Off-Topic Old Cardiff photos

[I.8.POLITICAL.CORRECTNESS]

Stratford is nice[/QUOTE

William Shakespeare country

 

[Travis Bickle]

Yeah I like it around there

 

[I.8.POLITICAL.CORRECTNESS]

Yeah I like it around there

only been once . on a school trip nearly 30 years ago

 

[The Colonel]

Stratford is nice

I've heard it's bard

 

[TH63]

I've heard it's bard

St Illtyd’s had a school trip there back in the 70’s.
I’m amazed some of the shops managed to stay in business.

 

[smellons]

Not sure that superimposed image is correct? Look at the castellated section above the gate in the original image and then the modern one. Unless the gate was later redesigned, it looks to me like they’ve used the wrong gate in that superimposed picture?

 

[smellons]

I cannot wrap my head around this pic. It's like there's two rows of buildings in front of the castle and the building nearest the camera , if it was still there today, would be right in the middle of the road of Castle Street.

I was the same until I saw the map. Basically, Duke street is wider today than it was then and the grass in front of the castle accounts for the extra space as well.

 

[Travis Bickle]

The Moon club

On the Hayes by the open air fruit market

Yes

 

[Travis Bickle]

1975 when they pedestrianised the castle end of town, the rest was done in 1978

 

[Arfur Ap Llewellyn Europe]

Here's another of the 1888 Insurance Maps of the City Centre. This building was on the corner of Mill Lane and Caroline Street.

The New Moon Club I remember it as (not in 1888)

No chance! The buildings on that corner are ancient and are still standing. Think the pub there now is called the Corner House and used to be the gay bar (King's Cross?). All of the buildings on that row were there at the time of the earliest canal photos so definitely pre-date that demolition pic above.

Must be the other side of the canal route and as @Travis Bickle says, roughly where the new Library / Wagamamma is now.

 

[Arfur Ap Llewellyn Europe]

1975 when they pedestrianised the castle end of town, the rest was done in 1978

That's a brilliant pic and have never seen it before.

I guess they're all turning off up Park Place on the right.

Amazing how they staged the pedestrianisation. You can also see one of the famous cinemas on the right.

Were they the Odeon and the ABC? Remember queues all the way up Queen Street for the biggest blockbusters of the early 80s.

 

[TH63]

That's a brilliant pic and have never seen it before.

I guess they're all turning off up Park Place on the right.

Amazing how they staged the pedestrianisation. You can also see one of the famous cinemas on the right.

Were they the Odeon and the ABC? Remember queues all the way up Queen Street for the biggest blockbusters of the early 80s.

I remember it well. Yes, they’re turning down Park Place. The cinema is the ABC, it had three, count em three, screens. This was the top cinema in Cardiff.
My dad took me and my mates there in 1975 to see Jaws for my 12th birthday.

 

[Travis Bickle]

I remember it well. Yes, they’re turning down Park Place. The cinema is the ABC, it had three, count em three, screens. This was the top cinema in Cardiff.
My dad took me and my mates there in 1975 to see Jaws for my 12th birthday.

A B C history

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/7970

 

[TDA]

No chance! The buildings on that corner are ancient and are still standing. Think the pub there now is called the Corner House and used to be the gay bar (King's Cross?). All of the buildings on that row were there at the time of the earliest canal photos so definitely pre-date that demolition pic above.

Must be the other side of the canal route and as @Travis Bickle says, roughly where the new Library / Wagamamma is now.

I should have checked Google street view before saying that .

My memory of the area is hazy, as it is the better part of 40 years since I lived in Cardiff. I thought the entrance was in Caroline Street, but to be honest, whenever we went to that club, it would have been at the end of a pretty long and boozy night and it could have been anywhere.

That said, I am sure that the building in the left background with the green panels is Hayes House, government offices with shops below, including the Green Shield Stamp shop, which became Argos.

I have also found this photo from 1981 which purports to be the same place.

I reckon the top photo is the flank wall on the right hand side of the lower photo, i.e. looking back along the old open market to where Hayes House was. That might put it on the corner of Millicent Street by the canal?

I also think this is the shop I mentioned above

 

[I.8.POLITICAL.CORRECTNESS]

I was the same until I saw the map. Basically, Duke street is wider today than it was then and the grass in front of the castle accounts for the extra space as well.

i always thought the grass in front of the castle used to be where the river ran

 

[Arfur Ap Llewellyn Europe]

Can also see the old Midland Bank with the Roman ballustrades on its frontage. Now HSBC.

Stunning building, with an amazing glass dome inside above the foyer.

Edit: This all refers to the Queen St pic

 

[Arfur Ap Llewellyn Europe]

I was the same until I saw the map. Basically, Duke street is wider today than it was then and the grass in front of the castle accounts for the extra space as well.

Planners had a thing for putting buildings in the middle of streets way back when!

The original Cardiff Town Hall was smack bang in the middle of High Street, near the entrance to the market.

If you drive through other old towns in the UK, you often find the road veers around some old market building, or it has even become some sort of roundabout.

 

[Arfur Ap Llewellyn Europe]

Can also see the old Midland Bank with the Roman ballustrades on its frontage. Now HSBC.

Stunning building, with an amazing glass dome inside above the foyer.

Edit: This all refers to the Queen St pic

Apologies to all readers for my use of the word Ballustrades above. Before everyone steams in to correct me, firstly it was spelt incorrectly, and secondly I obviously meant Roman Columns.

Balustrades are similar, but much shorter supports for railings / garden walls etc.

 

[The Colonel]

Apologies to all readers for my use of the word Ballustrades above. Before everyone steams in to correct me, firstly it was spelt incorrectly, and secondly I obviously meant Roman Columns.

Balustrades are similar, but much shorter supports for railings / garden walls etc.

You'll never live it down on here pal. "Remember the time Arfur used the word ballustrades in reference to Roman columns?"

I've already had a couple of smiley requests about it.

 

[Travis Bickle]

Can also see the old Midland Bank with the Roman ballustrades on its frontage. Now HSBC.

Stunning building, with an amazing glass dome inside above the foyer.

Edit: This all refers to the Queen St pic

Yeah the dome is well worth a look