Memory Lane Southend Town Centre

[AndyT]

Looking back, you realise how many old hotels there were in the town.

On the photos in #312 there's one of the corner of the Middleton Hotel. It's the one that says 1976, but I think is late 60's. I am sure the front entrance to The Odeon didn't exist by 1976 and the film showing is 'Carry On Again Doctor' which was released in 1969,

The thing is, as late as the early 1970's there were still plenty of hotels in and around the High Street, despite SBC's crusade to have everything of character demolished.

However, fast forward 10 years and pretty much all the hotels had gone.

 

[KevinJH]

Things I never knew existed :-

Yeah, I was amazed to see some empty parking spaces too

Oh, hang on.....

 

[AndyT]

LOL!

They were probably free then, as well, rather than pay machines that never work!

 

[hockleyeast1964]

'Time Machine' was one of the unsung tracks of that era.

Good to hear the Hardcastle is still around. Some of his early stuff as First Light was up there with the best UK stuff of the time.

Don't depend on me is one of my favs ,,,love Derek Greens vocals.One of my mates hates Paul Hardcastle because he used to pick up his now longterm wife Dolores from school in his lotus She was the hottest girl in his year!

 

[The Big Dady]

Found this one amongst some of my old photos, it is not Southend High Street, but Westcliff High Street (Hamlet Court Road) looking north from the railway bridge, love these old photos of our town.



and just one car.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Things I never knew existed :-

Have just asked them on the Ros Past and Present FB page for a bit more information on this, it's obviously right near the Arches cafes but I don't know any more than that at the moment.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Found this one too @AndyT , the same arch lit up for the illuminations and marking the western most end of them by the toilets near the Arches.

And another, in colour this time. Judging by the date, it may well still have been there when I was little so I might be remembering it correctly.

 

[AndyT]

Many thanks, OBL.

I agree it must have been near The Arches. I think on the left of the original picture posted, you can see the stone wall that it next to the current toilets there, so I'd say it was where the central reservation car parking now starts, just by The Arches, as you say.

 

[The Big Dady]

Here is another No 7 bus turning from Warrior Square into the High Street, note Keddies in the back ground.

 

[Shrimper in France]

Big Dady I think that the bus is coming out of Warrior Square into the High Street - Whitegate Road is the next turning down behind the photographer who was standing in front of the Odeon. I used to catch my bus to school from there.

 

[The Big Dady]

Big Dady I think that the bus is coming out of Warrior Square into the High Street - Whitegate Road is the next turning down behind the photographer who was standing in front of the Odeon. I used to catch my bus to school from there.

Ah yes you are correct, thanks for pointing that out, it is Warrior Square with the National Westminster Bank on the corner and Keddies behind it.

I have now amended caption.

 

[The Big Dady]

Here are some more pics of the Queens Hotel Hamlet Court Road.

Queens Hotel 1908


Queens Hotel (date unknown)


Queens Hotel 1985

Queens Hotel just before demolition

 

[AndyT]

Here is another No 7 bus turning from Warrior Square into the High Street, note Keddies in the back ground.

View attachment 6995

Love trying to date photos.

I'd say that's around maybe 1969. Googling, The National Provincial Bank were taken over by Nat West in 1970, so must be before then.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Lovely photo.I started work for Eastern National Omnibus in 1970 after A levels.Happy days.

 

[kaymac]

Remember the lights all along the seafront (up to the arches) always looked forward to seeing them and our yearly visit to Never-Never Land. Southend seem more of a fun place then.

 

[Benfleet A1]

Lovely photo.I started work for Eastern National Omnibus in 1970 after A levels.Happy days.

I don't suppose you worked at Hadleigh Bus Depot did you?

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I don't suppose you worked at Hadleigh Bus Depot did you?

No SOS.

 

[ozzie]

what a great photo of the Queens Hotel..didnt it "burn down" ??? many years ago.
I believe in Germany,when a old-(protected,it may have been) building burns down(strangley or not)...you must rebuild that building how it was before or as good as possible.
Insurance....it helps stops old building suddenly catching fire...then other properties being built on that site...only for profit..
Great photo of the Southend corp bus..no 7...used that number bus for decades
Great memories.
Its s sad that Southend CC lets so many great old building be pulled down

 

[AndyT]

It did, Ozzie.

Now looks like this :-

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Here are some more pics of the Queens Hotel Hamlet Court Road.

Queens Hotel 1908
View attachment 6996

Queens Hotel (date unknown)
View attachment 6997

Queens Hotel 1985View attachment 6998

Queens Hotel just before demolitionView attachment 6999

I had some really funny nights in there. We would go there on the talent night by bus(London Road back to Leigh) just for the laugh as it was cheap booze night as well. So we could get drunk cheap and watch some amazingly bad local singers, magicians, dancers, comedians. etc. It was like watching a version of Britain's got talent the early round where they think they are good, but are really bad. The crowd could get quite boisterous as well as most turned up the same reason we did, which added to it. You would get the odd good act, but not many.