The Way We Were Spring 1984, Tewkesbury
TEWKESBURY HIGH STREET, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
There are plenty of 1970s cars in this 1980s scene – many getting away with parking on double yellow lines…
his image was kindly provided by the Gloucestershire Echo’s historical specialist, Robin Brooks, and is about ten miles north of the Echo’s Cheltenham headquarters in the pretty market town of Tewkesbury.
This sunny spring day 36 years ago gives us a view north up the High Street, with Tewkesbury Abbey behind the photographer. The ancient timber-framed buildings are still there, although almost every shop front we can see has changed.
The Midland Bank branch (nearside of the black-and-white building on the left) is still operating as HSBC, while the across the road rival Barclays has moved into the Cut-Price store (the one with the Volvo 343 parked outside). However, further in the distance, still on the right-hand side, it’s good to see that some things haven’t changed; the building with the Chevette parked outside is the Nottingham Arms pub, which dates all the way back to the 13th century.
The street itself is now lined with loading bays, but the double yellows on the far side didn’t seem to put many people off back in 1984 – who knows, maybe local residents all knew that the parking attendant was on a day off?
That’s a yellow British Telecom Dodge Spacevan in the bottomright corner, possibly re-purposed by a new owner. British Telecom inherited the old Post Office Telephones fleet when BT was formed in 1981, but soon started selling them off, especially after production ended in 1983.
Behind it is the aforementioned A-reg three-door Volvo 343, then there’s a tired-looking Ford Cortina estate MkIII, a Transit MkII, a Fiat 131 and in the distance the pub-loving Chevette. We wonder if its owner has nipped in for a swift lunchtime pint?
The left-hand side of the road starts with a five-door Volkswagen Golf MkI, behind which is a Transitrivalling Sherpa wearing a possibly misleading ‘DELUXE’ badge. The Transit certainly won the van wars, but the Sherpa at least mounted a challenge. Leyland’s rival, launched in 1974, was powered by B-series petrol and diesel engines and gained O-series petrol engines from 1978, while a re-design in 1982 saw it become the Sherpa K2.
Next is a Datsun Cherry N10 hatch, then a BMW 318, something we can’t identify (any guesses?) and a Fiat 127. Further along, is that a Renault 16 sticking its nose out? Those in motion include a Renault 20, Granada estate MkII, Talbot Samba and another Cherry, this time an N12. Only a Mini-Metro and one of George Bence’s Bedford TL wagons, double-parked on the left, are pointing south.
Sadly, few of these cars survive today although you can still park on this bottle-neck section of the A38 (albeit only for a maximum of an hour). We also suspect that those parking on double yellow lines will be far more likely to face a swiftlyissued penalty. course) and also the occasional strike by dock workers, many coming out in sympathy with the miners.
DON’T CROSS THE STREAMS
‘If there’s somethin’ strange in your neighbourhood, who ya gonna call?’ Correct. Professional paranormal investigators Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson kit out their Miller-Meteor Futura ambulance with personalised ECTO-1 number plates and
Ghostbusters becomes the biggest thing since, well… forever. The competition from other films isn’t too shabby, either, with The Terminator, The Karate Kid, Beverley Hills Cop plus Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
EIGHTES MUSIC-FEST
Ghostbusters nearly runs away with it here, too, but Ray Parker Jr has to play a supporting role to high energy boys with nice hair — Frankie Goes to Hollywood top the year’s sales with Relax and Two Tribes while Wham score big with Freedom and Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go. The rest of the top sellers are a right old mixed salad: soppy stuff like Hello from Lionel Richie and I Just Called To Say I Love You from Stevie Wonder, and total cheese from Black Lace with Agadoo.