LOOKING BACK: The changing face of Bridge Street

Can anyone date this picture of Bridge Street?

Bridge Street is, of course, one of the city's key retail streets and it's sad to see big stores such as Marks & Spencer and Mothercare moving out.

Historically, it has been a thriving area as this week’s pictures show.

Being a newcomer to the city (1997!) I didn’t realise that there used to be a building attached to the former Woolworth building (main picture).

And for all the fancy food shops and supermarkets that have moved into Peterborough since, I wish we still had that good old MacFisheries shop for fresh fish today.

Can anyone date the picture and when was MacFisheries shut down?

Interestingly, in this week’s Aerial View you can make out the building in the top left hand corner.

It looks odd with the building on the corner and then the great expanse of the Woolworth’s wall.

The next pictures of Bridge Street are taken from roughly the same spot.

The first one was taken in 1955 and you can make out the Angel Hotel which is where W H Smith is now. It certainly looks a bustling street back then. The next picture is a more familiar scene although still prior to pedestrianisation. This one was taken in 1981.

The final picture was taken in 1984 after the street had been pedestrianised.