SUMMER 1952 CHURCH STREET, PETERBOROUGH

Many of Peterborough’s historic buildings are still here today, but much else has changed

‘The Prefect’s rakish numberplate was probably the most exciting thing seen that particular day’ LOCAL FORD STIRS THINGS UP

Anyone familiar with CCW's now-bustling home city of Peterborough will find it diffi cult to believe that the city centre would still have a market town atmosphere when this photo was taken.

Had our photographer turned around on the spot he could have captured Peterborough’s magnifi cent Norman cathedral and, in front of it, the (now relocated) market.

Some of the buildings in Church Street are still local landmarks today, but a lot has changed.

Peterborough was designated a new town in 1967, with people and businesses transferring from London – not always willingly.

This meant a huge redevelopment of downtown Peterborough, including what today would be called a ‘regional shopping hub’ (the Queensgate Centre, which is located behind the buildings to the right of the picture).

But let’s go back to 1952, and the many and varied automotive joys featured here.

Starting from the left, we have two pre-war-style Austins. Looking towards us is a Ten, with another

( bet it was grey) facing upstreet.

Ahead of that is a Humber Hawk, which would be a MkIII or MkIV, built from 1948-1952 using a separate chassis and powered by a 1994cc sidevalve engine.

We’re on for the car in front of that being a pre-war Buick, quite numerous in postwar Britain and then, mainly obscured by the cyclist, is probably a wartime Austin ‘Tilley’ pick-up. Ending the parked line-up is a Jowett Javelin, a joyful Bradfordbuilt machine with a flat-four engine and sporting touches.

On the road approaching that are an example of Standard’s car intended for the world – the Phase I Vanguard – together with an Austin K-Type lorry.

The row of cars headed by the pre-war Vauxhall 14, with Surrey registration DBP 481 from a series beginning in 1935, might be sitting on a taxi rank.

In front of them is one of many conversions of the time fi tted with wooden estate car (or, in period parlance, ‘shooting brake’) bodies, usually having begun life as a van or pick-up chassis. We’re going for Hillman Minx, here.

There’s no problem in identifying the locally-registered Ford Prefect in front of that, AFL being a fi ne example of the E493A model introduced in 1949, complete with integral wing-mounted headlamps, but still basically a pre-war model powered by an 1172cc sidevalve engine. Note the rakishly-mounted numberplate, which was probably the most exciting thing to have been seen in Peterborough on that particular day.

Well, as our 2018 picture shows, there have been changes. The lower part of Church Street has been pedestrianised, and the upper section is now a one-way street.

The Guildhall, on the immediate right of the picture (which was built in 1671 and served for many years as the Town Hall) still stands, as does the church of St John the Baptist (established 1407), though Snowdens, whose advertised attributes included being ‘rope and twine merchants’ is long gone.

Across the road, Barclays has replaced its building with a monstrosity; we have branches of Virgin Money and Yorkshire Bank plus estate agents. Look for Swallows and you’ll see DV Nails and Beauty.

And they call it progress…