Memory Lane Southend Town Centre

[The Big Dady]

Another pic from Victoria Circus looking down Victoria Avenue in 1960.



Southend High Street in the 1970's with Keddies on the left, what happened to those centre pavilions/shops?



Some skinheads on Southend High Street in 1979, on a day trip from London’s East End on their way down to the seafront.

 

[The Big Dady]

Southend High Street at Christmas Decorations



Southend High Street with Christmas Decorations, The scene includes the former Lipton Stores site, and the mainline railway line in the background



Southend High Street in December 1977. Shops include Lilley and Skinner Shoes



Southend High Street in 1969. Shops include Smarts furniture and Dewhurst butchers



Southend town centre in 1905



A salt water main being laid Southend High Street 1937



Southend High Street in January 1976, including Caters Supermarket



Taken from the Palace Hotel on Pier Hill looking towards The Royal Hotel and Southend High Street. The Royal Hotel is a Grade II listed building was built in 1791. It became a music and entertainment venue in the Nineties. Note Queen Victoria statue in the foreground which has since been moved to Clifftown Parade and still looks out to the Thames estuary.



Another pic looking up Pier Hill towards the Hill Street and the "Manns" parade of shops that was completely knocked down to build the Royals Shopping Centre

 

[The Big Dady]

Bottom of Pier Hill looking along Southend Seafront towards the Kursaal in 1932



Southend High Street LMS rail station approach (Southend Central Station Cliftown Road) 1933



Southend High Street LMS railway bridge looking North 1933



Southchurch Road looking east with Sutton Street on the left (No longer there made way for the Ring Road and the blocks of flats). Note Co-Operative Stores on the right. 1932



Southend Victoria Circus and High Street view towards the South, Note the policeman on traffic duty with white arm bands, the Hotel Victoria on the left, and the original Dixons building before it was redeveloped into the much larger Department Store. Also note all the overhead power lines for the Electric Southend Corporation Trolley Buses. 1932



Zoomed in from the previous pic note the Southend Corporation Trolley Bus running up the High Street.

 

[The Big Dady]

Southend High Street pedestrianised in 1973

 

[The Big Dady]

I know these videos are about Southend Pier and its history and not Southend High Street but it is at the bottom of it.

Great videos, highly recommended

Part 1

Part 2

 

[kaymac]

Why was the underpass closed-off?

 

[The Big Dady]

Victoria Circus with Hotel Victoria in the centre, note the open top bus with a spiral rear staircase. 1925



Pier Hill looking up towards The Royal Hotel 1900's



The town achieved County Borough status, the reading of the Charter of Incorporation at Pier Hill in 1914

 

[The Big Dady]

Southend High Street looking south towards the railway bridge. 1970



Bottom of Southend High Street looking towards Pier Hill, note The Royal Stores Public House



Victoria Circus and Hotel Victoria with Dixons on the right. 1949



Southend High Street with Barclays bank on the left that replaced the Hotel Victoria 1973



Southend Victoria Shopping Centre looking south east with Keddies (Matland House) on the right, the bridge to Southend Victoria Station on the left, and the entrance to the new underpass at the bottom. 1973



Southend Pier looking towards Pier Hill 1890's

 

[The Big Dady]

Why was the underpass closed-off?

The Deeping Underpass was closed permanently 21st February 2010 to enable road improvements which were part of a £25m investment programme.

More than £7 million was being invested to replace the roundabout (Victoria Circus) with a traffic light junction and create a new green public space linking Southend Victoria station with the town centre.

More info
https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/4997348.Updated__Deeping_underpass_to_close/

 

[AndyT]

Aren't all those photos just superb! .. Southend really was a wonderful Victorian town.

I often say to people to look up and not forwards when walking down Southend High Street.

Wouldn't it be something if those Victorian buildings still standing could be restored back to their former glory with the horrible late 20th century shopfronts being removed.

Caters Supermarket was bugging me all day yesterday. I was chatting to someone about the old High Street and we couldn't remember the name of the supermarket under The Odeon!

