Perhaps our resident historians can give us the lowdown on the buildings shown in this picture.

Especially for Blackdog, there is a glimpse of the old Newmarket Inn.

The main building was St Mary's Hill almshouses - for six widows.  Built in 1864 (but a much, much older charity) and demolished in the 1970s (very soon after this picture) so the council could build Mill Reef house - another of my particular favourites in the 'Newbury's ghastliest building' stakes. Four bungalows were built in Derby Road for St Mary's charity (in the front gardens of Upper Raymond's Almshouses) - so there are still places for four widows.  Mind you, whoever, allowed drab 60s bungalows to be put there should be have been strangled at birth.

Was the shop on the right a chip shop back then?

Quoted from Greenham Common

Was the shop on the right a chip shop back then?

Yes it was. Fish and chips in those days was 1 shilling and sixpence (7 and a half pence in todays money). It's nearly a fiver for the same thing today.

Quoted from BrianB

Yes it was. Fish and chips in those days was 1 shilling and sixpence (7 and a half pence in todays money). It's nearly a fiver for the same thing today.

Would that be the chip shop that Hendrix was allegedly meant to have visited while gigging at the Plaza?

Quoted from Greenham Common

Would that be the chip shop that Hendrix was allegedly meant to have visited while gigging at the Plaza?

Yep, It certainly would..I only wish I had some photos to prove it.. I detect a hint of doubt in your quote-but that doesn't matter as I was there!!!!!!

Quoted from BrianB

Yes it was. Fish and chips in those days was 1 shilling and sixpence (7 and a half pence in todays money). It's nearly a fiver for the same thing today.

yes but the average daily wage then was only 2 shillings, making a fish supper a real treat.

Quoted from dodgy

Yep, It certainly would..I only wish I had some photos to prove it.. I detect a hint of doubt in your quote-but that doesn't matter as I was there!!!!!!

I only said allegedly, because I didn't know if it was true or not, or whether it was another chippy!  

I've been told it was known as Brindley's.  There was another one called Somerscales; on the London Rd.

Quoted from Greenham Common

I've been told it was known as Brindley's.

J (John?) Brindley started a chippy there in the 1920s - the family were fishmongers before that and had a shop where the cinema is now (next door to the New Market Inn).

Quoted from blackdog

J (John?) Brindley started a chippy there in the 1920s - the family were fishmongers before that and had a shop where the cinema is now (next door to the New Market Inn).

Blimey, how old are you?

Quoted from dodgy

Blimey, how old are you?

Old enough to read and interested enough to bother.  There is plenty of evidence around showing what shops were where back to the 1880s (when today's chippy was two boozers, the Steamer and the Weavers' Arms).

Quoted from blackdog

Old enough to read and interested enough to bother.  There is plenty of evidence around showing what shops were where back to the 1880s (when today's chippy was two boozers, the Steamer and the Weavers' Arms).

I remember them well-The Steamers sold the cheapest bitter in town and you could purchase 2 lbs of pigs trotters for 2d..Chitlings were quite expensive though, a bit of a luxery at that time!

Quoted from Administrator

Perhaps our resident historians can give us the lowdown on the buildings shown in this picture.

Especially for Blackdog, there is a glimpse of the old Newmarket Inn.

I love this photo-and have it as a background on my PC-My dad was a great friend of Mr Parker the Butcher..
See how you could leave your doors open then, probably keys in ign as well!
It wouldn't be a bad idea for an Everest Rep to call on them.. I think there is a good chance of an order or two!

Nice shot of the almshouses. They don't look in too bad condition there, Pity they had to go to make way for that ugly brick building, I'm sure that a few quid bunged at them would have made a few pensioners happy rather than being dumped in the flats in Carnarvon Plce and in Derby Rd.

Quoted from brian

Nice shot of the almshouses. They don't look in too bad condition there,

Empty and boarded up, weeds growing in the courtyard - this must be shortly before demolition.  Did they go because the Council wanted the space for thir new offices or did the charity decide on the move for their own reasons?

Quoted from brian

Pity they had to go to make way for that ugly brick building, I'm sure that a few quid bunged at them would have made a few pensioners happy rather than being dumped in the flats in Carnarvon Plce and in Derby Rd.

I suspect the new bungalows they built for them in Derby Road offered a lot nicer living conditions - only four bungalows though, replacing six almshouses in this block.  Mind you 1960s bungalows are a bit of an eyesore in Derby Road - still, if the Council wanted some new offices aesthetic considerations wouldn't have stood a chance.