My Lancashire - My accounts of the local area

Preston-Then and Now. 1813-1893. The Changes of Half a Century. No. V. Jackson's Farm, Avenham, Preston, circa 1860 PRESTON-THEN AND NOW: 1813-1893. THE CHANGES OF HALF A CENTURY. No. V. The change in Avenham Park is perhaps greater than in any other part of the town, because the conformation of the ground has been greatly altered. At one time this favourite resort of the people was called "Avenham Fields." A narrow lane, between thorn hedges, ran down from the end of the Colonnade to the lower portion of the ground. In reference to the colonnade it may be here stated that though it was never a true Colonnade, the front of the upper storeys of the houses was supported on pillars until about twenty-five or thirty years ago, when the lower storeys were brought forward and the pillars, of course, dispensed with. On the left of the lane was "Jackson's Garden," in the midst of which stood Jackson's Cottage, and on the right a cottage stood close to the two as...

Preston-Then and Now. 1813-1893. The Changes of Half a Century. No. IV.  PRESTON-THEN AND NOW: 1813-1893. THE CHANGES OF HALF A CENTURY. No. IV On the right of Deepdale-road, opposite the Enclosure, stands the finest line of private residences in Preston. It was built about 1846 by Mr. George Mould, contractor, who had then in hand the construction of the Preston and Long-ridge railway tunnel under the west side of the town, from the then Deepdale terminus to Maudland, for the Fleetwood, Preston, and West Riding Railway Company, who had bought the line. At the inauguration of this extension of the undertaking, the late Mr. T. B. Addison, Recorder of the Borough, and Chairman of Quarter Sessions, took part, and, having been induced to don a navvy's smock look frock for the occasion, he cut his one sod and trundled it in a barrow about twenty yards, "amid the cheers of the spectators." Mr. Addison was chairman of the directors of this previously unprosperous railway, whi...

Preston-Then and Now. 1813-1893. The Changes of Half a Century. No. III.  Preston Town Hall, Market Square, Preston PRESTON-THEN AND NOW: 1813-1893. THE CHANGES OF HALF A CENTURY. No. III A change that would be one of the greatest surprises to a long-absent Prestonian is our beautiful Town Hall, occupying the place of its dingy brick predecessor. About two years before the Guild celebration of 1862 there was a good deal of dissensions in the Town Council as to the site and plan of the new structure. The late Mr. J. J. Myres (afterwards, alderman, and twice Mayor, 1868-78), proposed that a resolution passed at a previous meeting of the Council, to build it on the ancient site be rescinded, and that the new Town Hall be erected between the Old Shambles and Lancaster-road, a plan involving the demolition of all the houses, and shops in Church-street standing between those thoroughfares. Councillor Myres showed that if his plan were adopted the building could be set back considerabl...

Preston-Then and Now. 1813-1893. The Changes of Half a Century. No. II.  Fishergate in Preston circa 1903 ~ PRESTON-THEN AND NOW: 1813-1893. THE CHANGES OF HALF A CENTURY. No. II In reference to the Victoria and Queen's Buildings we omitted to say that the site of the latter, on the south side of Fishergate, was formerly fenced off from the street with rough railings, but was afterwards taken up by some wooden buildings, one of which was occupied as an agricultural implement warehouse by Mr. Standing, and the other by Mr. Miller, painter and plumber, until the railway company required the ground., Proceeding, we come next to the handsome stone edifice, the Baptist chapel, erected at a cost of nearly £7,000, at the corner of Charnley-street, from the design of Mr. James Hibbert, architect, of this town, and opened in 1858. It has two beautiful rose windows, the principal one being in the front elevation of the building, which is a conspicuous ornament of this part of the town. Nearl...

Preston-Then and Now. 1813-1893. The Changes of Half a Century. No. I.  Central Railway Station, Preston 1880. An Illustration by C.E. Shaw. ~ PRESTON-THEN AND NOW:  1813-1893. THE CHANGES OF HALF A CENTURY. No. I Probably no town in England has undergone greater mutations in its general aspects than "Proud Preston" during the past fifty years; and it has occurred to us that some notice of the changes that have taken place within that period would be acceptable to the general public, and interesting to the younger generation of Prestonians. Our aged townspeople may thus be reminded of scenes and events long since forgotten, but now with our help remembered with varied feelings; and our younger fellow citizens may form a good idea of what the old town was like in the days of their grandfathers, and even in the youth of their parents. As most of our statements are made from memory, it is possible that in some cases we may be at fault, but we think in few instances only. Suppose...

Preston's Wartime History Tying up some loose ends Threads... A stone bobbin was erected in Preston during 2008, at the junction of Avenham Road and Avenham Lane, as part of a commemorative memorial to the Stephen Simpson Gold Thread Works of Preston. I was out and about in early 2024 and took some pictures of it, as I have done on a number of occasions in the past. It's a fantastic sculpture, and it's a pity that it is tucked away where not a lot of people see it. However, it's placement is significant. The Simpson’s Gold thread Works, once on Avenham Road, was of major importance to the history and heritage of the City of Preston. The company produced gold thread and embroidery for military and commercial uniforms. Apparently, work included thread that decorated the uniforms of the Titanic staff. During the war the firm undertook a top secret commission to produce German military badges and insignia for use by English spies operating in Germany. This information had ...