Amateur footage, recorded by Charles Scott, featuring the extensive demolition and redevelopment of parts of Norwich, during the early 1970s, in particular, featuring Grapes Hill, Chapel Field, Magdalen Street and Anglia Square.
Genre:
Amateur; Portrait of a Place
Footage of the extensive building development work taking place in and around Norwich, during the early 1970s. Focusing on the demolition of residential properties; building of the inner link roads at Grapes Hill/Chapel Field and St Crispins Road; the demolition of Magdalen Street buildings and development of Anglia Square, its multi-storey car park, office blocks and shopping centre, and fly-over.
Footage of street signs, and pub or shop fronts, locate the residential or commercial area of the work taking place. Additional information is provided by intertitles, naming the locations, dates and building work. Also evident from the intertitles is the filmmaker’s regret at the ‘changing face of Norwich’, public dissatisfaction with the work is also evident from graffiti marking the walls. Slogans read, “restore don’t demolish” and “Hands off history”. Historic buildings of Norwich are glimpsed in the skyline as work takes place.
Featured People:
The Mayor of Norwich; Mr E A Gambling, Chairman of Norwich Highways Committee; Duke and Barly, Norwich residents
Featured Organisations:
W Frost Engineers Ltd; May Gurney; Heyhoe Bros Ltd. Woodside Road, Norwich; Easter Demolitions, Norwich
Featured Buildings:
Sportsman Public House, Northumberland Street; Lame Dog Public House, Queens Road; Winchester Tower, Chapel Field Road; The Tuns Public House, Unthank Road; Markham Tower, Bowers Avenue; Odeon Cinema, Anglia Square; The George & Dragon, Public House, Old Haymarket; Greyhound Public House, Heigham Street; St Giles’ Church, tower visible in the skyline;
Heatrae Building; Kendrick & Son Ltd; Bell Hotel; J.A. Nickalls China and Glass; Tylers, Magdalen Street; Barclays Bank, Magdalen Street; Haymarket and Gentleman’s Walk, high street shop exteriors:- Peter Robinson; Littlewoods; Curls department store; Dorothy Perkins; Shelfone Fashion; Marley; Tooks; Harry Fenton; Singers.
Old city wall, Chapel Field.
Thomas Browne Statue, Haymarket, Norwich