Also post #181 is a great shot of the original Victoria Avenue, which people tell me was quite something with it's wide road and tree-lined avenue full of period Victorian houses.

I'm so glad they bulldozed it for those tower blocks!

... and why didn't buildings like the Hotel Victoria have a bl**dy preservation order on them!

 

[Ex-Member1]

Thanks for all the memories of a formerly great High Street, one which I remember with huge fondness having grown up, being kitted out at Ravens for uniforms, courting girls, meeting under 'Dixons' illuminated sign, patrolling for 13 years, knowing every nook and cranny, even remember the trolley buses! The wonderful buildings, especially Royal Terrace, are a joyful memory. Having revisited a few times, it is so sad to see the decline. I agree that life saving surgery is needed but in the days of general High Street decline I fear that my memories will stay just that.....memories of a great town centre. Sad.

 

[kaymac]

The Deeping Underpass was closed permanently 21st February 2010 to enable road improvements which were part of a £25m investment programme.

More than £7 million was being invested to replace the roundabout (Victoria Circus) with a traffic light junction and create a new green public space linking Southend Victoria station with the town centre.

More info
https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/4997348.Updated__Deeping_underpass_to_close/

Well, what an utter waste of money that was, as for the 'green (concrete?) public space' and claimed road improvements whoever designed that lot had no idea of traffic management or planning.

 

[kaymac]

Southend High Street looking south towards the railway bridge. 1970

View attachment 6498

Bottom of Southend High Street looking towards Pier Hill, note The Royal Stores Public House

View attachment 6499

Victoria Circus and Hotel Victoria with Dixons on the right. 1949

View attachment 6500

Southend High Street with Barclays bank on the left that replaced the Hotel Victoria 1973

View attachment 6501

Southend Victoria Shopping Centre looking south east with Keddies (Matland House) on the right, the bridge to Southend Victoria Station on the left, and the entrance to the new underpass at the bottom. 1973

View attachment 6503

Southend Pier looking towards Pier Hill 1890's

View attachment 6502

The old Victoria Hotel looked a damn sight better building than what stands there now!!

 

[Blueronron]

What i love is only 1976 and no hard hats as they dig up the pavements or bright bibs

Just flat cap, braces to keep up the trousers and hard graft with the pick

Great photos

 

[AndyT]

Victoria Circus Roundabout 1959 :- * sheds a tear *

 

[Benfleet A1]

Another pic from Victoria Circus looking down Victoria Avenue in 1960.

View attachment 6475

Southend High Street in the 1970's with Keddies on the left, what happened to those centre pavilions/shops?

View attachment 6476

Some skinheads on Southend High Street in 1979, on a day trip from London’s East End on their way down to the seafront.

View attachment 6477

I was one of those skinheads in 1979. Got rid of my hair back then now I want it back. ?

 

[KevinJH]

Southend High Street in January 1976, including Caters Supermarket

View attachment 6484

Anyone else recall walking down the High Street accompanied by that near-overpowering smell of roasting coffee ? I think it came from one of the shop's just on the far side of Caters ?

 

[AndyT]

Yay! Definitely.

It was the coffee shop next to where Top Shop was.

Can't for the life of me remember it's name, though.

 

[AndyT]

Well, what an utter waste of money that was, as for the 'green (concrete?) public space' and claimed road improvements whoever designed that lot had no idea of traffic management or planning.

The two biggest issues with that are the pedestrian crossings, which you have to stop at while the light ahead is green at the junction.

... and, of course, the destruction of the trees and flowerbeds of the original roundabout.

Not sure if this has been posted before, but another shot of Vic Circus, looking towards Vic Avenue :-

 

[KevinJH]

Yay! Definitely.
It was the coffee shop next to where Top Shop was.
Can't for the life of me remember it's name, though.

Well, it definitely wasn't Costa, Cafe Nero, Starbucks or the other dozen or so similar types that now seem to vie for space in the High Street's with the Pound stores.....