gq7u.jpg

From the railway side it's easier to see how the buildings all fit together - or not. I'd guess the two concrete blobs you refer to could be lift shafts.

regin%20house2_zps9mw3bgev.jpg

An early occupant of one of the blocks was MFI. And there was a version of the Bier Keller in the block at the top end; it's mentioned quite a bit here http://nottstalgia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11127

And I'm glad you've mentioned the subject because I'll be there taking photos as well.

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Thanks Cliff Ton. Well I'll miss it, even if no-one else will......

I've just found out (thanks Mr Google) that Regina House was also known as Sovereign House, that the building at the back was a factory (making what?) and that there used to be a petrol station in front of the car park.

Also, someone tried to market it as a potential filming location http://www.filmandtvlocations.co.uk/locations/reginahouse?pz=6&p=1&c=2&o=1

Jayne

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  • 2 weeks later...

After reading Greyhoundgirl's post, I had a look around the place. The car park barriers are permanently open and you wouldn't have to pay to get in, but nobody with a brain would park a car there and expect it to still be there later.

I hadn't realised it had spectacular views. Towards the city you get this;

1Vx3kEO.jpg

 

Turn round towards West Bridgford and you get this;

5JsraZO.jpg

 

On 22/07/2016 at 9:48 PM, Greyhoundgirl said:

It has a fantastic staircase on the outside and interesting door handles inside.

I'm not sure I'd count these as interesting, but..

1540RmZ.jpg

 

Across the road the Queens' Hotel is currently for sale.

50h5U6s.jpg

 

Somewhere under all this is the old Bierkeller.

eN7CVbO.jpg

 

On the top floor of one of the car parks are these two relics. Obviously been there for some time, no doubt both have an interesting story to tell. The Merc especially looks in good nick apart from a complete set of flat tyres.

zCkAPS4.jpg

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Interesting follow-up on the hut, I'm convinced it had to be there. I spoke to my mam yesterday, born 1922 and first lived off Carrington St, then moved to Wilford Rd, late twenties to forties. She remembers Queensbridge Rd as a youngster, the house where the Fathers from St Georges lived, the home for the unmarried mothers, Queens Walk School where her younger brother went. Up to the junction, Midland Station, the Bank on the corner, next door the 'bug-hole' pictures where they went, Queens Pub opposite. On the other corner there was....nothing! She said she remembers going down a path from there to a small field where dray horses were kept, other side of a fence was the railway goods yard. I showed her the picture of the hut. Can't remember anything like that. Her memories pretty good. Hmmm..

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi

 

Apologies to those who've replied to my post - I have only just looked at this thread again today and didn't realise it had been active.

 

Great photos Cliff Ton - I agree that the views from the top are very unexpected. I was there again myself today (I'm afraid I *do* park in the car park and luckily I've never had any trouble). That Merc was there, and it was there when I took photos at the beginning on August. It must have been abandoned. How strange - you'd think the security firm that runs the place would get it removed? For the first time today, I managed to get right round the back (a security gate had been left open) and got some close-up photos of the former factory, including the entrance. Unfortunately, a passing police officer spotted me but when I explained what I was doing he was fine about it. 

 

I found the original planning applications and building plans from 1967 at Nottinghamshire Archives. The floor plans and elevations are fascinating and show the building complex in great detail. The original building was to have offices, warehousing, a public house (with a flat for the manager), a car show room, petrol station and multi storey car park. The plans also indicate that there was an office equipment showroom (I think above the car show room).

 

In 1968 an application was made to turn the warehouse part at the back into a factory, which was subsequently used by the Burnham Manufacturing Co. who made nightwear for Marks & Spencer. I found an old news cutting at the local studies library from 1974 which stated that Burnhams were producing up to 2000 garments a day and that they used a monorail system to transport the goods through the factory. It closed in 1992. And yes the two large concrete blocks that puzzled me so much housed lifts.

 

The circular structure on top of the car park (near the abandoned Merc) is an emergency exit containing a spiral staircase.

 

So the pub at the front was a kind of Bier Keller? It seems so odd to have a pub in that building!

 

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find out who - if anyone - used the car show room, despite looking in some old telephone directories from the early 1970s. 

 

Cheers,

 

Jayne

 

 

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Greyhoundgirl (Jayne),  you may have already found another thread on Nottstalgia about a topic in almost the same location as Regina House. It includes information about the site before Regina House was built. (i.e. it was a timber yard)

 

https://nottstalgia.com/forums/topic/15746-location-ymca-hut-railway-station/#comment-489518

 

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  • 11 months later...
  • 3 years later...

By the end of the year the new building put up to replace the demolished one opposite the Midland Station will be occupied by  4000 staff working for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.  
Anyone else think it’s amusing that the VAT and FIDDLE pub is right next door? 
C12-D7-D9-A-3-F2-F-4765-95-A5-4-ED0-E5-D

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Looking at Radford Reds pic, I'm sure this was the site of the Mardi Gras nightclub. Entrance where it says Regina House in Red?

Anybody recall a club called the Tardis? This may have been a theme night at the Mardi or somewhere around Trent Bridge, didn't last long, about '87.

 

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9 minutes ago, HSR said:

Looking at Radford Reds pic, I'm sure this was the site of the Mardi Gras nightclub. Entrance where it says Regina House in Red?

 

That location was the site of the Bier Keller which closed in the 80s, and then became the Mardi Gras after.

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There was something like that Phil., I remember a couple of items of flatpack furniture there. Had to unpack it to get it into my car.

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Bought quite a bit of flat pack stuff from MFI near Midland Station .

Some of it was bare chipboard that you then had to paint but was all we could afford at the time .

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